Growing up along the Lake Michigan Shoreline, Rory was privileged to call these critical and rare ecosystems his proverbial backyard. His youthful engagements outside grew into a penchant for the design and provision of space; he holds a Master of Landscape Architecture and a Bachelor of Design in Architecture and Environmental Studies from Washington University in St. Louis.

He has dedicated his education and career thus far toward the improvement and stewardship of the commons. First gaining private-sector experience in St. Louis Missouri, he worked on multi-year, multi-agency non-motorized framework plans encompassing the city-whole and designed public spaces layering history and meaning. Most recently in the public-sector, he served as the Community Development Director of his hometown, managing the review of all proposed development and planning for the future. He now serves as the Land Partnerships Manager for the Land Conservancy of West Michigan, where he focuses on cultivating community conservation projects, working with partners to protect our region’s ecologically critical land and helping communities keep nature nearby.

When not working to secure the future of imperiled lands, you can find him in community – exploring the routes less-paved along the Lakeshore and killing lawns in pursuit of  more ecologically rich landscapes.