Download vCardRollin Downs brings decades of public and private sector experience to Robbins Government Relations (RGR). Most recently, he served as Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, where he led government relations and economic development efforts. In that role, Downs served as a top advisor to the Chancellor and Board on legislative strategy, appropriations, and key policy matters. He worked closely with the Governor’s Office and Georgia General Assembly while partnering with the Georgia Department of Economic Development on major initiatives, including the Amazon HQ2 bid, creation of the FinTech Academy, Health IT initiatives across the System, and the Georgia Film Academy, supporting the state’s $10 billion film industry. He also served as the University System’s liaison to the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
Prior to the Board of Regents, Downs worked at SAS, the world’s largest privately held software company at the time, helping deliver data analytics solutions to modernize fraud, waste, and abuse detection for state agencies. Earlier in his career, he was a Senior Advisor at McKenna Long & Aldridge (now Dentons), where he led lobbying and strategic public affairs initiatives for clients in Georgia and Washington, D.C., including work with the Republican Governors Association and National Governors Association.
From 2006 to 2011, Downs held several key positions in Governor Sonny Perdue’s administration, culminating as Deputy Chief of Staff. He played a central role in economic development, legislative affairs, communications, and executive appointments. He also managed the Governor’s daily operations as Special Assistant and traveled internationally on more than twenty Georgia Department of Economic Development trade missions across four continents.
Rollin Downs is a former nominee of the American Council of Young Political Leaders and a James Magazine “Rising Star.” His extensive network and deep government experience bring tremendous value to Robbins Government Relations’ clients. He and his wife Anna, along with their two dogs Bogey and Birdie, live in Atlanta.