Robert Camoin, CEcD

Prior to his nearly 30-year career in economic development, Rob worked on and supported equity and currency exchange trading desks for financial firms in New York City. This experience provided a unique understanding of business formation and the workings of national and global economies.

His transition to economic development began in 1991 when he served as the Director of Community and Economic Development for Saranac Lake, NY. During his tenure, he led and executed the community’s first economic development strategy, which resulted in significant investment and revitalization of the community’s downtown. This success earned the community a number-two ranking in Norm Crampton’s 1996 book Best Small Towns in America.

The desire to utilize his business and planning experience to support stronger local economies inspired Rob to start Camoin Associates in 1999. Since its founding, the company has grown to 25 economic development, public policy, and planning professionals and has helped hundreds of communities large and small by attracting investment as well as developing strategies and policies that enable them to attract private investment on their own. Most recently, Rob has focused on the company’s new lead generation technology solutions, including ProspectEngage™.

Rob served for eight years on the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Board of Directors, was an early member of its Economic Development Research Partners, and teaches IEDC’s Real Estate Redevelopment course. He also periodically speaks at economic development conferences and serves on The Bollinger Foundation Board of Directors.

Real Results

Economic Development Organizational Plan | Beaufort County, SC | Beaufort County sought to identify opportunities for attracting investment, retaining existing businesses, and creating opportunities for revitalizing municipalities. Rob led the effort to restructure and redevelop Beaufort’s economic development structure and vision. This included a review of existing economic and community plans, engagement with stakeholders and the public, and development of a unified vision with actionable regional economic development activities.  

Industry Supply Chain Analysis & Development Strategy | Louisiana Economic Development (LED) | Working with the firm’s Director of Research, Rob oversaw Louisiana’s Coastal Protection & Restoration Supply Chain Study. The project entailed working directly with the Commissioner of Economic Development to define the emerging coastal protection and restoration supply chain, project its impact on the state’s economy, identify hundreds of businesses that define the sector, and develop recommendations for supporting and building the industry for decades to come. 

Organizational Strategic Plan & Executive Recruitment | MetroHartford Alliance |Recognizing the organization was delivering the latest economic development tools and programs, The MetroHartford Alliance called on Camoin Associates to create a detailed assessment of the Alliance’s existing mission, vision, organizational structure, available services, and areas of focus. Rob led the Camoin team in conducting national best practice research, utilizing recent IEDC studies on high-performing economic development organizations, completing interviews with key investors, and surveying stakeholders to understand organizational direction and perceptions. Based on the research, Camoin Associates developed the organizational structure, staffing capacity, and programmatic recommendations to regain investor confidence and elevate its role as a world-class economic development organization. Camoin Associates went on to find the organization’s next leader, who is now executing on the adopted strategy.