| Bob Poydasheff | |
| Office: | 66th Mayor of Columbus, Georgia |
| Term Start: | January 2003 |
| Term End: | January 3, 2007 |
| Preceded: | Bobby Peters |
| Succeeded: | Jim Wetherington |
| Birth Name: | Robert Stephen Poydasheff |
| Birth Date: | 13 February 1930 |
| Birth Place: | Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Phenix City, Alabama, U.S. |
| Party: | Republican Party |
| Residence: | Columbus, Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Lawyer, Politician |
| Alma Mater: | The Citadel (BA) Tulane University (JD) Boston University (MA) |
| Allegiance: |  United States |
| Branch: | United States Army |
| Serviceyears: | 1955–1979 |
| Rank: | Colonel |
| Unit: | J.A.G. Corps |
| Battles: | Vietnam War |
| Mawards: | Legion of Merit Commendation Medal |
Robert Stephen Poydasheff (13 February 1930 – 24 September 2020)[1] [2] [3] was an American attorney and politician who served one term as mayor of Columbus, Georgia, from 2003 to 2007. A retired military officer, he served in the United States Army for twenty-four years, retiring at the rank of colonel.
Poydasheff was born and raised in The Bronx in New York City; he attended DeWitt Clinton High School.[4]
He earned a B.A. in political science from The Citadel in 1954,[1] a J.D. from Tulane University Law School in 1957,[1] an M.A. in international relations from Boston University's Graduate Program in Berlin, Germany in 1967,[1] and attended The Hague Academy of International Law in The Netherlands.
In May 1955, Poydasheff was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry branch of the United States Army.[3] After going on leave without pay to attend law school, he was reassigned to the Judge Advocate General's Corps. His assignments included acting as chief counsel to several high-ranking officers involved in the My Lai Massacre and the Post Exchange scandal. A 1976 graduate of the United States Army War College, he served a total of twenty-four years, retiring as a colonel in 1979.[3] In 2012, the Army War College Foundation named Colonel Poydasheff an Outstanding Alumnus in recognition of his wide-ranging service to his community after his retirement from active duty.[5]
Poydasheff served on the Columbus city council from 1994 to 2002. He was elected mayor in 2002, defeating fellow counselor Richard H. Smith and former state representative Jed Harris.[6] He was unsuccessful in his 2006 bid for re-election to a second term and was succeeded by former Columbus police chief Jim Wetherington.[7]
A Republican, Poydasheff described himself as ideologically similar to Colin Powell. He supported Democrat Teresa Tomlinson in her successful 2010 mayoral run.[8]
Poydasheff was married to the former Anastasia "Stacy" Catherine Latto, and had two children, Catherine Alexandra Ross and Robert S. Poydasheff Jr.[1] Poydasheff died on 24 September 2020 after a brief illness.[9]