Robert Bobb facts for kids

Robert C. Bobb is an important public official. He is known for his work as a city manager and as an Emergency Financial Manager for schools. He helped manage large cities and school systems.

Bobb was the Emergency Financial Manager for the Detroit Public Schools until 2011. He also worked for private groups that support different school options. He also owns a company that helps both public and private groups.

Before this, Bobb led the Washington, D.C. board of education. He was also the longest-serving African-American city manager in the United States. He worked in this role for 30 years.

Early Life and Education

Robert C. Bobb was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He grew up on a farm in southwest Louisiana. His grandmother worked there as a maid.

He worked hard to pay for college. He cleaned floors during school and worked in sulfur pits in the summers. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science. This was from Grambling State University.

Later, he received a master's degree in business studies. This was from Western Michigan University in 1978. In 2005, he also finished a special training program. It was for school leaders.

Career Highlights

Robert C. Bobb has had a long career in public service. He has held many important roles. He helped manage cities and school systems.

City Management Roles

Bobb worked as a city manager for 30 years. A city manager helps run a city's daily operations. They work with the mayor and city council.

He served in several cities:

• Kalamazoo, Michigan (1977–1984)
• Santa Ana, California
• Richmond, Virginia (1986–1997)
• Oakland, California (1997–2003)
• Washington, D.C. (2003–2006)

In Oakland, the city had a new way of being run. It had a strong mayor and a city manager. Bobb worked well with the mayor for a while. They made changes to how the city worked. Later, he left his role in Oakland.

From 2003 to 2006, Bobb was city manager in Washington, D.C. He helped manage many employees and a large budget. He even traveled to China to represent Washington.

Emergency Financial Manager Role

In March 2009, Robert C. Bobb took on a big challenge. He was appointed as the Emergency Financial Manager. This was for the Detroit Public Schools. At that time, the school district had many schools and students. It also had a large money problem.

Bobb said he took the job because Detroit schools were tough. He understood the challenges of city schools. He wanted to help them succeed.

He worked to improve the schools' money situation. He also made plans for education changes. This included setting standards for students to pass grades. He also planned for better school buildings. He encouraged community involvement.

He used federal money to improve school facilities. He also worked to get more students to enroll. He asked for volunteers to help students learn to read.

His time as manager had some challenges. He had to close some schools. He also had to cut some jobs. He brought in outside experts to help improve schools. He also brought back some guidance counselors and music teachers. This was to help students and keep music education going.

Bobb received a salary from the government. He also got money from private groups. These groups support different school choices. Bobb also owns his own consulting company.

His role was set to end in March 2011. At that time, he was given more power. This included changing contracts and teacher agreements. He could also reassign teachers without considering how long they had worked there. Bobb also suggested that some schools he closed could become charter schools.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bobb helped Washington, D.C. He was a co-chair for a committee. This committee worked on reopening the city.

Awards and Community Work

Robert C. Bobb has received many awards. These awards recognize his excellent work. He has won awards for his career development. He also won awards for new ideas in city management.

He was named public official of the year by Governing magazine. In 2010, Walsh College gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. This was after he gave a speech there.

Bobb has also been involved in many community groups. He was president of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators. He also led the City of Oakland Black Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. He also has a lifetime membership in the NAACP.

Bobb is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration (United States). This means he is recognized for his public service.

Election Results

Robert C. Bobb ran for president of the D.C. Board of Education in 2006. This was a nonpartisan election. This means candidates did not run as part of a political party.