Rod is a consulting manager at Ernst & Young LLP in the Economic Development Advisory Services practice and is located in the Charlotte, NC office. He has more than a decade of experience in economic, workforce and community development, and more than 20 years of professional experience that spans the private and nonprofit sectors.

He is an established leader and advisor on diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), and a passionate advocate for inclusive economic growth that fosters upward mobility and opportunity for diverse talent and business types.

He has led and managed economic, workforce and community development strategic planning projects for clients in Northeast Arkansas; Cleveland, OH; Hamilton County (Cincinnati), OH; the Asheville, NC region; Roanoke, Virginia, and has consulted on inclusive and equitable growth strategies and assessments for Charlotte, NC; Detroit, MI region; Atlanta, GA; and Oklahoma City, OK.

Prior to joining EY, Rod led the Talent Insights and Inclusion team for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance (formerly the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce) and served as Executive Director of the CLT Alliance Foundation. He managed stakeholder engagement and facilitated focus groups with employers, higher education institutions, workforce development organizations and local government entities to better understand talent supply and demand in the bi-state (North and South Carolina), 15-county region in collaboration with the Alliance’s economic research team. Rod also led strategy, program development and fundraising for the Alliance’s philanthropic foundation, focused on expanding prosperity for all.

Rod was born in Philadelphia, PA and raised in Kalamazoo, MI, but has lived, worked and served as a volunteer and civic leader in the Charlotte area for more than 25 years. He currently serves on the board of directors for Carolina’s College of Health Sciences, the higher education affiliate of Atrium Health.