Robert Feldstein
A self-described “committed generalist,” Robert Feldstein has worked on public sector problem solving over 20 years. For the last five years, he has been a partner at Cedar River Group, leading facilitation, strategic planning and policy review work with non-profits and governments around the Puget Sound.
Robert Feldstein grew up in a small town in the Monadnock Region of southern New Hampshire and went to college at Harvard University, studying Physics and the History of Science. After college, he thought he’d spend “one year,” in New York City, but had the bad luck of a good job and spent seven years for the Center for Court Innovation planning, opening, and eventually directing the Red Hook Community Justice Center, an award-winning multi-jurisdictional community court in South Brooklyn.
After directing the Justice Center for two years, Robert turned to his original interest and moved to California to study and become a middle school math and science teacher. After receiving a Masters in Education, Robert spent five years teaching in the Bay Area and Brooklyn, where he honed his skills in decimal/fraction conversions and dealing with young teenagers.
Before moving to Seattle, Robert served in the New York City Mayor’s Office as Chief of Staff in the Office of Policy and Strategic Planning addressing both local policy issues and Mayor Bloomberg’s national priorities, including immigration reform, gun safety and infrastructure. He helped create the Partnership for a New American Economy, a national coalition of mayors and business leaders making the economic case for immigration reform and helped lead the transition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns into Everytown for Gun Safety, which has become America’s largest gun violence prevention organization.
In 2014, Robert moved to Seattle to be with his future wife and to found and lead the Office of Policy and Innovation for Seattle Mayor Ed Murray. Working for the City of Seattle, Robert served as the lead for the mayor in signature major multi-party negotiations including $15 minimum wage, Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) taskforce, Secure Scheduling, and Mayor’s Education Summit Task Force. In addition, he supervised and advised a team of 12 Senior Advisors responsible for research and development of Mayor’s major policy initiatives across a vast range of subjects, including transportation, land use, affordable housing, homelessness, civil rights, labor laws, and environmental policy.
In 2018, Robert joined Cedar River Group as a Principal and Partner. In the recent years, Robert has worked with governments and nonprofits across the Puget Sound in a variety of capacities (e.g., facilitation, research, and strategic planning) across a variety of subject matters, including affordable housing, public safety, economic development and workforce readiness, early learning and child-care, civil litigation, outdoor recreation, and more.
Robert lives in Phinney Ridge with his wife, an architect and urban planner working on regional mass transit, and two children. In his “spare” time, Robert enjoys cooking for his family, building Lego creatures, traveling, and getting outside to explore our beautiful region.
