Star Profile
Ric Luber of the Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports, and Tourism
By John Temple Temple@TheColumbiaSt aLri.gcoomn

Ric Luber

Columbia visitors and newcomers typically compare Columbia with Austin, Texas, because each is a state capital, home for the state flagship university, somewhat hilly, short on heavy industry, and long on bureaucrats and educators and service professionals. A river runs through both. However, Austin is bigger, maybe twice as big, but Columbia is older by about 50 years.

Columbia newcomer Ric Luber managed marketing for the convention bureau in Austin and did the same for Rochester, New York and for Columbus, Ohio, another larger- but- fair comparison with Columbia.

Luber was born in Martin's Ferry in eastern Ohio. His father was a union representative in a coal mine. His mother managed the home where Luber grew up with a younger sister and two older brothers.

Luber's first four years of education were in a public elementary school in Adena, Ohio, and his next four years were in a Catholic school. His last four years were in Adena High School, where he graduated.

In 1964, moving with the cutting edge of the baby boomers, Luber entered Ohio State. His freshman PE requirement was met with fencing lessons, something he found he could excel. Luber, the excellent fencing competitor, represented Ohio State in the Big 10.

In his junior year, Luber took time out for training in the Marine Reserves, which prevented college graduation until 1971.

With a degree in marketing and a new family, Luber went to work immediately out of school, but he also went into night law school to get his JD in four years.

While attending night classes at law school, Luber worked full- time in marketing for the Columbus convention bureau. He soon became director of sales and later the vice president.

In 1983, Luber left the convention bureau marketing business to stay with law full- time. His clients were mostly contacts from the convention industry.

In 1987, the convention bureau in Columbus asked him to come back. The convention bureau in Rochester, New York, attracted him in 1990 to run the office as their CEO for another seven years, after which he left for Austin.

In Austin in 1997, Luber began expansion of their convention center that included two new hotels next door. One was the 860- room Hilton, and another was the 1,000- room Marriott.

After Austin, Luber practiced law. This past February he decided to return to the convention marketing field. He researched all the opportunities nationwide and decided on Columbia.

At the convention bureau in Columbia, Luber has authority and everything under one roof. As he puts it, the only argument he can fall into is with himself.

It's easy to maintain family ties while in Columbia. One of Luber's brothers runs an organic farm in Ohio where his daughter Jessica works. Luber's son Joshua is a vice president for internal audits at Wachovia headquarters in Charlotte. Luber's other daughter, Erin, is associate director for the humanities bachelor degree program at Carnegie- Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Luber sees Columbia as a second- tier city, which is pretty positive when he lists Columbia's peers such as Columbus, Ohio, Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee.

What impresses Luber most about Columbia are the number of friendly faces and the quality of our higher cultural offerings, particularly in the performing arts. He can sell both those attributes, he says.

Luber really likes the food in the convention center because of its surprisingly high quality of preparation and presentation. Again, something he sure can sell.