Jeff Robinson currently serves as both a community leader and the
Vice President of Technology Consulting Services for Fortress International Group. Fortress is a publicly-traded firm
that is headquartered in the Gateway section of Columbia, Maryland. He is returning to political life with this campaign
for the House of Delegates. But his calling to public service goes back, historically, through his entire life.
Early Years, Academics & Politics
Jeff is a product of the public school
system, graduating in 1975 from Andover High School in Linthicum, Maryland. Jeff's mother, Margaret, was a lifelong
civil servant as an elementary school teacher for over 30 years. In his senior year, he became the first elected student
on a county Board of Education in the country, when the Chesapeake Regional Association of Student Councils elected him to
serve as the inaugural Student Member on the Anne Arundel County Board of Education. That experience taught him early
on the issues that come into play when creating public policy in a highly-charged political environment.
Following his senior year of high school, Jeff attended four years at McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland
College) on an ROTC scholarship. He graduated cum laude in 1979, with a B.S. degree in both Economics and Political Science.
He then earned a law degree in 1982 from the University of Maryland School of Law in Baltimore.
During
these academic years, Jeff was regularly and actively involved in the political arena, serving as Chairman of the Maryland
Youth for Ford campaign and as Vice Chairman of the Maryland Federation of College Republicans. He ran two campaigns
as the Campaign Chairman for (former Delegate) Michael Burns, first in his successful run for Anne Arundel County Republican
Central Committee and then in his unsuccessful efforts to become a Delegate from the Towson area. Jeff was also appointed,
in 1981, to serve out the remaining 2-year term of an open position on the Anne Arundel County Republican Central Committee.
Military Service
After receiving his J.D., Jeff went on
to fulfill his ROTC commitment, serving first as an active duty 1st Lieutenant in the U.S Army stationed nearby at Ft. Belvoir,
Virginia. Within two years, he was promoted to the rank of Captain. While he had taken the bar examination and
was admitted to practice law in the State of Maryland, Uncle Sam had other ideas as to how to best use Jeff's skills.
It was at that juncture that he was able to first hone his craft as a technology professional. In his final
2 years of military service, he served as the Data Systems Officer for the U.S. Army Engineer School, successfully assuming
responsibility for implementing the new distributed computer systems throughout the school's environment. At the end
of his 4-year commitment, he received an Honorable Discharge from active duty.
Technical
Manager
Following a 3+ year venture as a sales account manager for computer and network systems,
Jeff focused his energies on developing his Information Technology (IT) management skills. He took over the demanding
role of Data Processing Manager for a Big 6 firm at KPMG Peat Marwick's 900-employee office in Washington, DC. He managed
planning and policy for computer/network systems, IT specifications and acquisition; and overall computer support for computers
and applications.
Jeff parlayed that technical experience into a professional position
with CS Technology, of Beltsville, Maryland, where he provided consultative project management for the firm's clients for
four years.
During this period, Jeff also married his wife, Deirdre, and began a family.
His first son, Brady, was born in 1994, and his second son Brendan was born in 1997.
Businessman
In early 1996, the entrepreneurial bug took hold in Jeff's life. With four colleagues, they together formed
the company Applied Technology Solutions and located it in the heart of Howard County. The firm's focus was to provide
high-quality assistance to customers who were looking to design, construct and occupy data centers or other similar mission-critical
facilities.
Jeff served as the President of ATS, taking on the array of executive-level responsibilities
that a small business owner must assume: Operations; Sales development; Customer contracting; and Project management.
Over the next 10 years, this experience provided Jeff with insight into the obstacles that confront both employers and employees
in the commercial world today.
He has also become a recognized authority in effectively
dealing with complex economic, technical, employment, and risk-management issues. His legal background provided him
with a strong foundation for recognizing, evaluating and addressing most forms of business and contractual issues. The
challenges of growing ATS into a successful business-at its peak it employed 17 staff members with revenues of $1.5 million-taught
him the delicate balance and interplay that often exists between government actions and economic success.
In 2005, Jeff and his management team sold ATS to Total Site Solutions (TSS). TSS later merged with Fortress International
Group, Inc., and is undergoing a gradual integration into the larger entity. Jeff contributes to the firm's operational
planning and continues to manage a team of leading consulting experts who provide readiness planning for IT facilities.
Community Leadership
Jeff places a strong emphasis on providing service through
groups that serve the public and the community. This is one of the primary reasons that he is now returning to the political
sphere. He has participated in a variety of roles:
- Past President of the Cherry Creek
Overlook Homeowners Association
- Former Vice Chairman of the Hammond Elementary School PTA
- Recurring member of Hammond Middle School's PTA Executive Committee
- Director of Basketball
Divisions for both Savage Boys & Girls Club and HYBA
- Annually serving as a Youth Basketball
and Baseball Coach
- Continuous active leadership in church activities as a member of long-running
Staff Selection and Personnel Management committees, as well as a teacher of religious education
