Obituary - Robert Detjen

Robert John “Bob” Detjen, a financial advisor and forceful advocate of affordable housing, died earlier this month. He was 61.

Mr. Detjen was vice chairman of CSG Advisors, a firm specializing as a financial advisor for housing. He headed the Atlanta office of the firm and served as its chief operating officer.

Mr. Detjen joined the firm’s predecessor CGMS Inc. in 1995 and became vice chairman of CSG in 2007. In his career as financial advisor, Mr. Detjen represented many state housing finance agencies, and also worked actively to develop and implement the housing finance efforts of local agencies, particularly in Florida.

 CSG chairman Gene Slater said Mr. Detjen stood behind the push to shift the firm to inclusive ownership to ensure its long-term success. In the process, he made the great majority of employees owners.

“Bob saw public service as a high and honorable profession; helping public servants help those in need was his passion,” Slater said. “He was a public servant’s public servant.”

Michael Baumrin, head of public finance housing at RBC Capital Markets, said Mr. Detjen was always well-informed, conscientious and worked hard to secure the best deal for his clients.

“He pushed us bankers just enough to make a difference and make issuers feel that the best deal available was achieved,” Baumrin said. “He was definitely one of us, a houser, and knew the importance of what this mission means to the people of this country.”

Mr. Detjen mentored Fay Gibson, controller at CSG, for almost 10 years. She values the lessons he taught her regarding the importance of diligence, of giving each client, colleague or associate close attention and care.

“Bob knew all of his clients,” she said. “And he wanted them to all feel like they were his only client. So, he instilled that in me. You don’t ever make anyone feel you’re too busy to take their call, or to help them. He had a lot of clients, but it didn’t stop him from answering every call and returning every email as much as he could.”

People with whom Mr. Detjen worked at various housing development authorities and housing finance agencies praised the enthusiasm he had for family, work and life.

Mr. Detjen is survived by his wife, Sandra; his 17-year-old son William and 14-year-old daughter Nicole; his mother, Margaret Detjen; his sister, Laurie Herman; his stepmother, Sally Detjen; and his step siblings Victor Evans, Danny Evans, and Susan Sheare in addition to nieces and nephews, all of New Jersey.

A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. on Sept. 15 at Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church, at 2850 Old Alabama Road in Johns Creek, Ga. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Norris Area Food Pantry, c/o Norris United Methodist Church, PO Box 327, Norris, Tenn., 37828, or to the American Cancer Society.

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