Bob Foote - Director
Bob has volunteered with the Miss America Organization for 63 years on the state and local level. Along with his wife, Nancy, they began their service in 1959 as Co-Executive Directors of the Miss Macomb Scholarship Pageant, a capacity in which they served for 57 years until Nancy’s passing in 2016. In 2017 Bob was voted to a seat with the Miss Illinois Scholarship Organization Board of Directors, a position he currently holds. Bob has judged numerous local pageants in Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois and has judged the Miss Iowa Pageant twice. He has also judged the National Sweetheart Pageant and the Illinois County Fair Pageant.
Bob is the recipient of the 2019 Miss America Organization Academy of Honor Award, the most prestigious volunteer award offered by the Miss America Organization. In 2016 he received the Miss Illinois Scholarship Organization Lifetime Achievement Award. Along with Nancy in 2010 he received the 50 Years of Service Award from the Miss America Organization and in 2007 was inducted into the Miss Illinois Scholarship Organization Hall of Fame.
From 1997 to 2016, under the direction of Bob and Nancy, the Miss Macomb Scholarship Pageant, in addition to numerous non-cash awards and prizes, awarded the highest cash scholarships of any local pageant in the state of Illinois, totaling $142,000. Since 1972 the Miss Macomb Scholarship Pageant has awarded $181,325 in cash scholarships. In addition to their efforts with the Miss Macomb Scholarship Pageant, Bob and Nancy held numerous positions with the Miss Illinois Scholarship Pageant including Co-Chairmen of Central Headquarters, Members of the Hospitality Committee, Co-Chairman of the In-Kind Scholarship Committee, Co-Directors of Field Operations, Operations Coordinators, and Parade Co- Chairmen for the Illinois delegation at the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City. Bob also served as a State Field Director for many years.
Bob is a native of Whitewater, Wisconsin and moved to Macomb, Illinois as a Recruiting Sergeant for the US Army and, after his discharge from the Army, took up residence in Macomb where he met Nancy, his wife of 62 years. He is a Korean War veteran, a JCI Senator, a member of the Macomb American Legion and past president of the Macomb Community Theatre and Macomb Jaycees and has been involved in numerous other community and civic organizations. Bob and Nancy have 2 children and 2 grandchildren. Bob resides in Macomb with his daughter, Suzie, and their Miniature Schnauzer, Kaitlyn.