Sustainable + Equitable Development
Abe Farkas
Strategic Partner
Abe is a highly sought after national leader in managing catalytic, sustainable and equitable development projects. He has three decades of experience shepherding large, complex projects from an idea to reality utilizing public-private partnerships. His past projects include the adaptive reuse of vacant Washington High School in Portland OR into creative office, music venue, community theater and rooftop bar; a 33-acre development on Portland's South Waterfront that includes a major university research hospital expansion, mixed-use, housing and neighborhood open spaces served by a streetcar, aerial tram and light rail; and a 118-acre redevelopment on Southshore in Austin TX, which is under construction.
Abe's experience on both the public and private side of development projects gives him the ability to maximize the community benefit components of projects and achieve financially feasible outcomes. Evidence of his successful past work is visible across the country in the form of vibrant, catalytic, mixed-use projects in communities large and small.
Previously, Abe served as Director of Development Services for ECONorthwest, Development Director for the Portland Development Commission, Planning and Development Director for Eugene, Economic Development Manager for Seattle; and Community Development and Planning Director for Fort Wayne.
Abe has a Ph.D. in American Studies from University of Minnesota and a M.A. in American Studies from Purdue University. He has served on the board of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and on several advisory boards for the Urban Land Institute (ULI).
Land Use + Growth Management
Robert Liberty
Strategic Partner
Robert has almost forty years of experience with the design, implementation, evaluation and politics of land use and transportation plans, at the local, regional and state levels. His advice has been sought from places as different as Bozeman, Montana and Beijing, China.
Robert's experience in both the public and private world gives him a unique ability to bring people together, speak their language and bridge divides to get tangible results.
Key Past Leadership:
- Founder & Director of the Urban Sustainability Accelerator and Institute for Sustainable Solutions at Portland State University
- Smart Growth Consultant and Public Speaker – US and International
- 2-term Councilor at Metro Regional Government
- Senior Counsel to Congressman Earl Blumenauer in the Third District of Oregon
- Executive Director, 1000 Friends of Oregon
Robert is passionate about helping communities translate lofty planning goals and visions into the policies and practices that bring to reality compact, vibrant, sustainable and equitable cities and neighborhoods and the conservation of working farm, ranch and forest lands.
Robert has a JD from Harvard Law School, an MA from Oxford University, a BA from the University of Oregon Honors College and was a Loeb Fellow at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard.
Public-Private Partnerships
John Southgate
Strategic Partner
John has 35 years of experience in planning and development working in the Portland region and beyond—with a strong focus on public-private partnerships and urban infill. John is committed to fulfilling his clients' strategic aspirations related to urban, higher density, pedestrian/transit-friendly development.
Most recently, John's work has focused on the successful public-private development offerings that have resulted in major, catalytic new developments. He also provides assistance to jurisdictions in their efforts to "set the table" for aspirational forms of development. This work includes assessing development codes for alignment with a community's vision and integrating developers' perspectives into the regulatory environment.
John is a collaborator, striving to find solutions that support the goals of various project stakeholders. John's ability to synthesize multiple perspectives is bolstered by his long-term relationships with numerous elected officials, developers, agency staff, and other decision makers.
John received his Bachelor's degree from the Honors College at the University of Oregon. He serves on Metro's Transit-Oriented Development Steering Committee and is a regular speaker on panels related to urban development.
Regional Planning + Scenario Planning
Mike McKeever
Strategic Partner
Mike McKeever is retired – from paid employment. Most recently he served for 2 years as Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg's Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor, after 12 years as the CEO of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) and 3 years as the Project Manager for their groundbreaking Blueprint planning program. Before moving to Sacramento in 2000, most of his career was in Oregon, where he started and managed a community-based non-profit organization in Bend, and two urban planning consulting firms in Portland.
McKeever has dedicated his nearly 40-year career to promoting collaborative action between communities and organizations, promoting economic and environmental sustainability, and helping to develop and apply innovative planning software that allows professional planners and thousands of residents access to high quality information to help understand how neighborhoods, cities and regions function.
Mr. McKeever graduated from the University of Oregon with a liberal arts degree and lives in Sacramento with his wife, Nancy. They have a second in Portland, where they enjoy time with several adult children and grandchildren.
Capital Planning and Urban Renewal
Michael McElwee
Strategic Partner
Michael brings 40 years of primarily public-sector management experience, applied to a diverse range of planning and development projects. His professional background includes the successful delivery of capital projects, public/private partnerships, waterfront revitalization plans, and community and strategic planning efforts. Michael played a key role in efforts to revitalize Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd and the planning and construction of the East Bank Esplanade in Portland. For the last 16 years he served as the Executive Director of the Port of Hood River, an agency with significant transportation, recreation, aviation, marine and real estate assets.
Michael's professional work derives fundamentally from an emphasis on strong, inclusive relationships and the thoughtful assessment of the challenges and opportunities inherent in any planning or development assignment. His work seeks to achieve both community expectations and public agency objectives, with an emphasis on the long-term stewardship of public resources. He has managed diverse teams through extensive community involvement, strategic planning, and public real estate development processes.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon and a Certificate in Administration and Management from Harvard University. He is past President of the Oregon Public Ports Association and served on the Executive Committee of the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association. He has volunteered in several capacities with the Hood River County School District for many years, and spends as much time as possible on the slopes and trails around Hood River, Oregon.