At Mission North, Rob helps municipalities and developers in Michigan and beyond with economic development, planning, strategic planning, zoning, and transportation. Prior to consulting, he worked as the Executive Director of the Traverse City Downtown Development Authority (DDA), where he helped transform Traverse City’s Warehouse District into Northern Michigan’s most walkable and bikeable commercial district. He has vast experience in best practices for successful downtowns, including how place drives prosperity, branding, mobility, retail trends, and urban economics.
Rob served on the board of the Michigan Downtown Association including as chairperson. He also served on the Bay Area Transportation Authority board, again with a term as chairperson. He has also volunteered on the non-profit boards of the Grand Traverse Heritage Association and the City Opera House Heritage Association. Rob earned a bachelor’s in Urban Planning from Michigan State University and a Masters’s in Real Estate and Construction Management from the University of Denver, both with honors. At the University of Denver, he was a member of Alpha Sigma Gamma International Real Estate Honorary Society and participated with an East Asia delegation stopping in ten cities in eight countries.
Rob lives in Traverse City, MI, and is married to Leslie who both spoil their only child, Remy, along with their dog Pepper. He frequents the Northern Michigan woods, mountain biking in the summer, and cross country skiing in winter.
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