Spencer Gober

About Spencer Gober

I bring more than 15 years’ of experience across urban and regional planning, urban design, and landscape architecture, complemented by four years in retail banking. This interdisciplinary perspective allows me to approach regional planning and economic development challenges through an integrated lens—aligning land use, investment, and implementation to support resilient outcomes for regional, county, and municipal partners.In my current role at DVRPC, the Federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and Economic Development District (EDD) for Greater Philadelphia, I lead community and economic development programming and collaborate across disciplines to advance place-based strategies, strengthen local capacity, and support long-term regional prosperity.

Experience

1. Manager, Office of Community & Economic Development

   Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

   Mar 2024 — Present · Philadelphia, PA, US

   Lead DVRPC’s community and economic development planning initiatives as the region’s Federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) while supporting its work as the Economic Development District (EDD), overseeing multidisciplinary projects that intersect economic development, transportation, and community resilience. Responsibilities include:I. Directing programs and initiatives related to access to capital, brownfields, digital access, communityresilience, economic development, tourism, and workforce development.II. Leading the Transportation & Community Development Initiative (TCDI), a $2.2 million grant program,coordinating multi-stakeholder partnerships, project evaluation, and consultant Supporting maintenance and implementation of the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).IV. Hiring, managing, and mentoring junior staff, fostering career development aligned with organizational goals.V. Monitoring macroeconomic shifts and trends to anticipate regional economic impacts, and to help inform regional investments and policy priorities.

Education

• University of Pennsylvania

  Master's Degree, City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning

  2013 — 2015

• The University of Georgia

  Landscape Architecture, Landscape Architecture

  2003 — 2008

Skills

• Arcgis
• Landscape Design
• Proposal Writing
• Power Bi
• Microsoft Excel
• Powerpoint
• Photoshop
• Sketchup
• Writing
• Sustainability
• Transit-Oriented Development
• Urban Planning
• Smart Growth
• Sustainable Development
• Landscaping
• Streetscape
• Stakeholder Outreach
• Autocad
• Landscape Architecture
• Sustainable Design
• Community Engagement
• Research
• Gis
• Zoning
• Urban Design
• Comprehensive Planning
• Microsoft Office
• Real Estate
• Land Use
• Environmental Planning
• Design Research
• Photography
• Mixed-Use
• Sketching
• Planning
• Presentations
• Site Planning
• Public Speaking
• Indesign
• Construction Drawings