Ben Fry

Historic Preservation Tax Incentive Program
Friday, August 8, 2:35 - 3:05 PM

Principal
Novogradac & Company LLP

Ben Fry is a Principal in the Dover, Ohio office of Novogradac & Company LLP.  Fry specializes in historic rehabilitation tax credits (HTCs) and new markets tax credits (NMTCs).   His experience includes structuring complex financing for real estate developments using HTCs, NMTCs and other federal, state and local tax credits and incentives.  Fry has extensive experience in preparing financial forecasts for HTC and NMTC projects. He also provides cost certifications, traditional financial statement audit and tax services. 

Jonathan Maakestad

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program
Friday, August 8, 1:25 - 2:35 PM

Partner
CohnReznick Advisory LLC

Jonathan Maakestad is a Partner in CohnReznick’s Baltimore tax practice with over thirteen years of experience in public accounting, including spending over a year and a half of experience in CohnReznick’s Project Finance & Consulting practice. As a member of the firm’s Affordable Housing Real Estate practice, he works directly with developers, Community Development Entities and tax credit syndicators on a regular basis. His expertise includes tax-incentivized projects that have been allocated federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits and New Markets Tax Credits.

Jonathan is responsible for working with smaller clients, as well as various large volume clients to plan, review and oversee tax engagements, as well as identifying and resolving tax issues. Services provided to his clients include tax planning and compliance, consulting, and projections for partnerships, corporations and high net-worth individuals, as well as providing guidance to clients throughout the tax credit process.

Lizeth Manriquez

New Markets Tax Credit Program
Friday, August 8, 12:05 - 1:15 PM

Senior Investment Analyst, Specialty Finance
RDF

Karie McMillen

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program
Friday, August 8, 1:25 - 2:35 PM

Principal
Novogradac & Company LLP

Karie McMillen is a principal in the Dover, Ohio, office of Novogradac. McMillen has significant experience in providing tax, various audit and attestation, and consulting services to real estate partnerships. McMillen works extensively with the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC), tax-exempt bond financed developments, nonprofit organizations, and entities subject to the auditing requirements of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She also has many years of experience in conducting HUD Multifamily Accelerated Processing and Healthcare Quality Control and Construction Loan Administration reviews. In addition, McMillen provides audit and tax services in the renewable energy tax credit industry. She has contributed to the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits and is a speaker at Novogradac’s LIHTC preconference workshops and LIHTC webinars. McMillen participates in Novogradac’s Women & Allies ERG and DEI Leadership Cohort. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from Salem International University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Kent State University. She is licensed as a certified public accountant in Ohio.

Michelle Mooney

New Markets Tax Credit Program
Friday, August 8, 12:05 - 1:15 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.

Kimberly Nolte

State Tax Credit Programs for Economic Development
Friday, August 8, 3:15 - 4:10 PM

Senior Managing Associate
Dentons US LLP

Toby Rittner

Introduction to Tax Credits
Friday, August 8, 11:10 - 12:05 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.

James Simmons

Bringing the Deal Together: Case Studies & Innovative Tax Credit Use
Friday, August 8, 4:10 - 4:55 PM

Senior Vice President
SB Friedman Development Advisors

James is an accomplished community development professional with over 15 years of experience in the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) industry. He specializes in structuring and underwriting complex financial transactions that support high-impact projects. He also advises public and private Community Development Entity (CDE) clients on their overall investment strategies. 

Jong Sook Nee

Introduction to Tax Credits
Friday, August 8, 11:10 - 12:05 PM

Member
Convergent Law

Jong Sook has developed her practice in various fields, including commercial lending and banking, tax credits, public finance, tax exemptions, governmental law, commercial leasing, housing, land use and public private partnerships. These disciplines have allowed her to develop a comprehensive understanding of development finance from multiple perspectives. In addition, she has served two state governors offering policy and legal advice on state issues affecting all aspects of life, including affordable housing, universal healthcare, statewide planning and economic development incentives. Using her past experience in state government and working with local governments, Ms. Nee can provide a balanced insight into governmental policies and procedures. Ms. Nee combines her years of experience to hone a practice that can creatively address the many issues that impact development across the spectrum, from land use approvals to federal tax credit financings. Since no two projects are alike, no two solutions have to be. Ms. Nee has developed expertise in the fields of redevelopment and real estate finance which has provided her with an insight into comprehensive development financial planning. From modest commercial loan closings to complex tax credit take-out financing with multiple lenders, Convergent Law can structure a solution. Ms. Nee works closely with the tax team to structure holistic financial frameworks that service the immediate financial needs, as well as any future tax or financing interests that could be impacted. Ms. Nee takes a holistic and proactive approach to client projects to help ensure the success of all projects, large and small.