Bobby Cochran is the Senior Lead, Strategy, Policy and Delivery of WRI’s Cities4Forests Initiative. He focuses on project delivery in the Western United States to conserve, restore and sustainably manage nature in ways where all communities have what they need to thrive–no exceptions. Bobby understands how policy, economic, and ecological systems can adapt and change.

To Bobby, community means places where families and food grow, kids and rivers run, and people know and look out for each other. Bobby has been supporting community-based collaboration for 20 years across natural resource, health, and economic opportunity.

Prior to WRI, Bobby worked as a Senior Mediator for Oregon Consensus, the State of Oregon’s policy conflict resolutions service. He supported rural and Tribal water, wastewater, and economic development for the Rural Community Assistance Partnership’s national office, and has helped build successful nonprofits and natural infrastructure collaboratives with Willamette Partnership. Bobby is skilled in linking research, collaborative process, policy, and innovation that help coalitions thrive.

He received his Ph.D./M.A. from Portland State University specializing in public policy and conflict resolution, and is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Leader. Bobby enjoys growing berries and tomatillos with his neighbors in the Pacific Northwest and wandering the mountains and rivers wherever he happens to be. So reach out, and say hi, Bobby says he loves any chance he gets to connect with great people doing cool things.