CDFA - About: Contact Us

Staff & Contact Info...

Council of Development Finance Agencies
Phone: (216) 920-3073
Fax: (216) 771-4938
General Email: info@cdfa.net

CDFA STAFF

Toby Rittner, EDFP
President & CEO
Phone: (216) 920-3073
trittner@cdfa.net		Mr. Rittner runs the day-to-day operations of the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA), which includes management of a 32 member Board of Directors, and the organization’s various educational, advocacy and research initiatives. Rittner is a frequent speaker at local, state and national conferences and events focused on economic development finance. He has been featured extensively in The Bond Buyer and other national media publications concerning the advancement of development finance tools. He is the author if CDFA's highly acclaimed Practitioner's Guide to Economic Development Finance and is a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) through the National Development Council (NDC). Rittner has also advised state and federal government leaders, including President Obama’s Administration Transition Team, on economic development finance policy and focus.

Prior to joining CDFA, Mr. Rittner was the Director of Legislative Affairs and former Director of Training for the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Mr. Rittner has also worked for the Franklin County, Ohio Board of Commissioners, Community and Economic Development Department as a Senior Program Coordinator for Economic Development and as an Associate Planner for the City of Gahanna, Ohio.

Mr. Rittner is a member of the Board of Directors for the Mid-America Economic Development Council (MAEDC) a 10 state, regional economic development finance association and is a member of the Advisory Board for Heritage Ohio. Heritage Ohio is a statewide nonprofit organization promoting the revitalization movement in Ohio. Rittner is also an appointed member of City of Cleveland Heights Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), which oversees the city’s annual CDBG program. Mr. Rittner holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master's of City and Regional Planning degree from the Ohio State University.
Katie Kramer
Director, Education & Programs
Phone: (216) 920-3073
kkramer@cdfa.net		As Director of Education & Programs for the Council of Development Finance Agencies, Katie Kramer coordinates the Council’s expansive educational offerings including CDFA’s Training Institute and Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) Program. Ms. Kramer is also responsible for managing all of CDFA’s outreach and programming efforts including field seminars, webinars, and design and communications activities. Prior to this role, Kramer served as CDFA’s Development Director for five years managing membership and sponsorship activities and assisting with the planning and marketing of CDFA’s events and publications. Previously, Ms. Kramer worked in the Assessment Division at Ballard & Tighe, Publishers as Project Coordinator where she managed projects involved with the development of standardized language tests. Prior to Ballard & Tighe, Ms. Kramer was employed by Scripps College as Assistant Director of the Annual Fund where she organized fundraising campaigns for alumnae, parents, and students. She studied art history at Scripps College and is a graduate of Cleveland State University.
Brian Anderson
Manager, Legislative Affairs & Resources
Phone: (216) 920-3095
banderson@cdfa.net		Brian Anderson manages CDFA's various legislative affairs, policy and research related projects including overseeing in-house grassroots legislative efforts. Brian’s primary responsibility is to manage CDFA’s legislative affairs efforts which includes working with Congress and the Council’s legislative representatives in Washington, DC. Brian also provides support for CDFA's research projects including writing and research for CDFA annual volume cap and TIF reports. Brian also manages CDFA’s state programs and overseas the Council’s daily news headline and online resource database collection process. Brian joins CDFA as a graduate of Cleveland State University’s Levin College of Urban Affairs. While completing his Master of Public Administration, he studied a wide variety of areas involving public development finance including public finance and economics, budgetary policy, urban planning, and regional economics. His master’s capstone research project involved Cleveland State’s role in the regional economy and the steps necessary for improving campus infrastructure and increasing enrollment. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Cleveland State University. Before completing his master’s degree, Brian had worked previously as a journalist for the News-Herald and the Morning Journal, two of Ohio’s largest suburban daily newspapers.
Jerry J. Arkebauer
Bond Finance Course Advisor
Phone: (419) 480-9656
jarkebauer@cdfa.net		Jerry J. Arkebauer serves as the Council's Bond Finance Course Advisor providing expertise, leadership and direction for CDFA's Training Institute. Arkebauer's subject knowledge and experience provides CDFA with a unique insight into the use of bond financing for spurring investment and economic development.

Arkebauer served as Vice President of Finance for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority from 1997 to 2006 where he was responsible for developing the Port Authority’s Northwest Ohio Bond Fund Program and other stand-alone bond issues. He has completed 89 bond issues for more than $1 billion. Similar Bond Fund Programs later were initiated at four other Ohio Port Authorities to offer long-term, fixed rate bond financing for fixed assets.

He also is president of Arkebauer & Associates, LLC, a business and public sector consulting firm he established in 2007. Through consulting contracts, Mr. Arkebauer serves as a consultant to the Blanchard Valley Port Authority, with offices in Findlay, Ohio; the Regional Port Authority of Northwest Ohio, with offices in Defiance, Ohio; the Sandusky County – Seneca County Port Authority with offices in Tiffin, Ohio; and the Port Authority of Springfield, Ohio. Mr. Arkebauer received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toledo, and he is also the administrator of the Northwest Ohio Regional Economic Development Association (NORED) which represents economic development professionals in 12 Northwest Ohio counties.
James Carras
Tax Credit Finance Course Advisor
Phone: (954) 415-2022
jcarras@cdfa.net		James Carras serves as the Council's Tax Credit Finance Course Advisor providing expertise, leadership and direction for CDFA's Training Institute. Carras' vast experience in project and real estate finance provides a deep knowledge-base to help guide CDFA's educational elements related to tax credit finance.

Carras is Principal of Carras Community Investment, Inc. and a Visiting Assistant Professor at FAU’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning. For over twenty years, he has concentrated on designing and implementing responses and solutions for community/economic development opportunities. Assignments have ranged from influencing national policy on community investment, affordable housing and community economic development (Fannie Mae’s “White Paper on Affordable Housing Context”) to creating local financing and funding partnerships (e.g. Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation, Delaware Community Investment Corporation) across the country. Mr. Carras is recognized nationally for the creation and expansion of over fifty development financial institutions and community investment initiatives. Most recently, he is recognized as an expert in planning and implementing New Markets Tax Credit initiatives.

His most recent consulting assignments include an investment plan for the Tampa Bay Partnership Workforce Housing Equity Fund, City of Fort Lauderdale’s Business Plan for a Business Improvement District, Miami-Dade County’s Economic Development Implementation Plan, the City of Miami’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and the City of Plantation Housing Needs Assessment. Mr. Carras prepared the Strategic Plan for the Broward Housing Partnership, Inc. resulting in the creation of the BHP Housing Trust, Inc. and BHP Community Land Trust, Inc.
Tony Q. Smith
Tax Increment Finance Course Advisor
Phone: (312) 424-4254
tsmith@cdfa.net		Tony Q. Smith serves as the Council's Tax Increment Finance Course Advisor providing expertise, leadership and direction for CDFA's Training Institute. Smith's' vast experience in project and real estate finance provides a deep knowledge-base to help guide CDFA's educational elements related to tax increment finance.

Tony Q. Smith, AICP is a Practice Leader with S. B. Friedman & Company, a development advisory firm based in Chicago’s Loop. Tony is a real estate analyst with experience in public/private deal structuring, negotiations, tax increment financing (TIF) analysis, New Markets Tax Credits, and area revitalization strategies. He has assisted municipalities such as the City of Chicago, City of Milwaukee, and suburban Illinois communities in creating TIF districts, negotiating TIF contributions to public/private deals, and evaluating TIF feasibility for a range of front funding instruments.

On behalf of the City of Chicago, he also led the process of successfully applying for a $100 million allocation of New Markets Tax Credits in the 2006 federal competitive round. He is currently assisting the City in implementing its New Markets program. Tony holds a Master’s in City Planning, a Post-Master’s Certificate for study in Transportation and Infrastructure Planning, and a B.A. in Urban Studies and Environmental Studies, all from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the American Planning Association, the Urban Land Institute, and the Congress for the New Urbanism.
Dana Sumner
Revolving Loan Fund Course Advisor
Phone: (207) 923-3030
dsumner@cdfa.net		Dana Sumner s serves as the Council's Revolving Loan Fund Course Advisor providing expertise, leadership and direction for CDFA's Training Institute. Sumner's depth of knowledge and vast experience in small business finance and fund development helps guide CDFA's educational elements related to revolving loan fund finance.

With over 20 years as a commercial lender working for some of the largest banks in the country, Mr. Sumner brings a practical, hands on approach to Commercial Lending. In the capacity of Senior Commercial Lender he had the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of Commercial lending. As the Director of Lending for one of the largest Economic Development organizations in the Northeast he managed a 35 million dollar RLF and oversaw Economic Development retention and attraction efforts. In 2002, Dana P. Sumner and Vin DiCara started Development Finance Training and Consulting Inc. to offer Commercial Loan training nationally. He has trained thousands of lenders across the country in the areas of Portfolio management, credit analysis, loan underwriting, Economic Development strategies, problem loan resolution, documentation, financial analysis and entrepreneurial assistance. Dana has provided programs for the Credit Union National Association, Small Business Administration, National Association of Development Organizations, Rural Development, U.S.D.A., Farmers Home, Dept. of Agriculture, New England College of Finance, and various banks, Economic Development organizations and credit unions With a B.S, and MBA in Finance he has also served as an adjunct faculty member teaching Economics and Managerial Finance and is a nationally certified instructor for the entrepreneurial training programs offered by NXt Level and Fastrac.
John McMickle
Legislative Representative
Winston & Strawn
Phone: (202) 282-5833
jmcmickle@winston.com		John McMickle serves as one of CDFA's Legislative Representative in Washington, DC. John has served in this capacity for the past several years and has been an instrumental part of CDFA's legislative workings. McMickle is with the Washington, DC based law firm of Winston & Strawn and spent many years on Capitol Hill before working in the private sector.
Eric Silva
Legislative Representative
Winston & Strawn
Phone: (202) 282-5745
esilva@winston.com 		Eric Silva serves as one of CDFA's Legislative Representative in Washington, DC. Eric has been an instrumental part of CDFA's legislative workings. Silva is with the Washington, DC based law firm of Winston & Strawn and worked on Capitol Hill before moving to the private sector.
Adair Krieger
Development Assistant
Phone: (216) 920-3074
akrieger@cdfa.net
Lori Griffin
Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (405) 843-6550
lgriffin@cdfa.net
Sam DeNies
Network Administrator