Welcome to Rob Phocas, Our New Executive Director

Rob brings more than two decades of experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. A visionary collaborator, he has built a career on forging cross-sector partnerships that advance equitable climate action, economic and social mobility, and systems change at scale. He comes to SSDN with an aligned vision for advancing collaboration, innovation, and equity across the Southeast to build more resilient and sustainable communities. Rob is based in Charlotte, N.C. — where he was the city’s first Sustainability Director —  and begins his new role with SSDN today, Nov. 17, 2025. 

“After a decade of impact as a fiscally sponsored organization, the Board of Directors is excited to embark upon SSDN’s next chapter as a newly formed independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit with Rob as our inspiring new Executive Director,” said SSDN Board President Laura Thomas. “Rob’s highly relevant and broad base of experience combined with his passion, thoughtfulness, and vision are exactly what SSDN needs to collaboratively help take our work to new heights. I’m confident in his ability to care for staff, create impact for funders, partner strategically with the Board, and most importantly, provide enhanced services for our members.”

SSDN is a growing network of local government sustainability leaders across the Southeastern United States, a region, like many others around the world, experiencing extreme heat, rising seas, strengthening storms, flooding, drought, crop loss, and more driven by climate change. SSDN’s work spans 10 member states in the region: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. SSDN’s strategic pillars are to maintain a strong trusted network, grow the field, build member capacity, address systemic barriers, and grow and sustain organizational capacity. 

“I am thrilled to join SSDN as we have a shared belief in the power of connecting local government sustainability professionals to build a just and resilient future,” said Rob. “This role allows me to return to my roots serving those on the frontlines of sustainability across the region at a moment when that connection and collaboration are needed more than ever to accelerate solutions that will help communities adapt to and mitigate climate change. With its strong team, Board, and member-base, SSDN is poised for more transformational work that I’m grateful to be part of moving forward.”

Most recently, Rob served as Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at AvidXchange, where he relaunched and led the AvidXchange Foundation and guided the company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy. In that role, he launched transformational initiatives such as Tech Rising, a collaborative of more than 20 corporate and nonprofit partners focused on digital equity; the Environmental Nonprofit Collaborative, uniting local organizations to strengthen regional sustainability impact; and the AvidXchange Community Hub, a space designed to build economic and social mobility pathways for underserved youth through technology and mentorship.

In his prior role as Sustainability Director for the City of Charlotte, Rob led the development and implementation of the city’s landmark Strategic Energy Action Plan — setting ambitious goals for a low-carbon future and earning Charlotte recognition as a Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge participant. His leadership also helped found Envision Charlotte, a nationally recognized public-private partnership focused on smart city innovation. 

Rob holds a Juris Doctor and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Vassar College. Earlier in his career, he was an environmental attorney in Boston and Washington, D.C. before becoming Assistant City Attorney, Environment, for the City of Charlotte serving as the city’s first environmental attorney. Throughout his career, he has been an active community leader, including roles with SHARE Charlotte, E2D — Eliminate the Digital Divide, and the Center for Digital Equity, as well as prior service with SSDN and USDN during his tenure with the City of Charlotte.

“From the beginning, we committed to an inclusive and transparent search process that included input from our robust network of members, funder partners and dedicated staff,” said SSDN Board member and Executive Search Committee Co-Chair Chandra Farley. “With a focus on finding a strategic, emotionally intelligent leader, Rob rose to the top with his deep passion for sustainability, cross-sector relationships and fresh vision for SSDN’s future.”

Special thanks to Jeannine Walker of Walker and Associates Consulting for expertly guiding us through the hiring process, and to our Board Hiring Committee — Chandra Farley, George Santucci, Greg Sponseller, Alia Garrett, Laura Thomas, and Lori Forsman — for their time and thoughtful leadership throughout. We also extend deep appreciation to the SSDN staff, who took part in candidate conversations and shared their perspectives with the Board. Their perspectives helped ensure we found a leader who aligns with SSDN’s mission, culture, and values.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to Ann Livingston and Nick Deffley, who stepped up when SSDN needed them most. Their leadership and commitment as Interim Executive Directors ensured that our network continued to thrive through this time of transition.

More About SSDN

SSDN was founded in 2012 driven by the belief that an organization dedicated to supporting sustainability and resilience staff in government in the Southeast U.S. was critically needed. SSDN connects local government sustainability professionals throughout the region to accelerate, scale, and implement sustainable best practices so that communities are equipped to adapt to and mitigate climate change. SSDN is a member-driven organization committed to fostering a culture of belonging and shared learning. With a budget of over $4.5 million and a values-aligned remote team of 15, SSDN continues to make a critical impact across key offerings including Peer Learning, the State Policy Program, Federal Programs, Equity Resources, Green Mind’s Podcast, and the Annual Meeting bringing members from across the Southeast face-to-face. For more information, please visit https://southeastsdn.org.  

SSDN partnered with Walker & Associates Consulting - a Black- and woman-owned strategic management consulting and executive search firm promoting equitable community impact - to ensure a values-aligned approach to the search. For more information, please visit https://walkeraac.com.