Regional Research
James Robey, Ph.D.
Vice President, Research
As Vice President of Research, Jim Robey is responsible for developing and implementing strategies for the retention, expansion and attraction of key industries by analyzing the region’s economic structure, including business and occupation trends.
While supporting Team NEO, the Research team also supports partner organizations such as Chambers of Commerce, state and local government economic development activities as well as other regional economic development organizations such as NorTech and World Trade Center Cleveland. In addition, the Research team supports public, not-for-profit and for-profit entities with cost recovery research in the areas of planning, economic impact, data and information and geographic information systems (GIS).
Dr. Robey was director of Economic Research at the Greater Cleveland Growth Association for more than seven years. In that capacity, he oversaw the process of setting and collecting the organization’s key performance measures, conducted economic impact studies of the organization’s activities and established new perspectives on the supply and demand for IT and Biomedical workers in the region.
Prior to joining the Growth Association, Dr. Robey was part of the Economic Development team at Cleveland State University’s Economic Development Program with the Levin College of Urban Affairs. He served as the project manager for the Ohio Economic Development Database Project.
Dr. Robey is also an adjunct member of the economic development faculty of Cleveland State University’s Levin College of Urban Affairs. He is an Erie, Pa. native and earned a Ph.D. in Urban Studies and a Masters in Public Administration from the Cleveland State University, Levin College of Urban Affairs. He holds an undergraduate degree from Edinboro State College.
jrobey@teamneo.org | 216-363-5420
Richard J. Seifritz, Jr.
Manager, Research
As a member of the research team, Rick Seifritz supports Team NEO’s core mission of business attraction, retention, and expansion by managing and tracking research projects that the organization undertakes. His role involves conducting research, providing technical assistance, collecting data, providing analyses and forecasts, and writing reports for both internal and external clients. His responsibilities include economic impact analyses with Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) software and data analysis with Environmental Services Research Institute’s (ESRI) ArcView geographic information system. These analyses are used to gain insight into location decisions, policy discussions and viability of economic development projects.
Mr. Seifritz has contributed to several regional economic development projects for Team NEO, including: Impact analyses for mixed-use development projects in Cleveland and Seven Hills; data structuring and collection in the form of the regional Starting Wage and Benefits Survey; an industry and occupation profile for the City of Stow; demographic and industry-based research for the DFAS retention effort and the NASA Shared Services attraction effort; and economic and workforce estimates for the Region’s Department of Labor’s WIRED grant proposal.
Mr. Seifritz holds a Masters in Urban Planning, Design and Development from the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University, where he also received graduate certificates for specialized training in Urban Economic Development and Geographic Information Systems. He completed his undergraduate studies at the State University of New York at Brockport.
rseifritz@teamneo.org | 216-363-5433
Jacob Duritsky
Research Associate
As a member of the research team, Jacob Duritsky supports Team NEO’s core mission of business attraction and expansion by researching and analyzing economic indicators and providing both economic and demographic data. This includes quarterly development for Team NEO’s regional economic review, geographic information systems (GIS) spatial analysis, the maintenance of databases, and assistance with the conduction of REMI modeling.
Most recently, Jacob was a graduate and research assistant for The Center for Public Management/Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center where he conducted a regional economic impact study for the Cuyahoga County Department of Development, co-developed metrics for use by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), participated in the facilitation of Ohio Department of Development Stakeholder Forums, and developed social indicators for pending U.S. EPA litigation. He has additional economic and community development experience as an intern with the City of Bedford Heights Department of Economic Development and the Ohio City Near West Development Corporation. Jacob holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University, where he also holds a Master of Science in Urban Studies. Jacob is currently pursuing his Doctoral of Economic Development from Cleveland State. He is a member or the Urban Studies Association, American Economics Association and American Planning Association.
jduritsky@teamneo.org | 216-363-5424