Angela Blatt

Exploring Bonds as the Foundational Financing Tool
Tuesday February 27 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Empowering Agriculture with PACE Financing
Tuesday June 25 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Reframe, Build, Plan to Advance Food Systems Finance
Tuesday November 26 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Director, Research & Technical Assistance
Council of Development Finance Agencies

As Director of Research & Technical Assistance with the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA), Angela focuses on the W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded initiative “Defining the Food System Asset Class,” whereby CDFA explores opportunities for the advancement of local and regional food systems using development finance tools. Through this initiative, Angela collaborates with communities across the country providing technical assistance and producing strategic plans for development finance strategies that meet infrastructure, agriculture, and small business needs to support equitable, local food economies. Angela leads CDFA’s Food Systems Finance Advisory Council, joining both the food and finance industries, administers CDFA’s Food Systems Finance Webinar Series, connecting food-related businesses and projects with development finance agencies, and manages the Food and Agriculture Finance Update monthly newsletter. In 2021, she gained certification as a Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) through the CDFA Training Institute.


A Navy Veteran, Angela holds two degrees from The Ohio State University: a Master of Public Administration with a focus on Food Policy from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, and a Bachelor of Science from the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Brendan Buttimer

Financing Food Systems with Revolving Loan Funds
Tuesday April 30 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Senior Director, Equitable Food Systems
Reinvestment Fund

As Senior Director, Equitable Food Systems, Brendan Buttimer is responsible for originating, underwriting, and structuring food access projects that meet Reinvestment Fund’s mission.
Prior to joining the organization, he worked for South Carolina Community Loan Fund as a Senior Loan Officer and New Markets Tax Credit Officer. Prior to his CDFI life, he led a food access organization that focused on connecting local farmers to low-access communities.
Buttimer holds an M.A. in History from Armstrong Atlantic State University and completed his Ph.D. coursework in American History at Mississippi State University. His academic work focused on immigrant communities in the South and the social and economic networks they created.

Frank Canning

Exploring Bonds as the Foundational Financing Tool
Tuesday February 27 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Vice President Investment Banking
MassDevelopment

Frank Canning has worked for MassDevelopment (Massachusetts Development Finance Agency) since 1999 in the Investment Banking Division. He is responsible for tax-exempt bond originations in western Massachusetts and has managed or co-managed over 200 bond issues for the Agency. Prior to joining MassDevelopment he worked for 15 years in residential mortgage lending. He received a bachelors degree in business administration from St. Michael’s College, Winooski, VT and a masters in finance from Western New England University, Springfield, MA.

Cheryal Hills

Financing Food Systems with Revolving Loan Funds
Tuesday April 30 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Executive Director
Region Five Development Commission

Cheryal joined Region Five Development Commission (R5DC) in 2006 and has a 25+ year national reputation as an action-oriented convener with experience in securing resources through authentic relationships that have spurred equitable economic ecosystems and honor environmental stewardship commitments in rural Central Minnesota communities.
 
Cheryal currently professionally provides oversight of seven lending programs and community development planning in areas of transportation, workforce development, climate & broadband and delivers projects related to renewable energy, local foods, and arts/culture.
 
She is a national speaker, honored to have presented at the White House twice in her career. In May 2022, Cheryal presented to the US House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth. In August 2022, she was appointed to serve as a member of the USDA Equity Commission (EC) Rural Community Economic Development (RCED).
 
Cheryal’s organization “R5DC” is nationally recognized – one of six Hub experts on delivery of the WealthWorks evaluation model.

David Misky

Driving Food Systems Investment with Tax Credits
Tuesday September 24 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Assistant Executive Director
City of Milwaukee

Dave Misky is the Assistant Executive Director of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee, an independent corporation of City government which has a mission to eliminate blighting conditions that inhibit neighborhood reinvestment, to foster and promote business expansion and job creation, and to facilitate new business and housing development. He has 25 years of diversified experience in real estate and economic development with a strong focus on creative financing and environmental issues. He currently oversees the City of Milwaukee’s Real Estate programs including residential and commercial foreclosures, City-developed industrial developments, and Brownfield redevelopment. Dave and his team manage all sizes of developments from small vacant residential lots to vast economic drivers that address development plans, zoning changes, gap financing, stormwater management, and environmental aspects of remediation and sustainability. These projects include major developments along each of the three rivers of the City of Milwaukee and Lake Michigan. Dave holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Master of Science degree in Water Resources Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Sara Pietka

Driving Food Systems Investment with Tax Credits
Tuesday September 24 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Director of Community Investments
Ecotrust

Ms. Pietka has over a decade of experience in analyzing, underwriting, and structuring complex transactions in the real estate, renewable energy, and community development sectors. She is passionate about expanding economic opportunity with inclusion as a core principle – shifting capital to shift power.
 
As the Director of Community of Investments at Ecotrust, Ms. Pietka develops Ecotrust CDE’s NMTC strategy and oversees all CDE operations including deal sourcing, allocation deployment, portfolio management, program compliance, impact reporting, and transaction unwinds in addition to leading the annual NMTC application process. Ms. Pietka has a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Washington and was certified by the Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) Program developed by the Council of Development Finance Agencies.

Michael Reilly

Financing Food Systems with Revolving Loan Funds
Tuesday April 30 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Executive Director/Co-Founder
Foodshed Capital

Michael co-founded Foodshed Capital in 2018 and currently oversees the day-to-day operations as Executive Director. Under his leadership, the organization has grown from a local Slow Money program with a few hundred dollars in donations to a multi-state nonprofit with more than $8 million in capital raised through the first five years. Michael also led Foodshed Capital toward certification as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in 2020; Foodshed Capital remains one of a few CDFIs around the country solely devoted to the needs of farmers and food entrepreneurs. Michael’s desire to pursue radical ideas has established Foodshed Capital as a leader in innovative financing models, serving hundreds of farmers around the county with low-and-no-cost loans and free business support services. Michael’s most enduring passion is forging strong partnerships with mission-aligned organizations in the US, working together to build a more equitable and regenerative food system.

Michael began his career in banking and later honed his financial skills as a 15-year executive in the broadcast television business. He founded an initiative called Foodwaze, a program to help consumers identify the best sources of sustainable/regenerative food at restaurants, markets, and farms. He has served on the board of several food and agriculture organizations, including the Virginia Farmers Market Association, the Virginia Association for Biological Farming, and the Mid-Atlantic Food Resilience & Access Coalition (MAFRAC).

Michael earned an undergraduate degree at Yale University and a graduate degree at Columbia University. He lives in Charlottesville with his wife and has four young-adult children.

Jim Rubingh

Exploring Bonds as the Foundational Financing Tool
Tuesday February 27 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Director
Colorado Agricultural Development Authority

After completing graduate school at Colorado State University Jim started his career at the Colorado Department of Agriculture. He served as Director of the Markets Division for 23 years and continues to serve as Director of the Colorado Agricultural Development Authority. In this capacity he assisted in the issuance of $110 million in bonds for over 500 agricultural producers.

Jim and his wife live in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. He is active in skiing, kayaking and fly fishing.

Mitchell Smith

Exploring Bonds as the Foundational Financing Tool
Tuesday February 27 2:00 - 3:30 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. In this role, he manages CDFA’s federal legislative advocacy efforts and facilitates education on federal finance opportunities, tax-exempt bonds, and the State Small Business Credit Initiative.

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. He also taught American History at Ohio University from 2013-2017.

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.

Fawn Zimmerman

Financing Food Systems with Revolving Loan Funds
Tuesday April 30 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Driving Food Systems Investment with Tax Credits
Tuesday September 24 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Reframe, Build, Plan to Advance Food Systems Finance
Tuesday November 26 2:00 - 3:30 PM

Director, Research & Technical Assistance
Council of Development Finance Agencies

Fawn Zimmerman is a Director of Research & Technical Assistance at the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) working to create, develop, and execute programming which will help underserved communities gain more access to capital. She is responsible for working on the CDFA Equitable Capital Loan Guarantee Program designed to bring more capital to minority small businesses and the CDFA–NASDA Foundation Socially Disadvantaged Farmers & Ranchers Access to Capital Program focused on curating an extensive database of agricultural resources, providing hands-on technical assistance, and developing culturally significant programming to encourage increased investment in socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.

Fawn studied at Ohio University as a post graduate and holds a BA with honors in Communication from The Ohio State University. She also has extensive experience working within the real estate industry in sales, investing, marketing, and operations; and, she has provided leadership in a variety of settings including classrooms, training sessions, production sets, and writing projects. She has long united her career goals with her philanthropic ones, and looks forward to applying her creative, academic, and work experiences together to promote positive changes within the development finance landscape.