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“He taught us so much,”
said TUFCU CEO Suzette Cowell of the man who served as one
of her mentors when she and her group were trying to get the
credit union up and running more than two decades ago.
As some of the speakers
recalled, Cobham, a McDonalds’ franchisee who owned a number
of the fast food chain’s stores in the Toledo area, was a
voice for economic development within the black community
and influenced a number of budding entrepreneurs and
business men and women.
“He meant so much to the
community,” said Roosevelt Gant, a long-time general
contractor, “The sacrifices he made were many. He was a
special person. We learned so much from him.”
Toledo Councilman Larry
Sykes also spoke of the breadth of Cobham’s influence. “Jim
helped revolutionize Toledo in terms of black economics,”
said Sykes
In addition to the plaque
presented to Barbara Cobham, another will be placed in the
boardroom to remind visitors of Cobham’s contributions to
the ongoing success of the financial institution he helped
to create.
After the commemoration,
guests dined on hors d’oeuvres prepared by Decadent Catering
by Audrey, LLC.
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