Robert J. Abernethy is Chairman of American Standard Development Company. Robert received a BA from Johns Hopkins University, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, certificates in RealEstate and Construction from UCLA and was formerly the Controller of the Technology Division of Hughes Aircraft Company.
Abernethy is a member of the Advisory Council for the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (Washington and Bologna), and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Johns Hopkins University, Davidson College and Loyola Marymount University. He serves as Vice-Chairman of the Atlantic Council and is on the Executive Board of the International Refugee Assistance Project. He is also a member of the Chairman’s Forum of the Council on Foreign Relations and the State Department Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy. Abernethy is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Brookings Institution and serves on the Boards of the RAND Corporation Center for Global Risk & Security, New Leaders Council, Truman Center for National Policy, Integrity Initiatives International, and the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.
He serves on the UCLA Arts Board, UCLA Health Systems Board, and the Board of Directors of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is also Vice Chairman of the Music Center of Los Angeles.
Abernethy served as Commissioner of California Transportation Commission, Los Angeles Telecommunications Commission, and Los Angeles Planning & Zoning Commission and was Director of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Metropolitan Water District. He was a Member of the California State Board of Education and of the California Arts Council.