Cox employees and customers in Southern California have been in the thick of things this week as the destructive wildfires have torn through communities. We can’t help but think back to our family of employees and customers in New Orleans who are still working to rebuild after the devastation that was Hurricane Katrina.

Cox teams have been incredible in maintaining and repairing the network, focused on keeping customers’ services operating and communities connected. As large a task as this might seem, especially for employees who are reporting to work while evacuated from their own homes, many are still finding time and the courage to volunteer. Many have helped their neighbors by placing temporary phone, wireless and TV services in several evacuation centers.

Thanks to those in the world of new media for taking notice, including zatznotfunny.com: “Everybody loves to hate their resident cable/telephone company, but the network operators are stepping it up in San Diego to help people where they can in the fire crisis.” As a full-service telecommunications company, our services are absolutely vital, providing connectivity to individuals, families, medical institutions and, in many communities, first responders. And when a period of crisis passes, there is nothing quite like the feeling of normalcy that comes from the simple act of kicking back and watching TV (or surfing the Internet). We take our role as service providers and neighbors seriously. Our thoughts and concern are with everyone affected by the disaster.

It’s a sad day around Cox Communications. Long-time president and CEO Jim Robbins, who retired at the end of 2005, died last night at his home in Massachusetts after a battle with cancer. Jim was known as a cable-industry pioneer who drove Cox, and in many ways the whole industry, into a new competitive era by launching telephone and high-speed Internet services over the cable TV infrastructure. He was also among the first to insist on customer care standards in the industry, stressing long before cable was a multi-service business that customer loyalty would be key to the industry’s future ability to meet customer demands.

At Cox, Jim was revered for not only his professional accomplishments, but his personal traits – his devotion to his wife, Debby, and their three daughters… his sometimes-gruff-on-the-outside-but-always-warm-and-compassionate-on-the-inside demeanor… his affinity for wearing rumpled hats and fleece vests… and his frequent use of Naval terms, even decades after serving in Vietnam. Jim was at the helm of the company when it went public in 1995 and nearly doubled in size after a big acquisition. As the company grew rapidly in number of customers and employees, Jim still insisted on knowing employees’ first names, and he related with all of us in a refreshingly rare sincere way. He will be sorely missed. [Click here for more about Jim.]