Andres Caro

Welcome & Overview
Monday, December 9, 12:00 - 12:15 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.

Alex Clegg

Federal Funding from USDA, HUD & DOT
Tuesday, December 10, 2:15 - 4:00 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.

Frank Dickson

Management & Reporting Requirements
Tuesday, December 10, 4:00 - 4:30 PM

Director, Strategic Business Initiatives
Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development

Frank is part of DHCD’s management team leading the planning and deploying of SSBCI funds for the State of Maryland. In conjunction with SSBCI, Frank has been leading the Neighborhood Business Works Opportunity Zone program focused on making debt investments into early-stage companies to support the economic growth of high impact industries in Maryland’s opportunity zones. Frank works with investors, businesses, and local leaders to capitalize on the Opportunity Zone tax incentive and to attract private capital to invest in Maryland’s opportunity zones. Previously, Frank led the Maryland Venture Fund for several years and executed the $100M raise for InvestMaryland in 2012 and deployed SSBCI 1.0 venture capital funds through 2016. Frank has an MBA in Finance from Loyola University (Maryland) and a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University.

Mary Fasano

Federal Funding from DOE & EPA
Monday, December 9, 3:45 - 5:00 PM

Underwriter – WIFIA Program
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Mary Fasano is an Underwriter for the WIFIA Program in the Office of Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, joining the team in 2020. Prior to WIFIA, Mary worked in the commercial banking industry underwriting tax-exempt bond deals for non-profit organizations. Mary has also worked in the community development finance industry where she structured complex capital transactions to finance economic development projects utilizing tax exempt financing, and a variety of tax credits. Mary received her B.A. Degree from St. Michael’s College and her graduate degree in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University.

Lucas Jackson

Understanding NOFOs
Monday, December 9, 1:45 - 2:30 PM

Senior Associate, Sustainability Tax Services
EY

Lucas is a senior consultant, working in the Sustainability Tax division of Indirect Tax. Lucas began his position with Ernst & Young, just under 2 years ago, but has nearly seven years of experience in grant writing and government proposal submission. In his time at EY, Lucas has led several federal grant applications for programs from the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, United States Department of Agriculture, and Department of Commerce. Lucas led a proposal for the state of Ohio for the Solar for All Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund from the US EPA which will allocate up to $189 million in funds to the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority.

Prior to EY, Lucas spent several years leading efforts across Montgomery county in Ohio to drive partnerships between the University of Dayton and key regional stakeholders. This includes identifying SBIR/STTR fundings that helped stand up 50+ innovated small businesses.

Lucas holds a Masters in Economics from University of Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelors of Arts in Economics from University of Dayton

Joan Kato

How to Get Started
Tuesday, December 10, 4:30 - 5:00 PM

Partner
Community Engagement Strategies

Joan Kato is a Partner and Co-Founder of Community Engagement Strategies, which is a majority people of color-owned firm that provides community engagement and comprehensive grant advisory services. As an environmental justice advocate with over twenty years of experience leading change in grassroots communities, Joan has led the pursuit to secure over $500 million in grant funding and has managed grants to ensure both compliance and inclusiveness of frontline organizations. Joan achieves social impact goals through advocacy, policy, and political campaigns. As a community organizer, she has dedicated her life to achieving equitable outcomes for populations facing systemic discrimination.

Throughout her career, Joan has worked both inside and outside of government. Having worked as a Foreign Service Officer at the US Department of State, Congressman Gutierrez, Deloitte, several nonprofits, and many political campaigns, she has an innate ability to navigate the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to achieve results.

Joan is originally from Los Angeles and Iowa. She graduated from the University of Iowa with an undergraduate degree in marketing and international business. Joan also holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University SAIS in Economics and International Relations. She speaks Spanish, Vietnamese, and Bahasa Indonesian.

Stephanie Klein

Federal Funding from DOE & EPA
Monday, December 9, 3:45 - 5:00 PM

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Engagement

Stephanie Klein serves as the Department of Energy’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Engagement and leads the Department’s strategic engagement of external stakeholders. She is a longtime energy and environmental policy professional, having spent nearly 15 years with the U.S. EPA before joining the Biden-Harris Administration. Immediately before coming to DOE, she served as a community climate advocate in Washington, DC. Stephanie is passionate about bringing together diverse voices to ensure that federal government policies are informed by the people they will directly impact.

Matt Knutson

Federal Funding from EDA, SBA & CDFI Fund
Tuesday, December 10, 12:15 - 2:00 PM

Acting RLF Coordinator
U.S. Economic Development Administration

Matt Knutson is currently a Program Analyst with the Revolving Loan Fund at the Economic Development Administration. Through this role, Matt works with EDA’s regional offices to improve equitable lending outcomes with the RLF Community of Practice and numerous technical assistance awards to improve RLF operations and lending strategy. Prior to his current position, Matt served as a budget analyst at the Department of Labor, and as a financial analyst developing small business lending policy at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He received his Master’s degree from Indiana University’s O’Neill School with concentrations in Public Finance and Economic Development and resides in Washington, DC.

Annie Kraft

Federal Funding from EDA, SBA & CDFI Fund
Tuesday, December 10, 12:15 - 2:00 PM

Associate Program Manager
U.S. Department of the Treasury

Annie Kraft is an Associate Program Manager with the CDFI Program and Native Initiatives team at the CDFI Fund. In this role, she oversees application and award processes for Technical Assistance and Financial Assistance grants. Prior to joining the CDFI Fund, Annie managed housing and economic development initiatives for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, including a capacity building grant program and revolving loan fund for CDFIs. She earned a BA in Political Science from DePaul University and an MA in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago

Emil Liszniansky

Best Practices for Assembling Your Team & Applying for Funding
Monday, December 9, 2:30 - 3:30 PM

Principal
Envision Group LLC

Emil Liszniansky is a principal and co-founder at Envision Group LLC and a certified planner, licensed attorney, and registered engineer. Throughout his 19-year career, Emil has been immersed in a diverse mix of strategic planning and economic development initiatives including comprehensive plans, infrastructure projects, community revitalization efforts, project development finance, and funding pursuits. Emil brings a unique perspective to the strategic planning process as his technical background allows him to identify creative yet feasible solutions, while his legal training allows him to successfully navigate complex contractual and regulatory issues. An experienced grant writer and funding strategist, Emil has helped Envision clients to secure more than $80 million in funding assistance since 2016.

Jorge Morales

Federal Funding from USDA, HUD & DOT
Tuesday, December 10, 2:15 - 4:00 PM

Lead Loan Financing Specialist
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Jorge Morales has been a Loan Financing 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.

Borjan Panovski

Federal Funding from USDA, HUD & DOT
Tuesday, December 10, 2:15 - 4:00 PM

Head of Credit Underwriting at Build America Bureau
U.S. Department of Transportation

Borjan Panovski is heading the credit underwriting team at the Build America Bureau. Over his 30+ years international career he worked in various capacities and closed more than 100 infrastructure and project finance transactions in excess of $50 billion in US/Canada, Latin America, UK and Central & Eastern Europe covering all transportation, power and energy, asset finance and logistics as well as social infrastructure. Prior to joining the Bureau in 2019, Borjan spent 15 years with the Global Infrastructure Group at DEPFA Bank plc where he was co-head of the North America project finance team, followed by a senior role with Rubicon Capital Advisors. He started his career at Deloitte and has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering.

Briana Rickertsen

Federal Funding from EDA, SBA & CDFI Fund
Tuesday, December 10, 12:15 - 2:00 PM

Production Manager
B: Side Capital & B: Side Fund

Briana Rickertsen started her career at B:Side Capital (formerly Colorado Lending Source) in 2012 and currently serves as the Production Manager for the Small Business Administration (SBA) lending team. She is truly an expert in her field and has personally handled over 560 SBA loan approvals, helping to create over 2,000 jobs. (This includes SBA 504, SBA 7(a), and Paycheck Protection Program loans.) B:Side Capital and B:Side Fund, two organizations under one unifying brand, are committed to fostering the economic growth of diverse small businesses; Briana goes above and beyond each and every day in support of B:Side’s mission ensuring that businesses have access to responsible capital that would otherwise be unavailable.

Toby Rittner

Basics of Federal Support Tools
Monday, December 9, 12:15 - 1:15 PM

Landscape of Federal Agency Funding Programs
Monday, December 9, 1:15 - 1:45 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.

Emily Slusser

Federal Funding from DOE & EPA
Monday, December 9, 3:45 - 5:00 PM

Management and Program Analyst
U.S. Department of Energy

Emily Slusser leads technical assistance for funding and financing programs in the U.S. Department of Energy's State Energy Program (SEP). Her work focuses on providing tools, trainings, convenings, case studies, and replicable resources to support states in strategically and effectively designing and managing energy funding and financing programs. Prior to joining DOE, she developed tools for planning electric vehicle charging infrastructure for the U.S. General Services Administration; analyzed barriers and opportunities in electrifying cross-border trucking in North America for the U.S. International Trade Administration; and led project proposals for a Seattle-based engineering and energy consulting firm specializing in high performance building design. Emily holds a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from Walla Walla University and a master's degree in global environmental sustainability and certificate in global business and corporate social responsibility from the University of Denver. She is currently based out of Denver, Colorado.

Christopher Warren

Federal Funding from USDA, HUD & DOT
Tuesday, December 10, 2:15 - 4:00 PM

Business Grant & Loan Analyst
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Christopher Warren is a Business Grant and Loan Analyst with the Rural-Business Cooperative Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He specifically works within the Public-Private Partnerships Branch under the Business Development Division. During his time at RD, Christopher has helped connect rural stakeholders with resources from the federal government to assist in economic development. He is currently assigned to the RBCS National Office. He is a member of two working groups- one focused on Recreational Economies and the other on Local & Regional Food Systems. Prior to his time at the USDA, Christopher served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the western highlands of Guatemala. As a Youth-in-Development Coordinator, he worked alongside teachers to implement experiential learning models in middle school classrooms. A native to Cincinnati, Ohio, Christopher received his bachelor’s in Entrepreneurship & Spanish from Miami University’s Farmer School of Business.

Claire Weston

Federal Funding from DOE & EPA
Monday, December 9, 3:45 - 5:00 PM

Senior Program Manager
Center for Creative Land Recycling

Claire manages CCLR’s $12M Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Communities Provider cooperative agreements with the U.S. EPA. This includes leading the program development and technical assistance provision strategy, writing quarterly reports, maintaining and reporting performance metrics, and preparing materials, stats, and success stories to support program continuation. Of note, Claire spearheaded the development and launch of CCLR’s technical assistance tracking system in Salesforce which has led to efficient and robust reporting, more strategic and comprehensive TA delivery, and better team collaboration under the TAB program. Claire also oversees major elements of CCLR’s programming and education initiatives including workshop and webinar planning, resource development, partnership cultivation, and strategic initiatives. In 2022, Claire managed the planning and execution of CCLR’s webinars and events which engaged over 3,000 land reuse practitioners from the public and private sectors and covered topics in remediation, environmental justice, equitable development, redevelopment financing, and more.

Prior to joining CCLR, Claire was the Outreach Coordinator at the Community Science Institute (CSI) in Ithaca, NY. In this role, Claire managed CSI’s public outreach initiatives, coordinated volunteer water monitoring programs, and most notably directed the development of Cayuga Lake’s Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring Program in its pilot year. Claire is most well versed in program evaluation and strategy, project management, and multi-stakeholder event planning.

Claire lives in Jersey City with her fiancé, Andrew, and enjoys yoga, hiking, cooking, and listening to movie soundtracks and scores.

Ken Wiseman

Federal Funding from USDA, HUD & DOT
Tuesday, December 10, 2:15 - 4:00 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.