With more than 40 years experience, Bob is one of the most respected PR counselors in the country. His extensive background includes public relations director for the Atlanta Braves when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record; vice president of both the Braves and the Atlanta Hawks teams, while also handling Ted Turner’s personal publicity; executive vice president with the global public relations firm Burson-Marsteller working with high profile products, companies and individuals, including Wayne Huizenga, Fred Smith, Roberto Goizueta and Charlie Loudermilk, as well as top companies like The Coca-Cola Company, Turner Broadcasting, Federal Express and General Electric. Active in the Atlanta community, Bob is a director of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, Covenant House of Georgia, the Georgia Global Health Alliance, the Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance, the Atlanta Sports Council and the Ovarian Cancer Institute. He is on the advisory board of the Georgia Special Olympics; and is a member of the Committee of 100 at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology; a member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta and was selected District Rotarian of the Year for 2012. He is a founder and vice chairman of HAVE Foundation, which builds and maintains schools in rural Honduras. He is on the board of councilors for the Carter Center and has represented the Carter Center twice as an international election observer in Nepal. Bob received the George Goodwin Award from the Public Relations Society of America, the President’s Award from the Women’s Sports Foundation, twice named Director of the Year for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and has been the recipient of the International Service Award, the Hospitality Award, the Ivan Allen Club Service Award and the Community Leadership Award by Rotary Club of Atlanta – the only Rotarian to receive all four awards. He also received Rotary International’s highest honor, the Service Above Self Award. The Atlanta Business Chronicle named him one of the 100 Most Influential Business Leaders in Atlanta in 2015, and he was recently inducted into the Atlanta Hospitality Hall of Fame. Bob received a B.A. in journalism from Georgia State University. He has written two books: “We Could Have Finished Last Without You” about his early years with the Braves and “Greater Late Than Never” about people who achieve success after age 50. He organized the effort to build and donate the statue of Hank Aaron that currently stands outside Turner Field.
Rotary Club of Thomasville
217 South Broad Street
Thomasville, GA 31792