Ashley Allen Jones

Accessing the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
Wednesday April 12 11:00 - 12:00 PM

Founder and CEO
I2 Capital

Ashley leads environmental finance innovation across the water, agriculture, and energy sectors. For the past decade, Ashley has helped to build the conservation finance and impact investment field as Chief Executive Officer of i2 Capital, a firm she founded to expand private investment and public-private partnerships in the conservation realm. Beginning in 2014, i2 Capital launched the impactDEALS Forum in collaboration with Calvert Impact Capital, the Aspen Institute, Georgetown University, and the University of Pennsylvania to highlight investment transactions and structures across impact-oriented projects and companies. In 2016 the firm launched the Upper Green River Conservancy, a habitat bank positioned to support public-private conservation partnerships that protect imperiled species in the inter-mountain West while supporting supply chain sustainability for energy companies. In 2017, in partnership with the Nature Conservancy and Stroud Water Research Center, i2 Capital launched the Revolving Water Fund, an initiative that aligns agricultural, municipal, corporate and public interests to support scaled watershed conservation in the mid-Atlantic United States. The firm is presently helping to launch a major USDA Climate Smart Commodities platform in partnership with Ecosystem Services Market Consortium alongside agricultural producers and experts in regenerative agriculture systems.

In 2019, Ashley became the founding Board Chair of the Conservation Innovation Fund, a blended finance fund formed to expand market-based solutions for water, carbon and biodiversity in priority watersheds through driving capital and execution across an integrated value chain of activities. The CIF has now received over $30mn in financial backing from public and private sources, including grants, loans, and in-kind financial commitments. In 2020, Ashley was recruited to join EPA’s Environmental Financial Advisory Board, where she advises Agency on environmental finance matters. As a member of EFAB she chaired the Pollution Prevention working group (P2) to address funding for sustainability issues in middle market manufacturing and co-chaired the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GHGRF) working group to address strategic options for the EPA’s $29BN GHGRF. She also has advised the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program and myriad foundations on conservation finance initiatives.

Before founding i2 Capital, Ashley spent two decades in the transactional finance sector – as an investor, investment banker and advisor. During that time, she coalesced and managed over $1bn for innovative gender-lens, social, and environmental projects, managed venture capital investments in women owned companies, and helped to execute over $1bn in M&A and private equity deals in the global Aerospace & Defense sector. She also managed several private foundations on behalf of private clients. Ashley's entrepreneurial work has been supported by USDA Conservation Innovation Grants, a White House’s Social Innovation Grant, and a Department of Education Investing in Innovation Grant. Raised in rural Wyoming, Ashley has a deep reverence for watershed scale conservation and the outdoors. When not escaping to the back country, Ashley splits her time between Washington, DC and Wilmington, DE with her husband, three children, four step-children, and two beloved dogs.

Felecia Bartow

The State of the State Small Business Credit Initiative
Wednesday April 12 4:00 - 5:00 PM

Vice President of Strategic Initiatives
Hyphen

Felecia Bartow is Vice President of Strategic Initiatives with Hyphen, a nonprofit launched in 2021 to facilitate high-impact public-philanthropic initiatives to achieve greater equity for underserved communities and our broader society. Hyphen supports effective and equitable deployment of federal resources being distributed through the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and other historic legislation. In October 2022, Hyphen launched the Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (IIE), a new $100 million national effort to expand access to capital for small businesses owned by people of color. Led and incubated by Hyphen, IIE seeks to harness the power of public-philanthropic collaboration to ensure that the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s $10 billion State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) strengthens the small business ecosystem and advances racial equity.   

For a decade, Felecia was affiliated with Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR), where she served as vice president. As a philanthropy-supporting organization, GCIR works with a wide range of partners to advance justice and belonging for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Among other efforts, she managed a $69 million, 18-state initiative to support Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) implementation. Prior to joining GCIR, Felecia held leadership positions with various national nonprofit organizations, including Center for Gender and Refugee Studies at UC Hastings College of the Law, Action without Borders-Idealist.org, the American Friends Service Committee, and the National Immigrant Justice Center. Felecia holds an MSW in Social and Economic Development from Washington University in St. Louis and she earned a BA at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.  

Lacy Beasley

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Year Two
Wednesday April 12 10:00 - 11:00 AM

President
Retail Strategies

Lacy Beasley is the President of Retail Strategies, a full-service advisory firm that works with municipalities on business recruitment through commercial real estate connections. Her experience with The Shopping Center Group and the Dickson County Chamber of Commerce prior to joining Retail Strategies provide her with the insight to understand the connections needed between the public and private sectors.
A graduate of Lipscomb University, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Beasley serves on the Board of Trustees for ICSC, the largest not for profit membership-based retail commercial real estate industry organization.
The recipient of numerous awards, the Birmingham Business Journal has named Lacy to the “Top 40 under 40”, nationwide “Top 100 Influencers in Commercial Real Estate,” one of Birmingham’s “Eight Emerging Influencers”, “Top 40 under 40 for the Decade”, “Who’s Who of Commercial Real Estate” and “Women to Watch”.
Lacy has spoken on retail trends and best practices in retail recruitment at hundreds of events across the U.S. and Canada. Her articles have been published in Shopping Centers Today, Site Selection Magazine, and the Alabama Retail Federation. 

Talisha Bekavac

The State of the State Small Business Credit Initiative
Wednesday April 12 4:00 - 5:00 PM

Executive Director
U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.

Talisha Bekavac is leveraging over 15 years of corporate and non-profit experience in her role as Executive Vice President for the United States Black Chambers (USBC). In her role, Talisha works with policymakers to promote legislation that expands small businesses, and addresses the unique challenges facing the Black business community. She also leads external engagement with corporations and foundations to encourage inclusive strategies on access to capital, supplier diversity and community investment. In acknowledgement of her thought leadership, she serves as a MOSAIC Fellow for the Progressive Policy Institute where she provides insight to media and policymakers on small business issues. Additionally, she is a Google NEXTGEN Policy Leader, which is an advisory council of influential, technology and economic justice advocates working to solve the challenges of diversity and opportunity in Tech.
Prior to her work at USBC, Talisha worked in the private sector where she led business development and marketing for industry leaders i.e. Cisco, Sprint and Comcast NBC Universal. As a service to her community, Talisha serves on the Board of Directors for Family Equality - a national organization working to advance legal and lived equality for LGBTQ families. Talisha is a cum laude graduate of Florida A&M University where she studied Public Relations and Political Science on academic scholarship.

Aisha Benson

Measuring the Impact of New Markets Tax Credits
Wednesday April 12 3:00 - 4:00 PM

Chief Executive Officer
Nonprofit Finance Fund

Aisha Benson is a community development finance professional with 29 years’ experience in banking and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). She is CEO of Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), a CDFI lender, consultant, and advocate missioned to strengthen nonprofits and improve the way money flows to social good. NFF has invested over $1.1B in financing and leveraged over $4.4B in projects for thousands of organizations nationwide.

Prior to NFF, Aisha was COO for TruFund Financial Services, a CDFI serving historically disadvantaged small businesses, where she oversaw multi-disciplinary teams executing the delivery of lending services, tax credit deployment, and advisory programs. She has deployed $130MM in New Market Tax Credits (NMTCs) and $300MM of capital to low-income communities.

Aisha holds leadership positions on several key industry boards, including Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), and the NMTC Coalition (Board President), and is a Social Sector Advisor to the Economic Opportunity Coalition. Ms. Benson holds a B.A. in Psychology, Cum Laude from Columbia University, a certificate in Social Impact Management and Leadership from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice, and a certificate through a Citi/OFN Sponsored Leadership Training Program for CDFI Executives at Wharton University.

Carolyn Berndt

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Year Two
Wednesday April 12 10:00 - 11:00 AM

Legislative Director for Sustainability
National League of Cities

Carolyn Berndt is the Legislative Director for Sustainability in the federal advocacy department at the National League of Cities, the nation’s oldest and largest national organization representing municipal governments. As a member of the federal advocacy team, Carolyn leads NLC’s advocacy, regulatory, and policy efforts on energy and environmental issues, including water infrastructure and financing, water and air quality, climate change, energy efficiency, brownfields, solid and hazardous waste and more. Carolyn serves on the Board of Directors for PACENation, a national nonprofit whose mission is to promote Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing. She is also a member of the Cary Institute Forest Pest Advisory Committee, helping to inform policy to reduce the importation of insect pests and diseases into the U.S. through international trade. Prior to joining NLC, Carolyn served as associate director of government and public affairs at the American Society for Interior Designers, working with coalitions throughout the country to secure interior design registration and licensure laws. Formerly, Carolyn worked for Burns and Roe, a private engineering and construction company, in their government affairs office in Washington, DC. Carolyn received her master’s degree in public administration from American University in Washington, DC and her bachelor of arts in political science from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.

Ryan Berni

CDFA Federal Policy Conference Kickoff Keynote Address
Wednesday April 12 9:00 - 9:30 AM

Senior Advisor
The White House

Ryan Berni serves as White House Senior Advisor for Infrastructure Implementation, overseeing the rollout and administration of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Prior to arriving at the White House, Berni served as Deputy Mayor of External Affairs for the City of New Orleans, overseeing communications, intergovernmental relations, and policy initiatives for Mayor Mitch Landrieu. Berni also served as the Press Secretary and later as the Communications Director, where he managed media, public relations, and special projects and events for the city. Berni previously served as Chief of Staff for political strategist James Carville, directing Carville’s media, research, writing, and business development operations serving as a consultant to international political clients across the globe.

Jack Bienko

CDFA Welcome and Lunch with Federal Financing Experts
Tuesday April 11 1:00 - 2:30 PM

U.S. Small Business Administration

Monica Blanton

Measuring the Impact of New Markets Tax Credits
Wednesday April 12 3:00 - 4:00 PM

Vice President
Brightbridge Inc

Monica Blanton lives in Chattanooga and currently leads the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) division for BrightBridge Capital.
Since 2005, Monica has worked in all aspects of NMTC operations and plays a key role in BridgeBridge’s success in being awarded $167mm in NMTC allocations to date. She was also instrumental in the CDFI certification process and business expansion, which has resulted in raising $80 million of capital.

She leads engagement of BrightBridge’s Advisory Board and oversees internal policy development and implementation for investor and regulatory reporting for BrightBridge’s NMTC and CDFI programs.

In addition to closing financing using BrightBridge’s NMTC allocation to projects that positively impact their local community, Monica provides consulting services to help borrowers obtain and close NMTC financing from other CDEs. Monica also shares awareness of the NMTC financing tool thru individual and group presentations.

Monica is a Certified Public Accountant. Her professional experience includes eight years in public accounting with international firms in the area of assurance services. She then used her skills to provide management and supervisory consulting services in the areas of general business, financial systems, policies and procedures, financial reporting, and analytical analysis to a variety of businesses.

Outside of work, Monica loves nothing more than spending time with family, including her children and all the family pets. She enjoys outdoor activities, including gardening, hiking, and pickleball!

As an alumnus of the University of TN – Knoxville, Monica enjoys supporting and following the Vols athletics.

Brett Bolton

Leveraging Infrastructure Subsidies with Tax-Exempt Bonds
Wednesday April 12 2:00 - 2:45 PM

Vice President of Federal Legislative & Regulatory Policy
Bond Dealers of America

Brett Bolton is the Vice President of Federal Legislative and Regulatory Policy at the Bond Dealers of America where he is responsible for analyzing federal legislative and regulatory policy and staffs the Municipal Bond Division and the Fixed Income Legal and Compliance Committee.
Prior to joining BDA, Mr. Bolton was a Principal Associate of Federal Advocacy at the National League of Cities (NLC) where he lobbied on state and local tax and finance and intergovernmental relations at the federal level. Prior to NLC, Mr. Bolton served as the Deputy Director of Federal Affairs for the State of Florida’s Washington, D.C. office. Prior to his lobbying work, Mr. Bolton served on Capitol Hill in the office of U.S. Representative Steve Southerland. He earned a Bachelors degree from Samford University and a Masters degree from the Florida State University’s Askew School of Public Administration and Policy.

Duane Callender

CDFA Welcome and Lunch with Federal Financing Experts
Tuesday April 11 1:00 - 2:30 PM

Director
U.S. Department of Transportation

Duane Callender manages the Credit Programs Office
within the Build America Bureau which houses the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) credit program and the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) credit program. He directs a staff responsible for all aspects of underwriting, portfolio management and risk management. Mr. Callender oversees a portfolio that has encompassed over $45 billion in Federal credit assistance to intermodal, highway, transit, port and rail projects totaling over $140 billion of transportation infrastructure investment in the U.S. He began his federal career as a Presidential Management Fellow in 1998, working in DOT’s Inspector General’s Office. He has also held positions in DOT’s Office of Budget and Programs; where he was responsible for oversight of the Maritime Administration budget and at the Budget Office of the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department.

Alex Clegg

Workshop: The Federal Grant Writing Process
Tuesday April 11 2:45 - 5:00 PM

Transportation Specialist
U.S. Department of Transportation

Alex Clegg is a rural transportation specialist at the US Department of Transportation and within the Office of the Undersecretary for Policy. Mr. Clegg is part of the ROUTES (Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success) Initiative at DOT, which coordinates rural policies and programs within the Department and provides outreach and technical assistance to rural communities to identify federal resources for their transportation projects. He has also worked at the Build America Bureau at US DOT, which manages the Department’s loan and credit programs.

He holds an MPP from Georgetown University and a BA from the University of North Carolina.

Jimmy Dahman

CDFA Welcome and Lunch with Federal Financing Experts
Tuesday April 11 1:00 - 2:30 PM

Workshop: The Federal Grant Writing Process
Tuesday April 11 2:45 - 5:00 PM

Senior Advisor for Communications and External Engagement
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Jimmy joined the Administration in 2021 and has served in several roles at USDA, including Chief of Staff of the Rural Business Cooperative Service and currently as a Senior Advisor at Rural Development. Prior to joining USDA, he spent ten years organizing for causes and candidates across the country. In 2017, he launched and then ran a civic engagement non-profit organization that helped constituents engage with their elected representatives. He is originally from Northeast Ohio and holds a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University.

Elaine DiPietro

Measuring the Impact of New Markets Tax Credits
Wednesday April 12 3:00 - 4:00 PM

President
Blooming Ventures LLC

Elaine founded Blooming Ventures LLC in June 2016 to utilize her experience in the New Markets Tax Credit (“NMTC”) industry to provide consulting services to project sponsors and community development entities. Prior to forming Blooming Ventures, Elaine was vice president for Enterprise Community Investment, Inc., where she was responsible for management of all facets of Enterprise’s NMTC program, including investor and government relations, deal selection, underwriting and portfolio management. Elaine also managed the provision of compliance and accounting services to other NMTC community development entities.

Enterprise is one of the largest recipients of NMTC allocation. Under Elaine’s direction Enterprise managed a portfolio of over $800 million of investments.

Elaine is a frequent speaker at NMTC industry conferences and has published articles in industry journals. Elaine has served on several advisory and governing boards for NMTC community development entities.

Elaine is a CPA and graduated with honors from King’s College in Wilkes- Barre, PA. Prior to joining Enterprise Elaine was an auditor with Deloitte and focused on mergers and acquisitions.

Brian Farnen

Accessing the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
Wednesday April 12 11:00 - 12:00 PM

General Counsel
Connecticut Green Bank

As General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer for the Connecticut Green Bank, Brian directs all legal, legislative and regulatory affairs for the nation’s first green bank established in 2011, a global leader in renewable and energy efficiency financing and winner of the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School of Government Ash Award for innovation in 2017. Brian’s counsel is helping the Green Bank realize its mission of leveraging public and private funds to scale-up renewable energy deployment and energy efficiency projects. In fact, the Green Bank has mobilized over $1.7 billion of total clean energy investment since 2012.

Brian was awarded by the Connecticut Law Tribune as the “Best In-House Counsel” of the Year in 2018 and previously named a “New Leader in the Law” in 2013. He is passionate about the energy space, taught business law and finance as an adjunct professor, is an Executive Board Member of the Council of Development Finance Agencies, the Clean Energy Finance Chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority (United Kingdom) and is a former member of the CT Judicial Review Counsel.

Directly prior to the Green Bank, Brian was a senior attorney with United Technologies’ Sikorsky Aircraft business unit, providing legal counsel for the international sale of the Black Hawk helicopter, as well handling all of Sikorsky’s global environmental, health and safety matters. Brian also has worked as an attorney for MassMutual Financial Group and Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge.
Brian proudly represented the 132nd Assembly District, covering Fairfield and Southport Connecticut in 2020 during the COVID pandemic.

Brian obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree, Masters of Business Administration (Finance) and Juris Doctorate from the University of Connecticut.

Richard Frampton

Leveraging Infrastructure Subsidies with Tax-Exempt Bonds
Wednesday April 12 2:00 - 2:45 PM

Retired/Illinois Finance Authority

Rich Frampton served as the Executive Vice President for the Illinois Finance Authority (“IFA”), managing its Business/Industry and 501(c)(3) Bond financing segments based at the IFA’s principal office in Chicago and as an active issuer and direct lender in a series of positions over his 39-year career before retiring from IFA in May 2023.

The IFA is a major national bond issuer and has been regularly ranked among the top 15 Tax-Exempt Municipal Bond Issuers nationally according to Thompson Reuters’ national annual issuer rankings. Among issuers specializing in Private Activity Bonds, IFA has regularly ranked among the top 5 nationally in both dollar volume and the number of bond issues.

Rich served for years on CDFA’s Board of Directors and served as Chair of CDFA’s Legislative Committee from 2017 to 2023. Mr. Frampton has also been an active member and presenter at CDFA’s National Summits and Professional Education seminars throughout his career.

Mr. Frampton joined the IFA at its inception in 2004 and had been at its predecessor (the Illinois Development Finance Authority) since 1984. IFA has a broad statutory mandate enabled Mr. Frampton to work on Private Activity Bonds covering most tax-exempt subsectors including Manufacturing IDBs, 501(c)(3) Projects, Solid Waste Disposal Bonds, Investor-owned water utilities, Student Loan Bonds, and other Exempt Facilities categories. IFA also issues First Time Farmer Bonds. During his career at IFA and IDFA, Mr. Frampton closed over 800 bond project financings totaling over $17 billion covering nearly all eligible Private Activity Bond categories. Mr. Frampton also managed IFA’s issuance of a series of privatized financings undertaken on behalf of several Illinois public universities, including the University of Illinois System.

Mr. Frampton also has experience as a conduit Private Activity Bond borrower while serving on the Board of Trustees (and Finance Committee) of the Science and Arts Academy, a 501(c)(3) independent school in Des Plaines, Illinois. The Academy financed construction of a new, $10 million K-8 school facility through the issuance of an $8.0 million bank-purchased 501(c)(3) revenue bond issue.

In addition to his work on Private Activity Bond issues, Mr. Frampton evaluated, structured, and closed dozens of IFA- and IDFA-funded direct and participation loans that financed capital projects for businesses, 501(c)(3)’s, and Illinois local governments.

Since May 2023, Mr. Frampton has continued to work for IFA on a contractual basis, managing a local government loan project managing the credit assessment, structuring, and loan documentation through origination.

Mr. Frampton has a BA (Economics and Mathematics) from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, an MPA (Finance) from Northern Illinois University, and completed commercial lending training through the Correspondent Banking Division of the former American National Bank of Chicago (now JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.).

David Hincapie

CDFA Welcome and Lunch with Federal Financing Experts
Tuesday April 11 1:00 - 2:30 PM

Lender Relations Specialist and Veteran Business Development Officer
U.S. Small Business Administration

David an Economic Development Specialist and Veteran Business Development Officer for the Washington Metropolitan Area District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration where he assists veteran, service member, and military spouse entrepreneurs with federal, state, and local programs for small businesses.

Reed Hundt

Accessing the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
Wednesday April 12 11:00 - 12:00 PM

Founder & CEO
Coalition for Green Capital

Reed Hundt is co-founder, Chairman and CEO of the Coalition for Green Capital, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports, and advocates for green banks to invest in the clean power platform. 
Hundt was chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from 1993-97. Previously he was a partner at Latham & Watkins, an international law firm. He is a member of the District of Columbia bar. Since 1997 he has advised several venture capital and private equity firms, and served on more than two dozen for-profit and not-for-profit boards and commissions, including 19 years on the board of Intel Corporation (2001-20) and seven years on the board of the Connecticut Green Bank (2011-18). He also taught at Yale Law School and the Yale School of Management. 
Hundt has written many articles and four books: A Crisis Wasted: Barack Obama’s Defining Decisions (Rosetta, 2019);  Zero Hour: Time to Build the Clean Power Platform (Odyssey, 2013); The Politics of Abundance: How Technology Can Fix the Budget, Revive the American Dream, and Establish Obama’s Legacy (Odyssey, 2012); In China’s Shadow: The Crisis of American Entrepreneurship (Yale University Press, 2006); You Say You Want A Revolution: A Story of Information Age Politics (Yale University Press, 2000).
Mr. Hundt has a B.A. from Yale College (1969) and J.D. from Yale Law School (1974). He lives in Chevy Chase, MD., and Portola Valley, CA. He is married to Elizabeth Katz and has three children: Adam, Nathaniel, and Sara.

Matt Josephs

Measuring the Impact of New Markets Tax Credits
Wednesday April 12 3:00 - 4:00 PM

Senior Vice President for Policy
Local Initiatives Support Corporation

Matt Josephs is the Senior Vice President for Policy for The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). LISC is a national non-profit organization that provides financial investments, policy support, and technical and management experience to local community development organizations to help them to transform distressed neighborhoods into healthy and sustainable communities. As the SVP for Policy, Matt is responsible for developing LISC’s federal policy agenda; communicating this agenda to LISC employees, board members, funders, and other stakeholders; and pursuing this agenda through engagement with members of Congress and other Federal officials.
Matt joined LISC in March of 2012 after serving for 13 years at the Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund -- most recently as Senior Advisor for Policy, where he was responsible for coordinating policy development and implementation across the CDFI Fund’s programs, as well as planning and implementing new initiatives and interagency partnerships. Matt also served for six years as the Program Manager of the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program, which to date has facilitated over $71 billion of private sector investments into businesses and real estate projects in the nations’ most distressed rural and
urban communities.
Prior to joining the CDFI Fund, Matt served as professional staff for the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, where his portfolio of issues included public and assisted housing programs, homeless programs, FHA insurance, and HUD reform. Matt also served as a policy analyst with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s office of Public and Indian Housing.
Matt received a BA in Political Science from Emory University, and a Masters in Public Policy
from the University of California at Berkeley.

Seth Kirshenberg

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Year Two
Wednesday April 12 10:00 - 11:00 AM

Partner
Kutak Rock LLP

Seth Kirshenberg is a Partner at Kutak Rock LLP and has worked on the financing and structuring of over $20 billion in public private partnership (P3) transactions and has worked on some of the largest federal real estate transactions in the United States. He has over 30 years of experience as a transactional lawyer structuring, negotiating, documenting and closing large, complex transactions for federal agencies, states, municipalities, universities, financial entities, investors, developers, contractors, and utilities. Mr. Kirshenberg’s unique practice requires him to work on all phases of projects including procurement, design and construction, financing, management and operation, work-outs, legislative authority development, federal agency rulemaking and policy development, budgetary scoring, environment and historic analysis and everything in between.
Seth has been the Vice-Chair to the American Bar Association Privatization, Outsourcing and Financing Transactions Committee and serves on the Executive Board of the Council of Development Finance Agencies.  He has served on several DOE, DOD, EPA and other federal agency advisory boards and non-profit policy committees on real estate, environmental cleanup and energy issues. He has authored and co-authored several books, papers and guides on P3s, energy development, military base closure, the redevelopment of DOE and DOD facilities, brownfields redevelopment, and environmental cleanup. He regularly speaks at national conferences on P3s, energy financing, energy transaction structures, real estate, and financing issues, and has published numerous articles on redeveloping federal facilities.  Seth also serves as the Executive Director of Energy Communities Alliance.

Katie Kramer

Legislative Prospects for the 2023 Farm Bill
Wednesday April 12 1:30 - 2:00 PM

Executive Director
Ohio Statewide Development Corporation

Chitra Kumar

CDFA Welcome and Lunch with Federal Financing Experts
Tuesday April 11 1:00 - 2:30 PM

Director
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Chitra Kumar is a public policy and planning expert and manager at the US Environmental Protection Agency. Throughout her 20-year career, she has worked to develop more equitable strategies for environmental protection, land use and infrastructure. Currently, Ms. Kumar is the Director of the Office of Policy, Partnerships and Program Development within EPA’s newly reorganized Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. She leads major EJ and equity initiatives, oversight of funding increases through the American Rescue Plan Act, and coordination of equity and Justice40 goals during a period of unprecedented growth and attention for the agencywide EJ program.

From March 2020-2021 Ms. Kumar was Senior Fellow with the Aspen Institute’s Community Strategies Group and Thrive Rural. From 2015-2019 she directed the Federal and State Division of EPA’s Office of Community Revitalization. From 2013-2014, she served at the White House Council on Environmental Quality as the Deputy Associate Director for Water. Ms. Kumar holds a Master in City Planning from MIT.

Alice Lin

Development Finance and the 118th Congress
Wednesday April 12 1:00 - 1:30 PM

Senior Tax Policy Advisor
U.S. Senate Finance Committee

Alice Lin is a Senior Tax Policy Advisor for the Senate Finance Committee under the leadership of Chairman Ron Wyden, where she handles energy and infrastructure tax, housing tax, certain excise taxes, and tax-exempt issues amongst other individual and business topics. Prior to joining Finance, she worked for the House Ways and Means Committee. In that capacity, she worked on major legislation including COVID-19 relief, the American Rescue Plan, and the Inflation Reduction Act on provisions ranging from climate tax provisions to refundable income tax credits. Before that, Alice worked for the Joint Economic Committee and for Rep. Mike Honda (CA-17).

David Lloyd

CDFA Welcome and Lunch with Federal Financing Experts
Tuesday April 11 1:00 - 2:30 PM

Workshop: The Federal Grant Writing Process
Tuesday April 11 2:45 - 5:00 PM

Director, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

David Lloyd is the Director of the Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization in the EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. Mr. Lloyd assumed this position in January of 2006. Prior to this, he held a variety of positions in the areas of private and Government legal practice, real estate operations, and development. Mr. Lloyd received his undergraduate degree from George Washington University and a law degree from Washington and Lee University in 1988. David is a proud citizen of the Cherokee Nation and lives in Washington, DC and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Jarrod Loadholt

The Federal Financing Landscape
Wednesday April 12 9:30 - 10:00 AM

Partner
Ice Miller LLP

Jarrod Loadholt is a partner in Ice Miller’s Public Affairs Group. Jarrod previously served as the head of Credit Karma’s Washington, D.C. office as its first director of legislative and regulatory affairs where he managed the company’s government relations function. In this role, he was responsible for the overall supervision, planning, organization and coordination of the company’s state and federal legislative and regulatory affairs strategy. In 2016, Jarrod co-founded a full-service public affairs firm specializing in federal and state government relations, public affairs, strategic communications and issue and electoral campaigns. As a principal of the firm, he developed and executed legislative, regulatory and procurement strategies for a diverse range of commercial, governmental and nonprofit clients. In this capacity, Jarrod also served as a senior advisor to several mayoral campaigns, including the historic victories of Randall Woodfin in Birmingham, Alabama and Frank Scott in Little Rock, Arkansas. Prior to the creation of his public affairs firm, Jarrod functioned as policy, compliance and product counsel for SolarCity and Tesla. Additionally, he acted as Senior Counsel to the House Committee on Financial Services for the United States House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit where he advised members on a broad range of legislative and regulatory issues, including cannabis banking, data security and privacy, blockchain and digital currencies and the body of federal laws regulating consumer financial products and services. Jarrod also served as Senior Oversight Counsel to the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee handling all oversight matters for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve Board, the National Credit Union Administration and the Financial Stability Oversight Council

Ted McKinney

Legislative Prospects for the 2023 Farm Bill
Wednesday April 12 1:30 - 2:00 PM

Chief Executive Officer
NASDA - National Association of State Departments of Agriculture

Ted serves as the Chief Executive Officer of NASDA, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, a position to which he was named in September 2021. Prior to NASDA, he was also the first U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs from 2017-2021. In that role, Under Secretary McKinney led the development and implementation of the Department’s trade policy, oversaw and facilitated foreign market access, and promoted opportunities for U.S. agriculture through various trade programs and high-level government negotiations. He also oversaw the U.S. Codex Alimentarius staff and functions. After his USDA service, McKinney was engaged in foreign affairs and outreach involving the US food and agriculture industry and its engagement with the United Nations Food Systems Summits. In 2014, McKinney was appointed by then-Governor Mike Pence to serve as Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, a position he held until joining USDA in 2017. His career also included 19 years with Dow AgroSciences, where over time he served in nearly all Government & Public Affairs roles, and 14 years with Elanco, at that time a subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, where he was Director of Global Corporate Affairs. His industry and civic involvement is vast, including service as founder and Co-Chair of the National FFA Convention Local Organizing Committee, membership on the Indiana State Fair Commission, and Purdue College of Agriculture Dean’s Advisory Council, as well as on the boards of directors of the International Food Information Council and the U.S. Meat Export Federation. McKinney grew up on a family grain and livestock farm in Tipton, Indiana, and was a 10-year 4-H member and an Indiana State FFA Officer. He graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics in 1981, at which time he received the G.A. Ross Award as the outstanding University senior male graduate. In 2002, he was named a Purdue Agriculture Distinguished Alumnus and, in 2004, received an FFA Honorary American degree. He has also received the Sagamore of the Wabash Award from Indiana Governors Pence and Holcomb. He and his wife, Julie, have three children and six grandchildren, and reside in Alexandria, Virginia.

Michelle Mooney

Measuring the Impact of New Markets Tax Credits
Wednesday April 12 3:00 - 4:00 PM

Director of Structured Finance & NMTC Program Manager
Grow America

Michelle Mooney joined the National Development Council (NDC), in 2007 as the NMTC Closing Manager. She is currently HEDC New Markets, Inc.’s NMTC Program Manager/LIC Investment Officer. Michelle engages in community outreach, raising and deploying capital, underwriting, and closing all NMTC transactions.

Michelle identifies, underwrites, structures and closes NMTC projects, assessing project viability and ability to repay debt, in addition to confirming eligibility, compliance and LIC outcomes. Michelle has also been a contributor in the writing and preparation of several NMTC applications and has provided technical assistance to multiple Community Development Entities (CDEs) and QALICBs. Michelle developed a NMTC training class for the USDA and a training on combining NMTC with the 108 Loan Guaranty program for HUD. From 2016-2017, Michelle additionally managed a national $10 MM NMTC Small QLICI Program for a Community Development Banking CDE and sourced, underwrote and closed five, $2 MM A/B QLICIs that netted each of the QALICBs $0.5 MM in NMTC equity. In 2021, Michelle launched a new program through one of NDC’s embedded CDFIs syndicating up to $10 MM annually in Delaware state historic tax credits to Discover Bank.

Prior to joining NDC, Michelle primarily worked for nonprofit development corporations and in the public sector; and Michelle has 32 years of experience in community and economic development. Immediately prior to joining NDC, Michelle served as the Executive Director of Retail Development for the City of New York and was profiled in the New York Times for her work improving commercial corridors in NYC neighborhoods. Michelle has a BA in Urban Studies and a master’s degree in Urban Planning, Design, and Development. She has served as a guest lecturer for Urban Development Finance at the Cleveland State University College of Urban Affairs since 2016. Michelle is a LIC resident and serves on the NMTC Advisory Group of two CDEs.

Jorge Morales

CDFA Welcome and Lunch with Federal Financing Experts
Tuesday April 11 1:00 - 2:30 PM

Workshop: The Federal Grant Writing Process
Tuesday April 11 2:45 - 5:00 PM

Community Planning and Development Specialist
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Jorge Morales has been a Community Planning and Development Specialist and Loan Origination Officer at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 108 Loan Guarantee Assistance Program since 2014. Jorge is an experienced Community and Economic Development professional with over 22 years in the CPD, Housing, and Economic Development programs. His extensive background includes the directing of Housing and Economic Development Departments in both large and small cities. He was instrumental in the development of a multimillion-dollar convention center project which included $22 million of Section 108 funds and the establishment of a “municipal bank” using Community Development Block Grant funds. Jorge received his undergraduate degree from the University of Puerto Rico. Additionally, he holds master’s degrees in public administration and in business administration from Webster University, St Louis. He also holds an Economic Development Finance Professional Certification from the National Development Council. Jorge is a former U.S. Air Force officer and a Desert Shield/Storm veteran.

Aaron Morris

CDFA Welcome and Lunch with Federal Financing Experts
Tuesday April 11 1:00 - 2:30 PM

Director of Guaranteed Lending
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Aaron Morris serves as the Director of Guaranteed Lending at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service Agency where is responsible for all guaranteed lending activities. In his role as the Director, Aaron manages a loan portfolio exceeding $8 billion and administers the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program, the Rural Energy for America Program, the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and BioBased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program, and the Rural Business Investment Program (RBIP).

Prior to this role, Aaron served in various roles in USDA’s Community Facilities program, where he helped lead that program to unprecedented growth that resulted in the program’s loan portfolio doubling in size to just over $10 billion by the time he left the program in January 2017.

Originally from Chicago, IL, Aaron earned his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business from Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee and earned his master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia in Columbia, Missouri.

Nathan Ohle

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Year Two
Wednesday April 12 10:00 - 11:00 AM

President & CEO
International Economic Development Council

Nathan Ohle is an internationally recognized expert in economic development and currently serves as the President & CEO of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers, with more than 5,000 members globally. In 2017, he was selected as one of 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in economic development internationally.

Nathan’s economic development experience and leadership span decades at the local, state, and federal levels. Before joining IEDC, Nathan was the Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), a national network of non-profit partners working to build capacity in rural and tribal communities across the country. Nathan served the Senior Advisor at the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), overseeing policy and external affairs and at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Pooja Patel

CDFA Welcome and Lunch with Federal Financing Experts
Tuesday April 11 1:00 - 2:30 PM

Program Manager, CDFI Program & Native Initiatives
U.S. Department of the Treasury

Pooja Patel is the Program Manager for the CDFI Program and Native Initiatives. Pooja has nearly 20 years of experience related to federal affordable housing and community economic development programs. Prior to joining the CDFI Fund, Pooja was a Senior Director at ICF. In this role, she managed a portfolio of projects focused on the successful design and administration of federal community development programs, including establishing and evaluating policies, guidelines, and methodologies that guide program operations.

Payson Peabody

Development Finance and the 118th Congress
Wednesday April 12 1:00 - 1:30 PM

Tax Counsel
U.S. House of Representatives

Payson currently serves as the majority tax counsel on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means and has since June 2020. Prior to that, he worked as managing director and tax counsel for the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.
Payson graduated Cum Laude from Harvard University with a Bachelor's degree in Government and History and holds a J.D. from Georgetown University.

Erik Pechuekonis

CDFA Welcome and Lunch with Federal Financing Experts
Tuesday April 11 1:00 - 2:30 PM

Community Planning and Development Specialist
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Erik Pechuekonis is a Community Planning and Development Specialist who works with HUD’s Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program. He has been with the Section 108 program for over 5-years. He came over from HUD’s Multifamily Housing Program in Baltimore. Prior to joining HUD, Erik served in Albania as a Peace Corps Volunteer where he worked with local municipalities on urban planning related issues. Before the Peace Corps, he worked as an urban planner at a local government in South Carolina. He has a master’s in City and Regional Planning from Clemson University and a Bachelors in Geography from University of Colorado-Denver.

Michael Pehur

Workshop: The Federal Grant Writing Process
Tuesday April 11 2:45 - 5:00 PM

Development Finance Consulting Director
Duane Morris Government Strategies

As the Development Finance Director at DMGS, Michael Pehur brings over 15 years of experience in economic development financing and project management. Michael is responsible for providing consulting strategies for real estate, business, and municipal clients. He primarily works to identify grants, loans, tax incentives, and other public financing programs available for complex development projects.

Previously Project Finance Coordinator at Allegheny County Economic Development (ACED), Michael facilitated project financing and managed the technical components of various funding programs. At ACED, Michael managed over $55 million of Federal and State contracts. He facilitated project financing for site preparation, public infrastructure, environmental remediation, transit-oriented development, commercial redevelopment, and general business development assistance within Allegheny County. His work included many notable projects that have generated vast economic impact on the region, including Dick’s Sporting Goods Headquarters, Clinton Commerce Park, Westport Development, Monroeville Convention Center, and McCandless Crossing. He served as the primary manager of the County Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program, including project approval, deal structure, and continuing administration of active Districts. As part of this responsibility, Michael also authored the first-ever evaluation of the ACED TIF program.

Before his time with ACED, he served as Special Projects Coordinator with Fay-Penn Economic Development Council, where he coordinated business retention and expansion efforts in Fayette County, PA. There he provided assistance, such as site location and financial incentives, to companies located in or relocating to Fayette County and administered various aspects of the Keystone Opportunity Zone Program, the Fayette Forward Strategic Plan, the Fayette Enterprise Community, and the Fayette County Water and Sewage Project.

Michael is nationally recognized as a leader in the economic development finance industry. He received certification as an Economic Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council. As a Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) member, Michael is a frequent speaker on TIF and other development finance programs/policies. He supports CDFA’s efforts to provide education, resource development, and research on development finance as part of the CDFA Pennsylvania Financing Roundtable Advisory Committee and CDFA/EPA Brownfields Technical Assistance Program. Michael was appointed to the CDFA Board of Directors at the 2013 Annual National Development Finance Summit and serves as Chair of the Governance Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Regional Development Funding Corporation, a non-profit SBA lender in Southwestern Pennsylvania (Past Board Chair).

Sandra Pinel

Workshop: The Federal Grant Writing Process
Tuesday April 11 2:45 - 5:00 PM

Community Planner
USA DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Dr. Sandra Pinel, AICP serves as the senior planning specialist for the Resilience Services Branch (RSB) of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. She leads several projects and partnerships with national associations to help state, tribal, territorial and local governments and finance authorities to apply RSB’s infrastructure resilience assessment and planning  resources to reduce risk to critical infrastructure services. Before joining DHS in 2016, Pinel worked with tribal, local, state, and regional agencies as a senior planner, intergovernmental coordinator and conducted resilience planning and research with the University of Idaho and in SE Asia and Latin America. Pinel holds an MS and PhD in urban and regional planning from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Ji Prichard

Development Finance and the 118th Congress
Wednesday April 12 1:00 - 1:30 PM

Tax Counsel
U.S. House of Representatives

Ji serves as a Tax Counsel on the House Committee on Ways and Means where she advises members and staff on general business and international tax matters. Prior to joining the Committee in 2013, Ji was a Senior Counsel at Dow Lohnes PLLC in Washington D.C. where she advised clients on tax matters related to corporate and partnership transactions, debt financing, and tax controversy. She received her J.D. from William and Mary Law School, LL.M. from Georgetown Law Center, and B.A. from University of Virginia.

Rachel Reilly

The State of the State Small Business Credit Initiative
Wednesday April 12 4:00 - 5:00 PM

Senior Advisor
Council of Development Finance Agencies

Rachel Reilly is the Founder of Aces & Archers, a strategic advisory and consulting firm focused on addressing socioeconomic inequality by reimagining traditional models for economic growth and private investing. Rachel previously served as the Director of Impact Strategy at the Economic Innovation Group (EIG) where she led the organization’s work to support communities, policymakers and investors catalyzing sustainable economic growth in Opportunity Zones across the nation. Prior to EIG, Rachel was the Director of Impact Investing at Enterprise Community Partners where she expanded community investment opportunities for people and businesses by leading Enterprise’s $100 million debt offering – the Impact Note – as well as policy and advocacy activities related to impact investing. She has a Master’s in Real Estate Development from the University of Maryland, and served two terms as an elected representative in Washington, D.C.

Toby Rittner

CDFA Welcome and Lunch with Federal Financing Experts
Tuesday April 11 1:00 - 2:30 PM

CDFA Federal Policy Conference Kickoff Keynote Address
Wednesday April 12 9:00 - 9:30 AM

The Federal Financing Landscape
Wednesday April 12 9:30 - 10:00 AM

CDFA Federal Policy Conference Keynote Luncheon Address
Wednesday April 12 12:30 - 1:00 PM

President & CEO
Council of Development Finance Agencies

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 Biden and President Obama’s Administration Transition Teams, 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 and has had numerous pieces of legislation introduced in the United States Congress. In 2021, Rittner successfully led a national effort to reauthorize and fund the $10B State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) program as part of the American Rescue Plan Act.

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.

Nancee Robles

Leveraging Infrastructure Subsidies with Tax-Exempt Bonds
Wednesday April 12 2:00 - 2:45 PM

Treasurer
Kauai County Department of Finance

Nancee Robles is the Executive Director of the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) both entities of the State Treasurer. In those roles, she provides financing resources in the form of tax credits and tax-exempt bond allocation to keep California’s affordable housing production moving forward. She is responsible for California’s State Volume Cap of over $4 billion a year.

Robles previously held positions of Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Deputy Executive Director, and Acting Executive Director, for the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank) a division of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).

Prior to her state service, Robles spent over 30 years in the private sector banking industry. Robles is an Accredited California Economic (ACE) Developer and Instructor for ACE, a Governor’s appointee board member of the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, and a member of the board for CDFA. Robles earned a BA in communications and finance from California State University at Sacramento and an Executive MBA from California State University at Monterey Bay.

Andrew Seth

Workshop: The Federal Grant Writing Process
Tuesday April 11 2:45 - 5:00 PM

President
Sustainable Strategies DC

Andrew Seth is the President of Sustainable Strategies DC, where he works with local governments across America in identifying and securing resources for their priority needs. He is a national expert on community revitalization, smart growth, brownfields redevelopment, infrastructure investment, and environmental sustainability. Andrew has established and managed multiple coalitions of cities and counties, including Climate Communities, First & Main, the National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals, and the American Waterfront Revitalization Coalition. He was previously a partner at The Ferguson Group, providing federal advocacy for localities across America. Andrew also served as a project manager on environmental issues at the International City/County Management Association, where he directed the Local Government Environmental Assistance Network. Prior to joining ICMA, he was a member of the government affairs team at Spiegel & McDiarmid. Andrew began his career at the conservation non-profit American Rivers. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Salisbury State University and a Master of Science in Resource Administration and Management from the University of New Hampshire.

Eric Silva

Development Finance and the 118th Congress
Wednesday April 12 1:00 - 1:30 PM

CDFA Legislative Representative
North South Government Strategies

Eric Silva serves as CDFA's Legislative Representative in Washington, DC. Eric has been an instrumental part of CDFA's legislative success over the past two decades. Mr. Silva is a founding partner at NSGS. He began his career in Washington as a Fellow with the Congressional Hunger Center and the Corporation For Enterprise Development before serving as an aide to Senator James Jeffords (I-VT) and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Prior to founding NSGS, Eric practiced law for more than eight years in the Government and Regulatory Affairs group of Winston & Strawn LLP, a major international law firm.

Mr. Silva has significant experience in a number of policy areas, including tax, agriculture, financial services, health care, energy and the environment, and trade. Mr. Silva has successfully advocated for client interests on some of the most significant legislation of the past decade, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, the Affordable Care Act, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the 2008 and 2012 Farm Bills.

While practicing law, Mr. Silva served as legal counsel to clients on matters related to the Federal Election Campaign Act, the Lobbying Disclosure Act and congressional and executive branch ethics rules. He also served as in-house counsel to a major law firm Political Action Committee.

Mr. Silva received a B.A. from Boston College and a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School. While at Boston College, he was a member of the University President’s Council on Student Formation and the recipient of the Congressman John Joseph Moakley Award for International Service. In law school, he competed on the Notre Dame International Moot Court Team and represented clients pro bono on a variety of matters through the Notre Dame Legal Aid Clinic.

Eric proudly serves as a Board Director for the Congressional Hunger Center, Boston College Alumni Association, and the Belfast Beltway Boxing Project.

Mitchell Smith

Accessing the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
Wednesday April 12 11:00 - 12:00 PM

Senior Director, Government & External Affairs
Council of Development Finance Agencies

Mitchell Smith is the Senior Director of Government and External Affairs at the Council of Development Finance Agencies. Previously, Mitchell worked for the Ohio Legislative Service Commission on the education research team and served as the committee staffer for the House of Representatives Primary and Secondary Education Committee. There, Mitchell drafted legislation and completed legal research on behalf of the Ohio General Assembly.

A native of Bentonville, Arkansas, Mitchell attended the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville, where he received his B.A. in American Studies and Political Science in 2009 and was a punter for the Razorbacks. He went on to complete his M.A. in American History and then relocated to Ohio University to complete a Ph.D. in American History. His specialization is in American diplomatic history, politics, and culture.

Jeff Stout

The State of the State Small Business Credit Initiative
Wednesday April 12 4:00 - 5:00 PM

Director
U.S. Department of the Treasury

Jeff Stout serves as the Deputy Chief Program Officer for Small Business and Community Investment in the Office of Capital Access at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In this role, he directs the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and oversees the Emergency Capital Investment Program and the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund. Previously at Treasury, he served as the Director of Federal Program Finance as well as the Director of the inaugural iteration of SSBCI. Prior to joining Treasury, he was a commercial lender and Senior Vice President of Business Development at City First Bank of DC, a CDFI bank in Washington, DC. He holds a Master's of Public Policy from Georgetown University and undergraduate degrees in economics and philosophy from the University of Iowa.

Leslie Temple

CDFA Welcome and Lunch with Federal Financing Experts
Tuesday April 11 1:00 - 2:30 PM

Senior Portfolio Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Leslie Temple is a Senior Portfolio Manager with the WIFIA program, supporting borrowers throughout the life of the loan to manage the financial, legal, and technical aspects of the WIFIA agreement. She helps meet borrower needs through policy development and program updates to address new challenges in a dynamic project environment. Prior to joining WIFIA, she worked in community development and water access for small communities across the US and in Panama. Leslie holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Maryland and a BA in Global Affairs and Sociology from George Mason University.

Greg Warren

Development Finance and the 118th Congress
Wednesday April 12 1:00 - 1:30 PM

Legislative Director
Office of Congressman Darin LaHood

Greg serves as the Legislative Director for U.S. Congressman Darin LaHood (R-IL). Prior to serving under Representative LaHood, Greg was a professional staff member of the House Committee on Ways and Means and, prior to that, was an intern for former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.
Greg holds a Bachelor's Degree in Government and International Politics from George Mason University.

Ricki Wells

CDFA Federal Policy Conference Keynote Luncheon Address
Wednesday April 12 12:30 - 1:00 PM

Policy Advisor
U.S. Department of Transportation

Mary Ellen Wiederwohl

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Year Two
Wednesday April 12 10:00 - 11:00 AM

President & Chief Executive Officer
Accelerator for America

Mare Ellen Wiederwohl is the President and CEO of Accelerator for America, a national nonprofit that works with Mayors and economic development leaders to develop solutions to economic insecurity and share them with cities across the country. Accelerator for America is currently working with cities to help ‘maximize the moment’ of new investments from the America Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and create greater economic mobility for more Americans. She has two and a half decades of experience in business, civic leadership, and public affairs. She was the founding leader of Louisville Forward, the city’s economic and community development arm; under her leadership from 2014-2020, Louisville Forward was named a Top Economic Development Organization six times by Site Selection Magazine. During her city tenure, Louisville experienced more than $17 billion of new capital investment, made substantial new investments in affordable housing, and introduced industry leading innovations in talent development and the future of work. She also served as Interim President & CEO of LHOME, Louisville’s homegrown CDFI. Prior to her city service, Mary Ellen worked primarily at the state government level with expertise in policy development, communications, and advocacy.

Ken Wiseman

Workshop: The Federal Grant Writing Process
Tuesday April 11 2:45 - 5:00 PM

Management and Program Analyst
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Ken Wiseman is a Management and Program Analyst with the Rural Utilities Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Specifically, Ken is assigned to the Telecommunications Program, and he helps manage programs that provide grants and loans to expand broadband service to rural America. Ken grew up in rural North Carolina and joined the Navy after high school. Ken later earned a Master of Public Administration from Old Dominion University. Prior to joining USDA, Ken has worked in both the private and non-profit sectors holding both executive leadership and policy management positions. He currently lives in Virginia and is very active in his community supporting his fellow veterans and those still serving in the military.