David Robinson
Partner
David Robinson is one of the founders of Sphere. He brings a unique blend of skills to the table from his years as an award-winning journalist, an internationally recognized public administrator, a community activist, and a successful business owner. This alloy of experiences gives him unmatched insight into the motivations, needs and influences of our clients—and the audiences they need to reach.
From 2000 to 2005 Robinson took a leave from Sphere to serve as the City of Philadelphia’s Recycling Coordinator. During his tenure, the city increased its commercial recycling rate from 27% to over 38% and also reversed a four-year downward trend in curbside participation and tonnage recovery. Robinson was awarded the prestigious Pennsylvania Governor’s Excellence award in 2003 and the innovative city program award from the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP) in 2004.
During his tenure at Sphere, Robinson guided several controversial and high profile projects to success, including: government and media relations to accomplish the permitting, financing and construction of the $400 million Robbins Resource Recovery Facility in Robbins, Illinois; government and media relations for a controversial medical waste transfer station in a southside Chicago community; government and media relations to accomplish the permitting, financing and construction of a groundbreaking chemical recovery and handling system in North Chicago, Illinois; and government and media relations for a variety of public and private sector clients, including Harris Bank, Taco Bell Corp., Council for Textile Recycling and the Illinois Acupuncture Association.
Before helping to found Sphere, Robinson served in a variety of high-profile roles with the City of Chicago, including as the first ever City Recycling Coordinator, where he implemented the city’s office paper recycling program, started the state’s first, and at that time, largest compost collection and processing system. Robinson also launched a 90,000 home blue bin pilot program, which was eventually converted into the 650,000 home citywide blue bag-recycling program.
After finishing his journalism studies at Morehouse College in Atlanta in 1983, Robinson joined the Detroit News as a general assignment reporter where he wrote numerous articles and was voted into the ‘Who’s Who among African American Journalists.’ Two years later, he joined United Press International as a broadcast editor, writing and editing radio broadcast news for a nine-state service area.
Robinson held several other writing and editing posts before he was asked to join the late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington’s team as a City Planner. It was in this role that Robinson was introduced to big city recycling/solid waste policy and program development.
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David Robinson
