Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, HUD
Robin Keegan is a sought-after policy thought leader and practitioner committed to transforming communities through proven strategies in resilience and economic equity. As the former Executive Director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority and Office of Community Development, and founder of Spring Industries, LLC, Robin is skilled in solving intractable problems through tactical knowledge of federal, state, and local policies and funding to create innovative and transformative strategies to rebuild and strengthen communities. Robin’s work is rooted in the fact that equitable and inclusive communities provide the strongest outcomes.
Robin has a history of designing successful strategies for multiple multi-billion-dollar responses to natural and human-caused disasters for communities for the states of Louisiana, New York, California and the United States Virgin Islands and other communities across the country. This includes more than $500 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding in economic development programs that helped small main street businesses, fishers, and farmers rebuild and grow as well as plans to strengthen major industry sectors. Robin has overseen strategic economic planning efforts including lead planner and author of ProsperityNOLA, the first comprehensive economic development strategy for the City of New Orleans. Robin has designed innovative strategies to support small businesses throughout urban and rural communities. Most recently, Robin supported multiple counties across the country to increase economic security through the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund.
Robin has actively trained the next generation of community real estate developers and disaster resilience experts through a dual position as Adjunct Lecturer in Tulane University’s Master of Sustainable Real Estate Program housed in the School of Architecture and Senior Fellow in the School of Social Work’s Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy.