Visionary Leader

Georgia Southern University President Brooks Keel presents former State Representative Bob Lane with the President’s Medal

Former State Representative Bob Lane was honored with President’s Medal.

Bob Lane has always had a special fondness for Georgia Southern University. The former Georgia State Representative recalled that his attachment to the University began as a young boy, when he liked sports and loved watching Eagle teams compete for titles. “I grew up in Statesboro and in my childhood I attended basketball games and baseball games in particular,” Lane said.

Lane’s Georgia Southern connections run deep through his family as well – son David received a degree in finance, son Brant studied for two years in the Georgia Tech Regional Engineering Program (GTREP), and his aunt, Professor Emeritus Betty Lane, was the longtime chair of the Home Economics Department. “I’ve been a supporter and a fan of Georgia Southern my whole life,” he said. That support was evident from 1980 to 2010 during Lane’s service in the Georgia House of Representatives, where he was one of the University’s strongest advocates. During that time period, Lane, along with Bulloch County’s legislative delegation, helped garner support from the entire General Assembly for more than $300 million in capital projects for Georgia Southern.

In appreciation of Lane’s commitment, Georgia Southern President Brooks Keel presented him with the President’s Medal, the University’s highest honor, during a Legislative Appreciation Dinner held in April at the Nessmith-Lane Conference Center. The award is given exclusively to recipients who have demonstrated extraordinary contributions, dedication and service to the University. Lane is only the sixth recipient of the award, and the first to receive the honor from Keel, who called him a true champion for Georgia Southern and the surrounding area. “What he has done for this University will endure and benefit future generations of students, faculty and staff,” Keel said.

 

Some of the significant projects funded during Lane’s years of service in the House of Representatives will benefit generations of students to come, including new buildings for the College of Education, the College of Business Administration, the College of Engineering and Information Technology, the Nursing/ Chemistry program and the Biological Sciences facility currently under construction.

The former legislator said he was especially proud of the creation of the Engineering and Information Technology building, one of many construction and renovation projects that were completed to accommodate the campus’ growth.

“I can’t take credit for any of this because no one does anything alone,” Lane modestly said. “I was just fortunate to serve on the committees to help get the process started.”

Receiving the President’s Award also came as a complete surprise to Lane. “I thought we were going to honor our current state representatives and I just went to help recognize them,” he said about the Legislative Dinner. However, Lane realized something was afoot when his family and some out-of-town friends were present at the dinner.

“I share this award with my family and the local representatives who supported me during my tenure. Quite honestly, when I became a representative, most of my focus other than making laws and doing what I thought the people here wanted, was to make sure Georgia Southern was funded fairly and adequately.”

Sandra Bennett