
Robert is currently the Director for the Office for Life, Peace and Justice at the Catholic Diocese of San Diego. He holds a PhD in Leadership Studies and Non-profit Management from the University of San Diego (2018). Robert’s dissertation research centered on restorative justice theory and practice, prisoner re-entry and reintegration, and formerly incarcerated adults in higher education. He is an adjunct faculty member at San Diego State University’s School of Public Affairs and at Santa Clara University’s College of Arts and Sciences. He is an informed practitioner and researcher with a unique perspective as a former small business owner, retired military officer, formerly incarcerated citizen, and community leader.
Robert was the president and principal of MARDOC Corporation (2008-2011). Robert is a retired United States Marine Corps Officer with twenty-years of active service (1988-2008). His military experience includes command at the battalion/squadron level, operations management, logistics readiness and management, and human resources management. He has served in a combat zone four times to include two separate combat tours as a commanding officer.
In the community, he is an active member of the District Attorney’s Interfaith Advisory Board. Robert is the President of the Governing Board for The Restorative Justice Mediation Program (RJMP), a San Diego based 501(c)3 non-profit organization. He is a life member of the Nu Lambda Mu International Honor Society with the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council.
Robert is a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College (2002). He also holds a Master in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Oklahoma (1996), and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Villanova University (1987). He is married to his best friend, Colette, and together they have four children: Brendan, Caitlin, Kelly, and Eric. He is an active parishioner at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Coronado.
Host of this episode: Yamin Chehin