Andres Caro
Creative Approaches and Strategies for Bond Financing
Wednesday, March 20, 10:30 - 12:00 PM
Financing Programs to Support Rural Development
Wednesday, October 2, 10:30 - 12:00 PM
Manager, Advocacy & Government Affairs
Council of Development Finance Agencies
Andres Caro is the Manager, Advocacy & Government Affairs in the Strategy & Services Division at CDFA. He is responsible for managing CDFA’s vast advocacy, legislative, policy, public affairs, and federal relations activities. This includes the production of the annual policy agenda, the Federal Policy Conference, and leading Capitol Hill engagement. Caro is also responsible for managing the CDFA Legislative Committee and works to provide access to CDFA Federal Services to communities throughout the country. His responsibilities have also spanned research, technical assistance, and coordination of grant contracts.
Andres holds a B.S. in Political Science from The Pennsylvania State University.
Seth Crone
Creative Approaches and Strategies for Bond Financing
Wednesday, March 20, 10:30 - 12:00 PM
Senior Vice President, Relationship Management
The Bank of New York Mellon
A senior relationship manager with BNY Mellon in Houston covering municipal and nonprofit clients, Seth started in corporate trust in 2003 at JPMorgan, following careers in public finance (healthcare and higher education) from 1987 to 2003 and public accounting (audit, tax, and management consulting) from 1978 to 1987. His experience with municipal bond and project finance began in 1982 as a feasibility consultant at Peat Marwick. A holder of the CFA charter and a CPA license, Seth is a Fellow with the HFMA and has been a Diplomate in the ACHE. Appointed to the board of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, Seth received his MBA from New York University and his BA from Amherst College.
Michela Daliana
Creative Approaches and Strategies for Bond Financing
Wednesday, March 20, 10:30 - 12:00 PM
Counsel
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Michela has dedicated her career to mastering the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code as they relate to tax-exempt bonds. She has represented issuers, underwriters and borrowers in all manner of borrowings, including advance refundings, commercial paper programs and certificates of participation, among others. She has also successfully represented conduit borrowers and issuers in connection with IRS tax compliance audits and the IRS Voluntary Closing Agreement Program. Working in the area of taxation, Michela has assisted state and local governmental entities, conduit issuers and borrowers in all areas eligible to receive the benefit of tax-exempt financing under the Code, the State of New York, the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, the Trustees of Princeton University, the Maine Municipal Bond Bank, the Kentucky Higher Education Student Loan Corporation, the Borough of North Slope, Alaska, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority, the County of Chesterfield, Virginia, and the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. Because of her involvement with the many varied participants in tax-exempt bond financings, Michela has had the fortuity to be involved in some of the most challenging and innovative transactions in the country. Her work with the National Association of Bond Lawyers and the American Bar Association has afforded Michela opportunities to participate in regulatory initiatives relating to tax-exempt bond financings; most recently, Michela has contributed to projects addressing the safe-harbor management contract rules and P3s.
Lori DeWine
Driving Economic Development Through Revolving Loan Funds
Wednesday, November 20, 10:30 - 12:00 PM
Managing Director
Council of Development Finance Agencies
Lori DeWine is Managing Director of the Knowledge & Networks Division at the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) where she oversees the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, and Revolving Loan Fund programs. With over 20 years of experience in education, affordable housing, and finance, Lori brings a wealth of expertise to her role.
Before joining CDFA, Lori served as Vice President at a nationwide mortgage company and as Chief Operating Officer of a local credit union. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Education and Adult Learning. In addition to her professional responsibilities, Lori enjoys teaching as an adjunct faculty member at Sinclair Community College.
Katie Kramer
Driving Economic Development Through Revolving Loan Funds
Wednesday, November 20, 10:30 - 12:00 PM
Executive Director
Ohio Statewide Development Corporation
Katie Kramer is the Executive Director at the Ohio Statewide Development Corporation where she oversees a portfolio of 300+ small business borrowers, which represents about $112 million in loans and over $395 million of combined public and private investment across Ohio.
She is an accomplished non-profit executive with expertise in fundraising, grant writing, operations, and building organizational capacity. Her writing has been featured in publications and reports on development finance, including those commissioned by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U. S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Energy, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and the World Bank. She regularly speaks about development finance and access to capital at national and local conferences and has served as guest lecturer at several U.S. colleges and universities.
Before joining OSDC, Ms. Kramer was the Vice President at the Council of Development Finance Agencies. During her time there, she was responsible for building an $18 million loan guarantee program, passing the $10 billion State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Program as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, and providing technical assistance to development finance agencies across the United States. She wrote and analyzed development finance policies for Congressional leaders, developed numerous courses in the CDFA Training Institute, and contributed to several CDFA publications on tax-exempt bonds, revolving loan funds, tax credits, and other development finance tools.
Early in her career, Ms. Kramer worked in the Assessment Division at Ballard & Tighe, Publishers and as Assistant Director of the Annual Fund at Scripps College. She studied Art History at Scripps College and holds a BA with honors from Cleveland State University. Katie can be reached at kkramer@osdc.net.
Toby Rittner
Driving Economic Development Through Revolving Loan Funds
Wednesday, November 20, 10:30 - 12:00 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 finance agencies. Mr. Rittner runs the day-to-day operations of the Council including the organization’s various educational, advocacy, research, resources, and networking initiatives. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the CDFA Foundation.
Rittner is one of the most vocal and recognized leaders of the development finance industry nationwide and has advised local, state, and federal leaders, including Presidents Biden and Obama, 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. He has written and crafted dozens of strategic finance plans for development finance agencies and advised communities throughout the world on development finance approaches.
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 business and industry and 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. He is also a Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) and has completed the prestigious Oxford University Sustainable Finance Foundation Course.
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.