Charles and Sue Cobb

SOURCE OF WEALTH: Cobb Partners, Arvida Corporation

FUNDING AREAS: Education & Youth, International Affairs, Health & Human Services, Arts & Culture

OVERVIEW: Charles and Sue Cobb move philanthropy through the Cobb Family Foundation, which gives primarily for higher and other education, health organizations, human services, and community development.

BACKGROUND: Charles E. Cobb graduated with a B.A. in economics from Stanford University in 1958 and an M.B.A. in 1962. Cobb was the chairman and CEO of Disney Development Company and of Arvida Corporation. He was U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Iceland under President George H.W. Bush and under Secretary and Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce under President Reagan. Cobb went on to become Senior Managing Director and CEO of Cobb Partners, an investment company.

Sue Cobb graduated from Stanford University and the University of Miami School of Law. As an attorney, she was partner at Greenberg Traurig. Cobb is the former U.S. ambassador to Jamaica and formerly Florida’s Secretary of State. She’s also held positions as CEO of the Florida Lottery, and three-time chair of the Miami Federal Reserve. 

ISSUES:

EDUCATION & YOUTH: Cobb is former chairman of the board of trustees of the University of Miami, which the family strongly supports. The institution is home to Cobb Stadium. The family have also University of Miami’s School of Business, and its Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. The couple created the Sue M. Cobb Scholarship Foundation for Jamaican Students and Ambassador Sue McCourt Cobb Law School Scholarship at University of Miami.

Cobb is also a former trustee of several Stanford University, which the Cobbs steadily support. Other grantees have included Brunswick School, Waterside School, Baruch College Fund, and Foundation for Excellence in Education, which was launched by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush in 2008. Cobb has an interest in education reform and was the founding chair of the Doctors Charter School, which the Cobbs continue to support.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS: Given the couple’s work on the international stage, it’s no surprise that these causes also drive philanthropy. They sponsor the Sue M. Cobb Exemplary Diplomatic Service Award and the Charles E. Cobb Award for Success in Trade Development — the U.S. State Department worldwide awards for top non career or career ambassadors.

The foundation directs grants towards Jamaican charities including United Way of Jamaica and American Friends of Jamaica. Other grantees have included Center for Strategic and International Studies (Sue is on the board), Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, United States Diplomacy Center, and Council of American Ambassadors, where the couple are on the board of the directors.

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES: Grantees have included United Way of Miami-Dade, where Sue has sat on the board; Miami Heart Research Institute; American Cancer Society; Baptist Health Foundation; Dana Farber Cancer Institute; and Miami Children’s Hospital.

ARTS & CULTURE: The family have also earmarked funds for places like Perez Art Museum - PAAM, Frost Museum of Science, and Zoological Society of South Florida.

LOOKING FORWARD: Expect this family’s steady giving to continue, tracking with established interest areas.

CONTACT:

The Cobb Family Foundation accepts contact at the address below:

Cobb Family Foundation Admin
4000 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Suite 470
Coral Gables, FL 33146
(305) 441-1700