Robert Jorvig, first Metropolitan Council head, dies at 99 Janet Moore, Star Tribune Though Robert "Bob" Jorvig wanted very much to celebrate his 100th birthday, he died peacefully just a month short of that milestone. Even so, he lived a full life as a public servant — including service as the Metropolitan Council's first executive director — and as a family man and outdoors enthusiast. His career in the public and private sectors spanned four decades and left a profound imprint on the Twin Cities' landscape, starting with his first job with the St. Paul Planning Commission in 1949. "He was a design guy," said his son Tom of Minnetonka.