After graduating from Texas State with a degree in music education in 1969, Bob Covey taught for three years before joining American Alloy Steel, where he worked for 35 years. He retired from his position as vice president of sales in 2011, but recently came out of retirement and returned to the company in a sales role.

Covey has remained active at Texas State and has served as president of both the Texas State Alumni Association and the Lambda Chi Alpha Alumni Association. He has served on advisory councils for the College of Education and the Family Association, and received the Texas State Alumni Star Award and the Key of Excellence Award. In addition to being a Forever Bobcat, he is a member of the Pillar Society and Guardian Society.

Since 2005, Covey has served on the Cy-Fair ISD board of trustees and the Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce. He has participated in the district's athletic and chorale booster clubs, Bus Buddy program, and Read Across America initiatives. He is a past director of the Gulf Coast Area Association of School Boards and serves as the Second Vice President on the Texas Association of School Boards Board of Directors. He is also a founder and current president of the Go Public Gulf Coast Organization.