Jewels of Maysville - Robert Zweigart

We are accustomed to hallmarking community leaders by the speeches they give, the letters they write, their accomplishments noted in the newspaper and so on. But we all know that some leaders go about their business in a very quiet and unassuming way. While they may not spurn publicity, neither do they seek it nor derive much satisfaction from it. These people, without fanfare or pomp, work toward a goal and not only achieve that goal, but confer a substantial benefit on the community as a whole. Bob Zweigart is one of these people. If you're acquainted with Bob, you know that he gets to work before eight o'clock in the morning, before anyone else arrives at the office. He is usually the last to leave in the evening; and typically, he works all day Saturday and Sunday afternoon (except when the Bengals are playing football). He has followed this routine for at least 40 years, because I have observed it for that long. If you visit his office, you will find numerous files piled high on his desk, but in a very organized fashion. He is no Strawberry Collins, by any means. Strawberry's desk was piled high with assorted papers, books and other items and, it was said that he could lay his hand on anything he was looking for. That may have been true, but no one else could find anything on his desk. Bob can locate anything on his desk, because everything has a place and it is in its place. I have been privileged to observe several of the things Bob has been involved with. He, with Bob Blake and Bob Vance, were the leaders of the effort that built the YMCA in Maysville, a facility the likes of which almost no other town of our size can boast. Bob Zweigart not only played a prominent role in raising approximately $3,000,000, but he quietly prepared most of the legal documents relating to the tax exempt incorporation of the Y as well as the contract documents for its construction. As a board member of Hayswood Hospital, he and Bob Vance did most of the work, spending not days, but weeks defeating the union which tried to unionize the hospital workers. In both of these efforts, an incredible amount of time was consumed, and for a lawyer, the giving of time without compensation is the ultimate professional sacrifice. I drove through the William R. Shugars Industrial Park on the A-A highway not long ago. If you haven't done so, you should go out there and look at the investment out-of-town companies have made in our area. Stober Drives, Mitsubishi, Green Tokai have huge plants there, some of which are expanding. The businesses operating in the Pope warehouses also employ Maysville people, not to mention TRW (now ) and the former Johnson Controls operation at the seatcover factory. I think Bob Zweigart has been involved in all of the efforts on the part of the community to attract those companies. He has represented the Industrial Authority in the financing and building of the buildings, and he has drawn the leases between the Authority and the companies to ensure the recovery of Authority's investment. One of the most complex and difficult projects ever undertaken in Maysville was the financing and construction of the French Quarter Inn in downtown Maysville. The City had made a downtown hotel a priority, and was willing to invest public funds to see that it happened. Buffalo Trace was instrumental in supplying funds, as well, from various grants awarded by the state and federal governments. In addition to the owner, a large private investor put money into the project. Bob filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court to determine the legality under the Kentucky Consitution of investing municipal funds in what was essentially a private enterprize, using the Toyota case as precedent. The court not only had to review the case law and applicable statutes, it had to examine the doumentation, as prepared by Bob, to be sure that the law fit the financing and investments of the various parties. Ultimately, the court approved the package, all of the parties agreed to its terms, and the hotel became a reality. Very few people realize how difficult this sort of effort is. On the levels I've been talking about, almost all of the work is done in huge, metropolitan lawfirms and at incredible expense. While Bob's charges have always been most reasonable, the quality and completeness of his work product is every bit the equal of anything generated in Cincinnati, Lexington, Louisville or St. Louis. Out-of-town attorneys are amazed and dumbfounded at the quality of his work, considering he lives and works in what they believe to be a back-water town. The things I have mentioned above are but a few of Bob's contributions. The list could go on and on! The point that I make is that his work ethic, knowledge, skill and patience, all applied in and through his profession, have profoundly inured to the betterment of our community. It is a better place for us to live because of the work he has done over the years and will continue to do. Bob Zweigart exemplifies the very best qualities a lawyer can possess, and he has used them for our benefit.