Previously, he was the Executive Director of CDD's Los Angeles Youth Opportunity Movement (LAYOM), which provides educational, vocational, and career opportunities for young people ages 14-21 in the most economically disadvantaged areas of Los Angeles. The LAYOM received the 2002 City of Los Angeles Quality & Productivity Award, a national PEPNet Award, and special recognition from the Department of Labor.

Robert has been a leading advocate for workforce development and juvenile crime prevention in L.A. County. He was instrumental in providing information and support for passage of the largest juvenile crime prevention-funding bill in the State of California.

He also served as the Assistant Executive Director of the Los Angeles City Commission for Children, Youth and Their Families, working tirelessly on a variety of issues impacting the community. He developed the Greater Los Angeles Youth Initiative, which provided training on juvenile justice policies to over 400 community residents.

Robert is the past Chairperson of the Violence Prevention Coalition of Los Angeles. During his tenure, the Coalition hosted a national conference on violence prevention, organized community forums on violence prevention issues, and supported several pieces of sensible handgun regulation in the county. He was also the Chairperson of Helpline Youth Counseling, a community-based organization.

Robert began his public service career in the Los Angeles County Chief Administrative Office and later in the Probation Department. As a Probation Director he managed the Department's Community Relations and Communications Office, and subsequently, managed Prevention Services and served as an assistant to the Chief Probation Officer.

He received his BA degree from UC Santa Cruz, and his MPA from Columbia University. Robert is married to Carmen Sainz and has three children, Anthony, Paula, and Michael.