Attorney Pete Robinson diagnosed with brain tumor, surgery scheduled Friday

Former Georgia state Sen. Pete Robinson of Columbus is facing brain surgery on Friday to remove a tumor that doctors believe to be benign.

Robinson, 54, is a partner with Troutman Sanders LLP, an international law firm headquartered in Atlanta. He chairs the government strategies unit, which is the firm’s lobbying arm.

Robinson, who lives in Columbus with his wife, Emily, and three children, suffered a small seizure last Wednesday morning. He went to the a local emergency room and a battery of tests determined the cause, a mass on the left side of his brain.

The surgery is scheduled at The Medical Center. Doctors expect a full recovery.

As word of his illness as spread, Robinson said he has been touched by those who have reached out to him.

“I am looking forward to getting through it,” he said Monday. “I have always known that I was blessed with many people who love me, but I am finding it overwhelming hearing from people all over the place. I heard from a friend in Monaco this morning that I have not seen in 15 years.”

Robinson, a Hardaway High graduate, has been a political and community leader in Columbus for many years. He returned after getting his undergraduate degree from Emory University and his law degree from Mercer University.

He was a member of the appointed Muscogee County School Board in 1984. He served in Georgia House of Representatives and served from 1985-1990. He was then elected to the state Senate, serving as Gov. Zell Miller’s floor leader for two years, then becoming majority leader and president pro tem in 1994.

In recent years, Robinson was a key player in the building of the Columbus Public Library. He led the building project committee appointed by the school board and was the first chairman of the library governing board.

Since leaving the Senate, Robinson has become one of the most influential lobbyists in Georgia. While remaining in Columbus, Robinson’s reach is much broader. He is chairman of a small community bank in Ailey, Ga., and Vidalia, Ga., vice chairman of the Georgia College and State University Foundation Board of Trustees in Milledgeville, member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Springer Opera House board.

This story was originally published August 24, 2009 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Attorney Pete Robinson diagnosed with brain tumor, surgery scheduled Friday."