As a founder and president of The Stephen B. Jacobs Group, Jacobs sets the benchmark for the quality of design for which the firm is noted. He takes a hands-on interest in all of the firm's commissions, establishing the design direction and personally guiding the staff to ensure that the finished project meets the client’s needs. Prior to founding his own firm, Jacobs was employed at Whittlesey, Conklin and Rossant, where he was a designer and planner on several large-scale projects, including the development of the planned community of Reston, VA. Jacobs earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture from Pratt Institute in 1963 and 1965, respectively. He is a Registered Architect in California, Connecticut, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont, and NCARB Certified.