Born and raised in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, Rob Swales returned to his hometown to make a difference. Swales returned less than a year after graduation from the University of Pittsburgh - Bradford Campus in 1999 with a major in Economics and a Minor in Business Management.

Swales began his career working in economic development under Clearfield County Government in 2000. By 2004, Swales revamped and privatized the organization, whereby the lead economic roles are administered and staffed under Clearly Ahead Development, a private nonprofit corporation.

Clearly Ahead Development provides resources for the local manufactures to grow their operations, business recruitment and financial packaging for capital projects. Clearly Ahead Development specializes in redevelopment projects such as Brownfield's, industrial park development and industrial multi-tenant building management throughout Clearfield County

Swales' most notable recruitment efforts in recent years include, Continental Carbonic, WhiteWave Foods, Inc., Forum Energy Technologies, Pennsylvania Grain Products, Baker Hughes, Cameron, HydroSpray Wash Systems and Race Street Brewing.

Successful Brownfield cleanup projects administered throughout Clearfield County include the 26.5 acre Howe's Leather Tannery, the Dubois Brewing Company, the Downtown Clearfield Riverfront & Riverwalk Redevelopment Project, Rumbarger Reservoir, FCI Electronics Industrial Complex and the high profile resurrection of the former Harbison-Walker Brick Refractory and Clearfield Tannery in to a 55 acre Technology Park in Clearfield Borough - now home of Pennsylvania Grain Products and Continental Carbonic.

Swales resides in Clearfield with his wife, Kellie, and children, Denis and Elli.