Rob Willis

Rob Willis joined Ross Strategic in 2001 after graduating from the University of Washington with a master’s degree in urban planning. His focus is supporting strategy development and collaborative efforts among federal, regional, state, and local agencies and organizations addressing their most pressing and challenging topics.

Rob is currently working with clients on a variety of topics including water affordability, water scarcity, emerging contaminants, transmission siting, prescribed fire and smoke, extreme heat, wildlife conflicts, flood mitigation, artificial intelligence, permitting reform, and remediation and cleanups. He is especially adept at designing and facilitating creative, engaging, and most importantly, productive meetings and collaborative processes of all sizes and types. Rob is accustomed to working with executives, as well as technical staff, and has experience helping clients at all levels work through technical and policy challenges that affect their programs. While facilitating, Rob helps clients identify and focus on key issues and uses his skills at listening, mirroring, coaching, and using humor to help groups “gel” and build respectful, collegial relationships among all stakeholders. Rob provides neutrality by being respectful, available, transparent, and assertive regarding the agreed-upon process. He is always open to all parties and never makes assumptions about interests or perspectives.

Outside of work you’ll find Rob in the kitchen trying to recreate his Grandmother’s recipes, recreating outdoors, on the couch crosswording, shamelessly cheering his sons’ soccer teams, and telling anyone within earshot how interesting his latest audiobook or podcast is.