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PERSONAL HISTORY Robert (Bob) G. Keast 255 Marina Rd. @ Exit 133 off I-40 Camden Kentucky Lake, west TN 38320.9699 Born: August 9, 1950 in Ironwood, Michigan, at six days old,
moved to Southern Texas Martial Status: Married in 1971 to Janis Greene of Camden,
with no children Height: 6' 2", Weight: 257 lbs. Eyes: Hazel with corrective lenses Hair: Blonde with a graying full beard Health: Excellent TWRA License Agent, TN Department of Commerce Manufactured
Housing Bond and Electrician's License and TN Department of Conservation and
Environment Public Water License, Lottery License. Pearl Farming License and
Concealed Weapons Permit BUSINESS Owner and CEO of Birdsong Resort/Marina & Campground on
Kentucky Lake since 1980, a Benton County family owned business since 1961.
Owner and Promoter of HeavyWeight Promotions. Owner of North America’s Only
Freshwater Pearl Farm and Museum EDUCATION 1968 Graduate of Camden Central High School 1968 Who's Who Most Likable 1964-1968 Football Center & Defensive Middle Guard 1968-69 University of Tennessee at Martin, Business 1969-70 Draughons Business College, Nashville 1970-2004 75 different seminars & training courses in
Outboard Marine Service, Master Service Technician, Stern Drive, Service
Management, Marine Management, Parts Department Management, Financial Planning,
Effective Time Management, Sales Training & Management, Air conditioning,
Welding, Darkroom, Photography, Auto Mechanics, Machine Shop, Computer Basics,
Senior Life Saving, Vehicle Extrication, CPR, First Aid, Hazardous Materials
First Responders, Emergency Vehicle Driving, Earthquake Disaster Management,
Small Water Systems Operations, Waste Water Treatment, Hazard Mitigation,
Terrorism and Counterterrorism, WMD Exercises, Concealed Weapons, Billboards
and Logo Signage, Highway Safety and Incident Response, How to Win Friends and
Influence People, Dale Carnegie Personal Motivation, Skywarn Weather Spotters,
Airport Crisis Threat Management, Hazard Communications, SARA Title III,
Personal Decontamination, Clandestine Meth Laboratory Awareness and Effects of Chemicals
on the Human Body PROFESSIONAL and BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS 1964-2000 Benton County Chamber of Commerce Member, Past
Vice President & Tourism Committee 1995-2002 Member of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce 1985-2004 Member of the Jackson/Madison County Chamber of
Commerce 1999-2004 Member of the Memphis Chamber of Commerce 2002-2004 Member of the Williamson County/Franklin Chamber
of Commerce 2001-2004 Member of Lexington Henderson County, Tennessee
Chamber of Commerce 2001-2003 Member of Grand Rivers, Kentucky Chamber of
Commerce 1999-2003 Member of the Delta Heritage Center in
Brownsville, Tennessee 1995-2004 Vice President of the Northwest Tennessee Tourism
Council 1999-2004 Member of Kentucky Western Waterland Vacation
Association 1991 Promoter of the 1st Tennessee Tour, Travel &
Vacation Show 1987-1990 Department of Tourism Dialogue Committee Member 1961-2004 Member of Tennessee Kentucky Lake Vacation Association
1965-2004 Member of the Marine Retailers Association 1988-2004 Member of the Tennessee Press Association Past Board member of the Tennessee Outdoor Writers
Association 1985-2004 Member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press
Association 2002-2004 Honorary Member of the Tennessee Association of
Broadcasters Past Board of Directors of the Tennessee Association of
Campground Owners 1980-2005 Owner & Promoter of the West & Northwest
Tennessee Boat, Sports, RV and Travel Show of Jackson 1995-2004 Member of the Memphis, Jackson and Nashville
Convention & Visitors Bureau 1995-2004 Member the Jackson Madison County Hotel Motel
Association 1991 Promoter of the World Wildlife Exposition, Gatlinburg 1992-95 State of Tennessee Mussel Advisory Board 1988-96 and 2000-2003 Board Member on the Tourism Salute to
the Legislature 1994-96 Chairman of the Tourism Salute to the Legislature 1992-96 Board member of the Tennessee Tourism Roundtable 2001-04 Legislative Committee Member of the Tennessee
Tourism Roundtable 1992 Producer and Promoter of The "Achy Breaky Heart
Tour" with Billy Ray Cyrus through a 4 state whirlwind trek throughout the
Southeast 1987-2004 Volunteer registered Lobbyist in Tennessee for
environmental, marinas, recreation, tourism, campground owners, hunting,
fishing and emergency services 1993-2004 Executive Director of the Tennessee Association of
Resorts, Marinas and Marine Dealers 1995-2001 Northwest Tennessee Tourism Council Brochure
Committee Member 1995 Delegate to President Clinton's White House Conference
on Tourism 1998-2001 Legislative Liaison for the Tennessee Marina
Association 1999-2001 Promoter of the World's Championship Women's Bass
Fishing Assn. EXPO 2003 Promoter of the I-24 EXPO/Smyrna, TN Boat, Sport &
Travel Show 2002-2005 Promoter of the Paducah Boat and Travel Show 2004-2005 Promoter of the Franklin Boat and Travel Show 1995-2000 Originator and developer of the Tennessee River
Runs Through 5 County Regional Tourism Organization 2001-2004 Steering committee member of the Tennessee River
Trails 9 County Regional Tourism Organization 2002-2004 Promoter of the Kentucky Lake Pearl Festival &
Bubba Jug Catfishing Tournament 1982-2004 Promoter of the West Tennessee Industrial and
Commercial League Bass Fishing Tournament 2002-2004 Member of the Tennessee Association of Registered
Lobbyists 2003-2004 Member of the Southeast US/Japan Society 2003-2004 Member of Tennessee/Japan Society 2003 Delegate to Japan Conference with Governor Bredesen 2003-2006 Commissioner on the Board of Conservation for
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation 2004-2006 Chairman of the Recreation Subcommittee for
Conservation 2004 Member of the Tennessee Association of Museums 2004 Member of National Recreation and Parks Association CIVIC and FRATERNAL Member of Cowell's Chapel United Methodist Church 25 year member, Past Master and currently serving as the
Junior Warden of George Hillman # 431 F&AM Masonic Lodge in Hurricane
Mills, TN 2004 Grand Steward of Tennessee Free and Accepted Masons 18-year member of the Tennessee Lodge of Research 26 year member of the Scottish Rite with 32 degree & 10
years as Marshall of Ceremonies and Captain of the Guard, Consistory Lodge 2,
Nashville 1988-2004 Member of Al Meneah Shrine Temple, Nashville Past member of the Eastern Star # 490, Holladay Past member of the Commandry York Rite of Paris 32 year volunteer member of the Benton County Rescue Squad 15 year volunteer Unit Director of the Benton County Rescue
Squad 32 year volunteer Director of the Benton County Emergency
Management Agency Volunteer Member of the Methodist Emergency Disaster
Response Team Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Explorer with Life Honors 1981-1989 Chairman of the Benton County Ducks Unlimited 1986-1989 Member of the Kentucky Lake Water Quality Task
Force Dale Carnegie Class President 1982, Paris Dale Carnegie Graduate Instructor 1983, 1985, 1988 Paris
& Camden Past Commander of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary,
F11-3, Nashville Member of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society 32 year Member of Camden Elk's # 2156 Charter Director of the Kentucky Wood Duck Association Past member of the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association 22 year Member of the Tennessee Conservation League 22 year Member of the Nikon Professional Camera Association 22 year Member of the Bass Research Foundation Past President of the Camden Jaycees 16 years sponsor Member & Past West Tennessee Zone
Chairman of Ducks Unlimited 4 year sponsor of Girl Scout Troop # 82 2001-2003 Tennessee Association of Crafts and Artisans 1987-92 Event Chairman for the annual Benton County
Homecoming Fish Fry 1986 Chairman of Homecoming '86 and Community Event
Coordinator 1995-96 Benton County Co-chairman for Tennessee’s
Bicentennial 1999-2004 Vice President & Charter board member of the
Benton County Bluebird Assn. 1998-2004 Board Member of Raise the Gunboats, Inc. 1999-2004 Member of the Tennessee Bluebird Trails 1971-2004 Member of the Tennessee Association of Rescue
Squads and Past State Historian 1999-2003 Member of West TEMA Directors Association 2003-2004 Member of the Parkers Crossroads Battlefield
Association 2002-2004 Member of the Tennessee Historical Society 2002-2004 Member of the Democratic Society of Benton County 2003 Committee member of Tennessee Statehood Day for the
96th Bell 2003-2007 Board Member of Public Broadcasting Systems (PBS)
Channel 16 WLJT Educational Network 2003-2004 Co-Chair to re-elect Roy Herron 24th District
Senator Fundraiser and 50th birthday bash HOBBIES Duck and Goose and Turkey hunting Coin and Hat Pin collecting Tennessee and TVA History memorabilia collecting Freelance Photography & Photojournalism Skeet and pistol shooting Communications / two way radios Rock and Roll and County music concerts Daily 15-minute talk show co-host of WFWL radio 1220 Weather spotter, forecaster and color Doppler radar computer
operator Collecting old post cards & memorabilia THINGS I LIKE TO DO Masonic work and helping fellow Shiners with burned
Children’s Hospitals Rescue and volunteer emergency management Digital photography Visiting all the Masonic Lodges across Tennessee Lobby down the halls of the Legislative plaza at the state
Capital & networking politically Being an Ambassador of the Great State of Tennessee through
economic and community development, tourism and emergency management and
supporting Masonic work Promoting & marketing Birdsong Resort, Marina &
Lakeside RV Campground and Tennessee….The stage is set for you! Dining out Studying Andrew Jackson and Nathan Bedford Forrest Being Santa Claus for underprivileged children Boating and Hunting Travel and touring Flying Be involved in local, state and national events, gatherings
and current affairs Studying Tennessee, Civil War, Masons and TVA history Selling boats The Art of Negotiating Emergency Management training Getting better educated through home study and night courses Making and meeting new challenges and friends Watching the wildlife over beautiful Kentucky Lake Bird watching and photographing bluebirds, wood ducks and
hummingbirds and being a Pearl Tour Guide on Kentucky Lake Landscaping, lighting, waterfalls and water gardening Visiting atop tall buildings, hilltops and plateaus THINGS I DISLIKE Major reading Rice Pudding MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS 32nd Degree Mason Personally saved 6 human lives Searched and rescued over 2 dozen lives Promoted Billy Ray Cyrus thru a 4 state tour Being Baptized in Birdsong Creek by my good friend and
Methodist Preacher, Larry Woodruff in 1988 Flew to Osaka and Tokyo Japan with Governor McWherter for 5
days during an industrial recruitment and tourism mission in 1992 Dedicated Lake Barkley Dam with Secret Service clearance w/
my Father as a US Coast Guard Auxiliaryist patrolling for Vice President Hubert
Humphrey in 1966 Locked thru 4 TVA dams in a speedboat in one daylight day Worked with Civil Defense and TEMA personnel during 5 days
and nights at the Waverly Tennessee BLEVE and explosion in 1978 Sold Hank Williams Jr. a new Ranger boat Holding 12 offices in the Masons and becoming a Grand
Officer for Tennessee’s F&AM Entered a national service technicians contest and won a
trip to Jamaica for 7 days Rode the Tennessee Homecoming '86 train with my father,
former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander, country music star Lynn Anderson,
and noted author Alex Haley, from Bristol to Memphis, Tennessee Hiking atop and overnighting at Mount LeConte el. 6,643 in
the Great Smokies National Park 10 different times from 1961 to 1992 with UT
Basketball Coach and National Champion / Olympic Winner Pat Head Summitt and
with Wildlife Artist of the Year Ralph J. McDonald Visiting the only saltwater pearl farming operation in North
America in Mexico's Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California, the
balmy body of water separating mainland Mexico from the narrow Baja peninsula
in Guaymas, Mexico Taking a week long trip in the fall of 2003 with Governor
Bredesen and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber to
Osaka and Tokyo Japan on a industrial recruitment mission. While there,
visiting the island of Mikimoto and taking in the Pearl Farm, Tour and Museum
in Toba Bay and dining with Ambassador Howard Baker and wife Nancy at the
United States Embassy in Tokyo The 103rd General Assembly legislative introduction, passing, signing and photograph on April 26, 2004 with Governor Bredesen, Senator Herron, Representative Borchert and many others including my staff at the Old Supreme Court Chambers in the Capital thru Public Chapter 506 amending the original public chapter creating the Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl as Tennessee’s Official State Gem and the Historic Site of the Pearl Farm and Museum at Birdsong Resort and Marina on Birdsong Creek in Benton County west Tennessee
Bob gets a first hand glimpse of the 9/11 Disaster. Click Here For Some of Bob's PersonalPhotos |
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