Iconic Austin Business Member Gets Rare Look Inside LBJ’s Austin Apartment
By Jeff Cohen, AHCA Executive Director
On Friday, August 20, Jeffrey Dochen, Chair of the AHCA Membership Committee, shared one of his patented Austin history experiences with representatives of the Cumby Group, an inaugural AHCA Iconic Austin Business Member. Dochen arranged a private tour of former President Lyndon B. Johnson’s apartment in the J.J. Pickle Federal Building.
Guest of honor were Bryan Cumby, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Cumby Group; Morgan Cumby, Development Marketing Communications Manager; and Elizabeth Aleman, Executive/HR Assistant at Cumby Group. I was honored to join the group along with Jeffrey Dochen, AHCA Membership Chair; Dane Anderson, AHCA Membership Coordinator; and Daniel Dochen, Jeffrey’s son.
The group turned back the hands of time as they walked through the rooms, adorned with their original mid-century modern furnishings, including recliners, a push button intercom and console for listening to radio and television stations, a large, but worn, oval wood conference and dining room table, and a bathroom sink with the presidential seal painted in the porcelain.
The group had unlimited access, roaming from room to room with some gazing out of a large window south toward a sun-lit view of Lady Bird Lake. Bryan Cumby shared memories of special times he spent with former U.S. Congress Member J.J. Pickle, whose name now adorns the building.
AHCA has a special relation with The Cumby Group. Bryan Cumby and his wife Robyn became AHCA Life Members in 2020. Additionally, the Cumby Group underwrote AHCA annual memberships for 55 of their employees a year ago and are renewing 75 annual memberships this year.
The Cumby Group is an iconic, homegrown, integrated Austin builder and developer of a range of housing options within Austin’s urban core for those who value premium home features while living the Austin lifestyle. They design and build custom properties based on the unique character of each neighborhood to add value to our city and preserve what makes it great.
For more information about AHCA Membership, please contact Dane Anderson at d.anderson.austinhistory@gmail.com or visit the AHCA website. To learn more about The Cumby Group, visit the company website.