Born and raised northwest of Philadelphia, Ben experienced firsthand the effects of rapid population growth, topics that later became central to his academic and professional interests. Ben graduated from Hampden-Sydney College where he majored in Managerial Economics before moving to Charleston. He spent 8 years in sales, achieving unprecedented client satisfaction ratings before enrolling in and graduating with honors from the College of Charleston’s Dual Master of Environmental Studies/Master of Public Administration program, adding the Graduate Certificate of Urban Planning and Regional Development. Drawn to practical applications of academic pursuits, Ben’s internship and thesis was performed during the pre-development phase of the WestEdge project with topics including Public-Private Partnerships, TIF funding, environmental concerns, and sustainable development standards. A consulting role during the start-up phase of the Lowcountry LowLine then gave Ben the opportunity to coordinate operations, community engagement efforts, and the creation of an advisory committee of business leaders and property stakeholders. Following the LowLine project, Ben spent two years in the commercial real estate appraisal industry building specific knowledge on property, ownership, leasing, and valuation topics. While this experience was valuable and interesting, the desire to be back in a client-facing role led Ben to his role with Roadstead. He enjoys pulling from this diverse background in order to find the best possible fit for his clients’ real estate needs. In his free time Ben enjoys whatever his daughter is into this week, golfing, cycling, and volunteering on advisory committees in his community.