-Overview
Join CDFA, in partnership with Frost Brown Todd and its affiliate FBT Project Finance Advisors, for our newest online course offering. Financing infrastructure has become one of the nation’s most pressing concerns. Communities throughout the country are aggressively searching for innovative strategies and solutions for building and operating transportation, energy, water, broadband, resiliency, and other infrastructure. The development finance toolbox provides a vast array of capital solutions - including federal and state grants and loans, bonds, tax increment financing, tax credits, revolving loan funds, opportunity zones, and public-private partnerships - all of which can be packaged in a myriad of ways.
The Intro Infrastructure Finance WebCourse will bring together development finance experts from different infrastructure disciplines to analyze the financing tools being used nationwide. This interactive web course will help communities understand the fundamental concepts behind infrastructure projects with a focus on raising capital to achieve local and regional needs. In addition, this webcourse will explore the cutting-edge structures and approaches being deployed to accelerate new investment in America’s 21st-century infrastructure.
This course qualifies for the CDFA Training Institute's Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) Program . Start down the road to personal and professional advancement today.
Course Objectives
- Learn the basics of infrastructure finance.
- Understand the many players involved and their interests.
- Identify finance experts and institutions who are looking for investment opportunities.
- Gain an understanding of best practices for engaging private sector infrastructure providers.
- Learn to identify revenues to support debt financing.
- Discuss how new infrastructures help to fund community revitalization
- Learn how and why other communities' projects have succeeded or failed.
- Create networks for potential future investment.
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Topics Covered
- Basics of infrastructure financing
- Understanding infrastructure bond financing
- Engaging private sector partners
- Deploying P3 strategies
- Monetizing cost savings
- Gap financing for leveraging private investment
- Engaging stakeholders, partners, and the community
- Attracting investment
- Deploying TIF, tax credits, Opportunity Zones, and revolving loan funds
- Securing federal funding resources
- Evaluating infrastructure projects
- Measuring impact for future new investments
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Who Should Attend?
- Bond Issuers
- Economic Development Professionals
- Community Development Professionals
- Broker/Dealers and Underwriters
- Elected Officials
- Government and Nonprofit Finance Officers
- Attorneys
- Accountants
- Financial Advisors
- Policy Makers
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Course Advisor
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Toby Rittner
Council of Development Finance Agencies
President & CEO
Toby Rittner is the President & CEO of Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA), a national association dedicated to the advancement of development finance concerns and interests. CDFA is comprised of the nation’s leading and most ... knowledgeable members of the development finance community representing hundreds of public, private and non-profit development entities. Members are state, county and municipal development finance agencies and authorities that provide or otherwise support economic development financing programs. Mr. Rittner runs the day-to-day operations of the Council including the organization’s various educational, advocacy, research, resources and networking initiatives.
Rittner is one of the most vocal and recognized leaders of the development finance industry nationwide and has advised state and federal government leaders, including President Obama’s Administration Transition Team, on economic development finance policy. Through his leadership and guidance, CDFA was successful in preserving private activity bonds and other critical development finance tools during the 2017 tax reform deliberations.
Rittner focuses on sustainable finance with an emphasis on infrastructure, clean energy food systems, small business and innovations in the development finance industry to drive sustainable outcomes. He has written extensively about impact ready initiatives that leverage and engage capital in ways that drive local sustainability in both the environment and economy.
Rittner is a frequent speaker at local, state and national conferences and events focused on economic development finance. He has been featured in The Bond Buyer, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, NPR and other national media publications concerning the advancement of development finance tools. He is the author of CDFA's highly acclaimed Practitioner's Guide to Economic Development Finance and co-author of CDFA's Unlocking Capital: A Handbook for Becoming a High Performing Development Finance Agency.
Rittner is an adjunct faculty member at The Ohio State University and Carnegie Mellon University teaching planning and finance for sustainable economic development. He is also a Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) and has completed the prestigious Oxford University Sustainable Finance Foundation Course.
Prior to joining CDFA, Mr. Rittner was the Director of Legislative Affairs for the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Mr. Rittner has also worked for the Franklin County, Ohio Board of Commissioners and the City of Gahanna, Ohio. Mr. Rittner previously served on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Financial Advisory Board and is a member of the Advisory Board for the National Community Fund I. 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. Mr. Rittner was awarded the Ohio State University College of Engineering Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2016. (More)
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-Agenda
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
| Wed 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM |
Welcome and Overview
Welcome to the course! This session will introduce CDFA, explain how to use the online software, and discuss the framework for the two-day Intro Infrastructure Finance WebCourse.
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| Wed 12:15 PM - 1:30 PM |
Infrastructure 101
To kick things off, this session will provide a broad overview of how transportation, energy, water, and broadband infrastructure projects work. Speakers will discuss the current infrastructure needs facing both urban and rural communities in the U.S., as well as the types of tools and financing approaches that are used for these projects.
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| Wed 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM |
Evaluating Your Project
There are a wide range of considerations that must be taken into account when planning an infrastructure project. This session will walk through questions that should be addressed in the planning process, including: how to identify players and engage the community, determine the ownership structure, identify financing strategies and revenue streams, measure project costs and impacts, and how to plan for the future.
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| Wed 3:00 PM - 3:15 PM |
Break
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| Wed 3:15 PM - 4:45 PM |
Unlocking Capital
Many types of development finance tools are used to unlock capital for infrastructure projects. This session will introduce the financing approaches best suited for transportation, energy, water, and broadband. During this session, attendees will also learn how to identify revenues for debt financing and when to consider public-private partnerships.
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| Wed 4:45 PM - 5:00 PM |
Wrap-Up: Day 1
The first day will finish with a brief review of the topics covered, highlights of the key takeaways for attendees, and outlining the learning objectives that will be presented on the second day.
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Thursday, September 24, 2020
| Thu 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM |
Revisiting Day 1
Day 2 will begin with a review of key takeaways from Day 1 and the agenda for the second half of the course.
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| Thu 12:15 PM - 1:30 PM |
Transportation Infrastructure
This session will discuss how to approach financing highways, rail systems, airports, and shipping ports. Speakers will share the tools used most commonly on transportation projects and special considerations for this kind of infrastructure. Case studies will be included to demonstrate how development finance tools can be deployed for transportation.
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| Thu 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM |
Energy Infrastructure
During this session speakers will discuss how energy efficiency improvements, alternative clean energy generation, and large-scale energy distribution can be financed. Speakers will share which tools are best suited for energy-related projects and special considerations for these kinds of infrastructure. Case studies will illustrate the application of development finance on energy projects.
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| Thu 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM |
Break
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| Thu 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM |
Water Infrastructure
This session will discuss approaches for financing water and wastewater infrastructure, and cover the tools most commonly used for this type of infrastructure. Speakers will present special considerations for water infrastructure project and case studies that showcase successful financing.
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| Thu 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM |
Broadband Infrastructure
This session will present financing tools and strategies for expanding and upgrading broadband infrastructure. Speakers will review the tools used most often for these projects, discuss special considerations for broadband, and share case studies that demonstrate these financing approaches.
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| Thu 4:45 PM - 5:00 PM |
Course Wrap-Up
The Intro Infrastructure Finance WebCourse will close with a review of the core learning objectives and suggestions for additional resources on the topic.
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-Location
The Intro Infrastructure Finance WebCourse will take place on the web through GoToWebinar, an online distance learning software. The course will meet each day on September 23-24, 2020 from 12:00-5:00 pm (Eastern). You must have access to a computer and phone to attend the WebCourse.
-Registration
This course qualifies for the CDFA Training Institute's
Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) Program. Start down the road to personal and professional advancement today.
CDFA permits only one person to login and participate in the course. If multiple people are accessing the course without paying to attend, we will terminate the connection and access to GoToWebinar. CDFA offers group discounts for organizations that wish to register multiple people.
Register before September 4, 2020 for Early-Bird Rates.
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CDFA Member: $550
Non-Member: $825
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CDFA Member: $600
Non-Member: $875
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Register