Dr. Robert McDaniel serves as the Director for Community & Economic Development with Washington State University Extension, and as an Associate Director with The William D. Ruckelshaus Center, a joint policy center between the University of Washington and Washington State University. Dr. McDaniel has 30 years of experience in rural/economic development and program administration, and formerly served as the Interim Director of the William D. Ruckelshaus Center and as an Associate Dean for University Partnerships at WSU. Rob has worked extensively with rural Washington communities on public participation in decision-making, strategic planning, collaborative problem solving, non-profit development, access higher education and local government education. He provided leadership for the establishment of the WSU Extension Energy Program and the Ruckelshaus Center. Dr. McDaniel has a B.A. in Sociology/Psychology from Northwest Missouri State University, an M.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Northern Illinois University, and received his Ph.D. from Washington State University in Applied Anthropology.