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Articles
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| Giving youth a place to call home |
VOICE writes, "By Joshua Gray
Will Cobb is leaving D.C. It might make him an unlikely community activist, but it highlights the depth of his commitment to Capitol Hill. Come spring, he’ll be leaving for a State Department job in Mexico, but that he hasn’t slowed his efforts to bring new life to the embattled Eastern Branch of the D.C. Boys and Girl’s Club at 261 17th St. SE.
Cobb has always been a rolling stone. His father was in the Air Force, and the litany of places he’s lived sounds like a Johnny Cash song. He’s been everywhere. Cobb and his wife, Pam, have called the Hill home since 2003, which is the longest he’s ever stayed in one place.
Cobb landed in D.C. by way of the Coast Guard, followed by a stint in business school and an early job working with a nonprofit in Ethiopia. Next came a private position based in Atlanta, for which he traveled 50 weeks a year. When he landed in D.C.— first with the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton and later with SRA International — he was ready to stay put for a while.
He was also ready to put something back into his new, more permanent home. After settling in, he found himself with a problem familiar to longtime Hill residents — local kids had little opportunity for structured recreation. The Eastern Branch, just two blocks from Cobb’s Hill East home, had already fallen on difficult times. Cobb volunteered his time and expertise at the club and came to know both the important personalities there and the texture of the neighborhood. "
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Galvanized by the experience, Cobb decided to run for the Ward 6 seat on the D.C. Council. Though his bid was unsuccessful, he used it as a springboard for his next project. Combining his local politics experience with his well-honed business acumen, Cobb saw the club as an ideal venue for change in the community.
Cobb launched a campaign he called Neighbors United. Its mission was to establish a stable center for the entire community, focused on youth, but with programs for everyone from toddlers to seniors. Cobb attained nonprofit status, assembled a board and marshaled seed money from city grants. He approached developer Douglas Jemal with a proposal to buy the property, rejuvenate the facility and donate it to the community.
But Neighbors United met with an unexpected surprise when it brought its proposal to the D.C. Boys and Girls Club. The club’s board of directors demanded “a full and open process” for bidding on the property. Cobb’s good intentions were no guarantee of success.
Undaunted, Cobb has redoubled his efforts. The bidding process on the Eastern Branch facility is ongoing. And the group is actively exploring other venues. Cobb is clearly excited about the recent arrival of Neighbors United executive director Jerry May, whose success as the executive director of the Maryland State Youth Soccer Association left him well poised to continue Cobb’s mission. He is confident that he is leaving Neighbors United in good hands.
Cobb will be leaving in early May, just 45 days after the expected arrival of his daughter, the couple’s first child. But he knows the Hill is his home and not just because they own a few properties here.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever really been a part of a community because I’ve always moved around so much,” he said. “Even though we’re getting ready to leave, we know that this is where we’re going to come back [to].”
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Posted on Jan 10, 2008 06:49am.
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