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Fundamentals of Economic Development Finance Course Speakers

Richard Davies

Investment Tools
Wednesday, November 13, 1:00 - 2:00 PM

Partner
CohnReznick LLP

Richard Davies is member of CohnReznick's Project Finance & Consulting Practice. Based in the Baltimore
office, he has over 30 years of experience in accounting and finance.

Richard specializes in historic rehabilitation and qualified low-income community investment transactions. His
experience includes financial structuring, financial projections, due-diligence, and valuation-related services.
He has worked with and advised developers, community development entities, investors, and lenders on
complex transactions that include multiple types of credits and other challenging structuring issues.

Richard’s tax credit transaction experience has included several hundred properties throughout the country.
He has spoken at numerous conferences on the subject of the New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) Program and
the Historic Tax Credits (HTC) Program.


Price Finley

Lunch Session: Targeted Tools
Wednesday, November 13, 11:45 - 1:00 PM

Partner
Bricker Graydon

Price Finley has been practicing law at Bricker Graydon since he started his legal career in 1990, all of those focused on public finance. Price has experience in all areas of public finance, including local government, economic development finance, port authority financings, and other structured and project financings. He has substantial experience in the use of various economic development tools, including frequent use of tax increment finance (TIF). Price has also created and served as counsel for Ohio’s new community authority financings (also known as community development authorities or CDAs). In addition, Price’s practice includes assisting local governments and developers in negotiating and documenting development agreements for infrastructure finance and tax incentive arrangements, including community reinvestment areas (CRA), enterprise zones (EZ), and job creation tax credits (JCTC). Price has also created joint economic development districts and zones (JEDD), special improvement districts (SIDs), and he has represented port authorities across Ohio.
 
Price is a member of the Council of Development Finance Agencies and a member of its Board of Directors, the Ohio Economic Development Association, and the National Association of Bond Lawyers. He received his undergraduate degree from Capital University and his JD/MBA from The Ohio State University. Price received the CDFA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023.


Holly Hunt

Access to Capital Tools
Wednesday, November 13, 2:15 - 3:15 PM

State Small Business Credit Initiative Program Manager
Georgia Department of Community Affairs

Holly Hunt currently serves as the Program Manager for the State Small Business Credit Initiative Program, the Georgia Agribusiness and Rural Jobs Act Program, and the liaison for the Federal Opportunity Zone Program for the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Prior to joining the DCA in 2012, Holly served five years as Chief Financial Officer for Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE), a CDFI in North Georgia, after enjoying a 22-year career in the community banking industry. During her career in banking, she served as Internal Auditor and CFO of several community banks before serving as the organizing CFO for three new banks from 2001 – 2006. She is also a graduate of the Bank Director's College with the Georgia Community Bankers Association.

Holly is a native of Atlanta and holds a degree in Accounting from the University of North Georgia. Holly currently resides in Cleveland, Georgia and has served on various boards of local non-profits and as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the White County Chamber of Commerce.


Toby Rittner

Welcome & Overview
Wednesday, November 13, 9:00 - 9:15 AM

Understanding Development Finance & the Toolbox Approach
Wednesday, November 13, 9:15 - 10:00 AM

Bedrock Tools
Wednesday, November 13, 10:15 - 11:45 AM

Lunch Session: Targeted Tools
Wednesday, November 13, 11:45 - 1:00 PM

Investment Tools
Wednesday, November 13, 1:00 - 2:00 PM

Access to Capital Tools
Wednesday, November 13, 2:15 - 3:15 PM

Federal Support Tools
Wednesday, November 13, 3:15 - 3:30 PM

Implementing the Development Finance Toolbox
Wednesday, November 13, 3:30 - 4:00 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 through 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.


Lori Sallaz

Implementing the Development Finance Toolbox
Wednesday, November 13, 3:30 - 4:00 PM

Manager, Bond Finance Programs
Development Finance Authority of Summit County

Lori Sallaz is the Manager of Bond Finance Programs for Development Finance Authority of Summit County. She is responsible for managing the Jobs and Investment Fund (rated A- by S&P). Lori helps structure new deals from inception through bond issuance and manages all post compliance activities. She works with private borrowers and local public and community officials to facilitate closings. Lori also manages all conduit bond activity of the Authority which encompasses tax-exempt private activity bonds and sales tax capital leases. She is responsible for various activities to promote economic development in the region.
 
Lori also serves as Executive Director of the Akron-Summit County Energy Special Improvement District (ESID).
 
Lori has over 9 years of experience in economic development financing and 30 years of management experience in both public and private sectors. She currently serves as Board Secretary for the Ohio Council of Port Authorities, Assistant Treasurer of the Board for the Greater Akron chapter of CREW (Commercial Real Estate for Women), and Treasurer of the Southeast Youth Baseball & Softball Association.


Rodney Wendt

Bedrock Tools
Wednesday, November 13, 10:15 - 11:45 AM

Executive Director
Washington Economic Development Finance Authority

Rodney Wendt has served as WEDFA’s Executive Director since 2007. He has been involved in public finance transactions for over 25 years, including many years as a public finance attorney in private practice prior to joining WEDFA. His greatest passion at WEDFA is bringing the public finance toolbox to innovation-promoting economic development projects, including research institutions and projects that create value from streams of waste products. He has helped WEDFA finance many critical economic development projects in Washington State, without using the State’s taxes or other funds. Rodney has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon and law degree from the University of Michigan.


John Wooten

Bedrock Tools
Wednesday, November 13, 10:15 - 11:45 AM

Head of Municipal Placements
Wells Fargo Securities

Mr. Wooten leads the bank’s Municipal Placements division responsible for working with 501(c)(3) organizations, corporations, and municipalities issuing tax-exempt and taxable revenue bonds under Wells Fargo’s fixed rate, variable rate, and direct purchase bond programs. He works with bond counsel, local authorities, and others in putting together financing teams to successfully manage bond underwritings, refundings, and restructurings. He has more than 20 years of experience in consulting, providing financial analysis, and completing transactions for clients. John speaks at numerous industry-related conferences and travels the country educating Wells Fargo clients on the benefits of bond finance. He currently sits on the board of the Council of Development Finance Agencies. He earned a Master of Business Administration at George Washington University in 1989 and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of South Carolina in 1985. Registered with FINRA as a General Securities Representative (Series 7), General Securities Principal (Series 24), Municipal Securities Representative (Series 52), Municipal Securities Principal (Series 53), an Investment Banking Representative (Series 79), and has passed the Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination (Series 63).



CDFA National Sponsors

  • Alliant Insurance Services, Inc.
  • BNY Mellon
  • Bricker Graydon LLP
  • Business Oregon
  • CohnReznick
  • Frost Brown Todd LLP
  • Grow America | Formerly NDC
  • Hawes Hill and Associates LLP
  • Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP
  • Ice Miller LLP
  • KeyBanc Capital Markets
  • Kutak Rock LLP
  • McGuireWoods
  • MuniCap, Inc.
  • NW Financial Group, LLC
  • PGAV Planners, LLC
  • Raza Development Fund
  • SB Friedman Development Advisors
  • Stifel Nicolaus
  • The Bond Buyer
  • U.S. Bank
  • Wells Fargo Securities
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