Robert Puentes, VP and Director of Brookings Metro, Named President and CEO of Lincoln Institute of Land Policy 

Robert Puentes, vice president and director of Brookings Metro, was named the sixth president and CEO of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. 

On July 1, Puentes will succeed George W. “Mac” McCarthy, who is retiring after serving as president since 2014. Puentes will bring decades of experience at the intersection of land use, infrastructure, and metropolitan policy to the Cambridge-based think tank, which seeks to improve quality of life through the effective use, taxation, and stewardship of land. 

“I am honored to join the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy as its next president and CEO at a time when a trusted, nonpartisan resource has never been more essential,” said Robert Puentes. “Fundamental to my work is my ardent belief that land policy is inseparable from how people live their daily lives—how they get to work, find housing, access services, and connect with one another. I have seen firsthand what becomes possible when communities take an integrated approach—linking land policy with infrastructure investment, housing strategies, and regional planning to create better outcomes for everyone. This perspective will guide my leadership at the Lincoln Institute. Our work must bridge traditional divides between disciplines and sectors, because the challenges facing communities today are too complex and interconnected to address in isolation.” 

Puentes most recently served as vice president and director of Metro at the Brookings Institution, where he led efforts to help cities and regions navigate economic, demographic, and environmental change. Before returning to Brookings, Puentes was president and CEO of the Eno Center for Transportation and earlier a senior fellow at Brookings overseeing its research on metropolitan growth dynamics. Puentes holds a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Virginia, where he served on the School of Architecture’s alumni advisory board. 

“Rob brings sincere passion and enthusiasm for all aspects of our work—as he has said, land is in his DNA,” said Kathryn J. Lincoln, chair of the board for the Lincoln Institute.  “I look forward to seeing him build off the incredible leadership and legacy that Mac established during his tenure at the Lincoln Institute.” 

The previous leaders of the Lincoln Institute were Gregory K. Ingram, H. James Brown, Ronald Smith, and Arlo Woolery.