Ben Fry

Historic Preservation Tax Incentive Program
Thursday, August 27, 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. 

Savannah Jermance

State Tax Credit Programs for Economic Development
Thursday, August 27, 3:15 - 4:10 PM

Director, Credits and Incentives Consulting
Ryan LLC

Savannah Jermance is a Director in Ryan’s Credits and Incentives Consulting practice, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She advises companies on state and local tax credit, incentive, and site selection strategies that support business expansion, capital investment, job creation, and long-term community impact.

Savannah is both a Certified Credits and Incentives Professional (CCIP) and a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), bringing a practical cross-perspective between corporate tax strategy and economic development. Her experience includes managing complex incentive and site selection projects across a range of industries, working with companies, communities, and public-sector stakeholders to align business objectives with economic development priorities.

She has served in appointed and volunteer leadership roles with the Institute for Professionals in Taxation (IPT), the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), and Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW). 

Savannah holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of New Mexico.

Joshua Lavrinc

Bringing the Deal Together: Case Studies & Innovative Tax Credit Use
Thursday, August 27, 4:10 - 4:55 PM

Chief Executive Officer
Grow Community Development Capital LLC

Joshua Lavrinc is a multi-disciplinary real estate professional with a breadth of experience in development and finance consulting, lending and investment, and fund management. As founder and CEO of Grow Community Development Capital LLC, Mr. Lavrinc leads all advisory engagements across project finance and community development consulting for clients that include real estate development companies, financial institutions, non-profit organizations and other operating businesses.

In addition, Mr. Lavrinc is the co-founder and CEO of Callay Capital LLC, a commercial real estate investment fund management firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA that currently manages the Power of 32 Site Development Fund and the Strategic Investment Fund, both of which pursue economic and community development impact investment missions serving the greater Pittsburgh region.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Lavrinc practiced real estate, lending and structured finance law with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC; and was an associate in the auditing and corporate tax consulting groups with Arthur Andersen LLP. Mr. Lavrinc received a B.S. in Accounting from the Pennsylvania State University, with distinction from the Schreyer Honors College. Mr. Lavrinc later received a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, together with a Certificate of Management and Public Policy from the Wharton School of Business for real estate studies.

Mr. Lavrinc is active in the community, serving on the New Markets Tax Credit Advisory Board for WesBanco, as well as the Special Real Estate Committee for local non-profit Mon Valley Initiatives, and is a past President of the Board of Directors for the Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute. Mr. Lavrinc is also a frequent lecturer on real estate development and finance for industries and organizations including the Community Development Finance Association, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Jonathan Maakestad

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program
Thursday, August 27, 1:25 - 2:35 PM

Partner
CohnReznick

Jonathan Maakestad is a Partner in CohnReznick’s Baltimore tax practice with over fourteen 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.

Jong Sook Nee

Introduction to Tax Credits
Thursday, August 27, 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.

Scott Pinover

New Markets Tax Credit Program
Thursday, August 27, 12:05 - 1:15 PM

Senior Vice President
Wells Fargo

Scott Pinover is the Northeast Region Deal Team Manager for the Wells Fargo New Market Tax Credit Group, located in Washington, DC. He is responsible for originating, underwriting and recommending projects for NMTC allocation and investment in the region. Mr. Pinover has over thirty years of experience in real estate finance and development. Prior to joining Wells Fargo/Wachovia, Scott served in various real estate finance/development roles including that of Development Manager for Bozzuto Homes, where he oversaw the design of four communities consisting of over five hundred units of housing, plus Senior Investment Officer with the AFL-CIO Investment Trust where he identified real estate equity investment opportunities for union pension funds. Mr. Pinover holds a Bachelor of Science in Business and Management, plus a Master of Business Administration, both from the University of Maryland at College Park. Scott currently resides just outside of Washington, DC in Bethesda, MD with his wife and two sons.

Amy Poad

State Tax Credit Programs for Economic Development
Thursday, August 27, 3:15 - 4:10 PM

Tax Specialist, Tax Incentives
Maryland Department of Commerce

Amy Poad is a Tax Specialist in the Tax Incentives Group at the Maryland Department of Commerce, where she oversees a portfolio of programs designed to attract investment and grow the state's economy: More Jobs for Marylanders, the Data Center Exemption, and the Research & Development Tax Credit.

Amy brings a rare perspective to incentive strategy — she knows the work from inside the tax code. She spent nearly two decades as a tax auditor in Pennsylvania before joining the Comptroller of Maryland, where she audited complex multi-state corporations and led field audit teams. That background gives her a sharp sense not only of how an incentive is meant to work, but of how it holds up under real scrutiny. She is also a Lean Six Sigma coach who has spent her career refining the processes behind effective policy, and she holds a degree in business and accounting from the University of Pittsburgh.

Outside of work, Amy enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her family and her French bulldog.

Cody Price

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program
Thursday, August 27, 1:25 - 2:35 PM

9% Housing Tax Credit Section Chief
Ohio Housing Finance Agency

Cody Price, PhD, serves as the 9% Housing Tax Credit Section Chief at the Ohio Housing Finance Agency and as a lecturer in the City and Regional Planning Department at Ohio State University. Previously, he worked as a Housing Grant Analyst II and a Research Analyst at OHFA.

Before joining OHFA, he spent a semester as a visiting assistant professor at Ohio State University. He earned a bachelor of science in city and regional planning from Ohio State University, a master of public service and administration from Texas A&M University, and a PhD in city and regional planning from Ohio State University. He has published articles in Housing Policy Debate and Housing and Society and is certified as a Housing Development Finance Professional by the National Development Council.

Tony Smith

New Markets Tax Credit Program
Thursday, August 27, 12:05 - 1:15 PM

Partner & Executive Vice President
SB Friedman Development Advisors

Tony is a Partner and Executive Vice President at SB Friedman Development Advisors, LLC, a leading development finance consulting firm based in Chicago. Tony leads SB Friedman’s community and economic development finance practice, providing technical support and strategic guidance to clients seeking to implement challenging mission-driven development projects that serve disadvantaged communities.

He has expertise in a range of financing tools including New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC), Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Opportunity Zones, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and others. He has assisted with underwriting and structuring of over $2.5 billion in financing, resulting in over $5 billion of project investment. He is registered with the SEC as a Series 50 and Series 54-qualified Municipal Advisor Principal. Tony holds both a Bachelor of Arts (Magna Cum Laude) and a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He also serves on the LISC Chicago Board of Advisors, and has been recognized by Crains Chicago Business as a Notable Leader in Community Development.