Bill Cobey | |
|---|---|
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| Chair of theNorth Carolina State Board of Education | |
| In office 2013–2018 | |
| Preceded by | William C. Harrison |
| Succeeded by | Eric Davis |
| Chair of theNorth Carolina Republican Party | |
| In office May 22, 1999 – July 21, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Sam Currin |
| Succeeded by | Ferrell Blount |
| Secretary of theNorth Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources | |
| In office 1989–1993 | |
| Governor | James G. Martin |
| Preceded by | S. Thomas Rhodes |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan B. Howes |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNorth Carolina's4th district | |
| In office January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Ike Franklin Andrews |
| Succeeded by | David Price |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Wilfred Cobey, Jr. (1939-05-13)May 13, 1939 (age 85) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
| Alma mater | Emory University (BA) University of Pennsylvania (MBA) University of Pittsburgh (MEd) |
| Occupation | Retired |
William Wilfred Cobey Jr. (born May 13, 1939) is an American politician. A member of theRepublican Party, he servedone term in theUnited States House of Representatives forNorth Carolina's 4th congressional district from 1985 to 1987.
Cobey was born inWashington, D.C. and reared in the suburb ofUniversity Park inPrince George's County,Maryland. His father,William W. Cobey, Sr., was theathletic director for theUniversity of Maryland from 1956 to 1969. Cobey is a graduate ofEmory University inAtlanta,Georgia, where he received aBachelor of Arts inChemistry. Cobey also earned anM.B.A. in Marketing from theWharton School at theUniversity of Pennsylvania inPhiladelphia and anM.Ed. from theUniversity of Pittsburgh.
Cobey originally worked as a bank administrative assistant and then as a chemical salesman. In 1968, he became, like his father, an athletic administrator. From 1976 to 1980, he was athletic director at theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[1][2] In the early 1980s, he was the president of his own corporation, Cobey & Associates.
In 1980, Cobey was the Republican nominee forNorth Carolina Lieutenant Governor. In 1984, he was elected to representNorth Carolina's 4th congressional district in the U.S. Congress. However, he was defeated in a bid for re-election in 1986 by theDemocratDavid Price.
After serving in Congress, Cobey joined the administration of North CarolinaGovernorJames G. Martin, first as Deputy Secretary of Transportation and then as Secretary of the Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources. After serving as town manager ofMorrisville, North Carolina, he did government relations consulting for Capitol Link, Inc.
Cobey served two terms (1999–2003) as the voluntary chairman of theNorth Carolina Republican Party.[3] He replaced Sam Currin.[4] Under Cobey's leadership, the state party purchased a new headquarters building. He was succeeded by Ferrell Blount as party chair.[5]
Cobey was one of the leading candidates for the Republican gubernatorial nomination to challenge Democratic GovernorMike Easley in the2004 election. In July 2003, Cobey received the endorsement of former North Carolina SenatorJesse Helms in the Republican primary contest. Rarely had Helms endorsed any candidate in primaries, other thanRonald W. Reagan for the 1976 presidential nomination. In the July 2004 Republican primary, Cobey ran a strong third with 26.7% of the vote (97,461 votes), lagging behind nomineePatrick Ballantine (30.3% and 110,726 votes) andRichard Vinroot (29.9% and 109,217 votes).
In 2007-2008, Cobey was the North Carolina campaign chairman for defeated presidential candidateMike Huckabee, the formergovernor of Arkansas.[6]
From 2005-2012, Cobey was a presidential-appointee to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board of Directions, which governs Reagan National and Dulles Airports. He is a former chairman of the board atTrinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill, a former board chairman of the Jesse Helms Foundation, and a former president of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA. From 2013-2018, he was chairman of the North Carolina State Board of Education, a board member for the NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT), a member of the NC Education Workforce Innovation Commission, and a member of the governor's education cabinet.
Cobey resides inChapel Hill, North Carolina with his wife, Nancy. They have two children and five grandchildren.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forLieutenant Governor of North Carolina 1980 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Sam Currin | Chair of theNorth Carolina Republican Party 1999–2003 | Succeeded by Ferrell Blount |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNorth Carolina's 4th congressional district 1985–1987 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas former U.S. Representative |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
