About Rob
Real Leadership and Results
Legal Professional
As a 27-year land use and planning professional, and former Costa Mesa Planning Commissioner, I have vast experience in legal and regulatory matters, including all aspects of the Environment, Land & Resources practice, including water quality, air quality, energy siting, land use, and regulatory matters.
Our firm helped many businesses navigate the COVID pandemic, and we worked hard throughout. I have led teams in complex litigation support and understand what it takes to lead and manage even in difficult times.
City Experience
During my six years on the Costa Mesa Planning Commission, including two years as Chairman, we helped develop the City's first sober living ordinance and conducted the first hearings dealing with how to mitigate neighborhood impacts. I encouraged study sessions for our dormant Westside Plans that included years of intense community engagement involving multiple citizen committees.
Our commission encouraged the inclusion of walkability and bike ability considerations in planning decisions, including requiring bike racks and pedestrian features. I also served on the 3R committee, overseeing Community Development Block Grant funds, and learning about the critical services our many community partners provide.
Community Service
As a Board Member on the Costa Mesa Community Athletics Foundation (Costa Mesa United), I have helped ensure that youth sports have the resources needed to enable as many kids as possible enjoy sports. It has been an honor to work with, and learn from, the men and women who daily live and breathe servant leadership.
Through my firm's pro bono partnerships with domestic violence shelters and legal service providers, I have spent countless hours helping women seek legal protection from abuse, as well as staffing legal clinics at homeless shelters and assisting in the representation of disabled people experiencing homelessness.
Family - My most important qualification is my love for our family, friends and my community...and, of course, the family dog Luke. My wife, Jenny, is a senior research librarian and our kids, Rebecca (7) and George (10) attended Christ Lutheran preschool and now attend Victoria Elementary. George is a Cub Scout with BSA Troop # 711 at Christ Lutheran and Rebecca is starting Girl Scouts. Rebecca plays soccer with AYSO 120, and George has played with Friday Night Lights and Costa Mesa Little League. We have attended church at Christ Lutheran and Palm Harvest.
We spend our time outside of work and school in Costa Mesa's libraries, parks, and nature areas. We enjoy riding bikes, hiking, camping, and backpacking, skiing, boarding, kayaking, fishing, skating, and much more.