Robert “Bob” Packard B.A 1973 has served as a leader and supporter for WU since his graduation. He has served as a trustee and is a national leader in urban planning and architecture, continuing to live the WU motto and contribute to a better community for all.
Bob served on the WU Board of Trustees from 1994-2007, as Board Chair from 2003-2007 and as a Life Trustee since 2007. As Chair, Bob guided the Board through the public phase of the “from Exceptional to Extraordinary campaign”, the development of the Kaneko Commons and Ford Academic Building as well as the establishment of four academic centers of excellence. He is on the Boards of three higher education institutions and has lectured at the Universities of Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Harvard, and Northeastern.
In his fifty year career since graduation Bob has focused on design and policy issues that affect the civic and built environment. After serving as Assistant Director of Planning for Portland Public Schools and Director of Planning for the City of Portland Park Bureau, he joined Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects (ZGF) in 1979. For more than three decades Bob led ZGF as the firm’s Managing Partner as well leading numerous major design and planning projects. During that time, the firm garnered over 200 design awards, the prestigious AIA Firm award, and the Presidential Design Award. While Bob was responsible for guiding the firm's strategic and geographic growth he led many of ZGF’s notable projects including the recent expansion of the Portland International Airport and numerous Embassies and Consulates for the U.S State Department around the world.
Today Bob serves as a consultant to firms in the design profession and is on the Board of three national and international companies. Bob and his wife Jane live in Edwards Colorado. They have two children, Jessica and Rob MBA’11 and three grandchildren, Finnley, Ashford, and Whittaker.
