PERSON: Robert (Rob) Maness

GatorPAC

Chairman

Rob Maness has a life long record of providing dedicated service to the nation. The third son of Master Sergeant Billy and Lennie Maness, he and his three brothers grew up moving around the country and the world as their Dad served in the United States Air Force. Rob learned about many cultures, realizing how grateful he was for being an American and why our individual rights must be protected. Rob made the decision as a 17 year old high school senior to enlist in the Air Force and serve in uniform as the country faced multiple crises around the world. Having worked his way up from the enlisted ranks to full colonel, he retired from active duty in 2011, ending his military service of more than 32 years. Rob and Candy came back to Louisiana to continue raising their family, where he had spent much of his military career. He worked in the utility industry as a director for two years after his military retirement and is currently the owner of Iron Liberty Consulting Group, residing in Madisonville, Louisiana.

Rob has proven his competence at the local, state, and federal levels of government with his demonstrated leadership and effectiveness as a steward of our citizen’s tax dollars. He has broad experience in the national budget process, national emergency response decision-making, law enforcement, successful community relations with governments at all levels, and working with citizens to meet today’s challenges. He has provided direct, executive oversight to local schools in coordination with elected school boards, working to make them secure and more effective to meet the needs of America’s military children. His leadership and combat experiences give him a unique perspective when considering how national action impacts on American families.

During his military service, Colonel Maness led numerous combat operations, including as a bomber squadron commander in Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Colonel Maness served as an enlisted bomb disposal technician in three assignments countering terrorism before being commissioned and selected for flight training. As a Joint Chiefs of Staff operations officer he was on duty in the National Military Command Center located within the Pentagon during the September 11, 2001 attack. In the ensuing months, he directly assisted the United States national security team with creating, synchronizing, and executing the campaign plan for the global war on terrorism. His military awards and combat decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star and Air Medal.

Active in the community, Rob is a founding board member at the Military Advocacy Project of Louisiana, Inc., a veteran’s advocacy group committed to preventing veteran suicides and ensuring military families have equal access to benefits. Rob is also a member of the St. Tammany Parish Republican Party Executive Committee and serves on the board of the only Republican Men’s Club in Louisiana. He has served as a non-voting board member of the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and Hispano Chamber of Commerce. As president of his local chapter of the Military Officer’s Association of America, he led a team that created an annual scholarship fund for graduating high school students. Rob is a Life Member of the NRA, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and the Military Officer’s Association of America. He is also a member of the Louisiana Military Order of Foreign Wars and the Society of the Sons of the Revolution.

Rob completed his undergraduate degrees while attending night school at the University of Tampa and holds master’s degrees from Harvard University’s Kennedy School, the Air Command and Staff College, and the US College of Naval Warfare.

Rob is married to the former Candy Smith. They have five children, including three sons serving in the military (one active US Navy, one US Army guardsman, one active US Air Force), and four grandchildren. They are members of the First Baptist Church, Covington Louisiana.

— breitbart.com