CDFA's network has been energized by 139 new members this year and the growth continues! These organizations know the value of membership. CDFA members have full access to exceptional educational experiences, a vibrant network, and the largest collection of development finance resources in the world. Join your peers and become a member today.

CDFA led a national advocacy campaign to reauthorize the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) in early 2021. The effort was ultimately successful, with the American Rescue Plan including $10 billion to reauthorize the program. CDFA thanks everyone who joined our coalition, sent letters, and met with Congress to help get SSBCI signed into law.

CDFA Sponsors represent the leaders in the development finance industry. We'd like to give an extra special thank you to all of our sponsors. Their financial investment allows us to continue our mission of advancing development finance knowledge, networks, and innovation, and we are truly grateful.

CDFA has welcomed six new graduates to the prestigious Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) Program so far this year. Congratulations to Angela Blatt, Shirlynn Fortson, Carrie Latimer, Chris Lawson, Malcolm Guy, and Steve Girodat.

CDFA is proud to partner with Ice Miller LLP to present the Broadband Financing Series. This unique series focuses on broadband development finance with an emphasis on the legal, technical, and financial challenges facing communities working to develop broadband.

CDFA is grateful for our ongoing partnership with The Bank of New York Mellon on the CDFA // BNY Mellon Development Finance Webcast series. The monthly webinars cover a wide range of development finance topics, such as forecasting the bond market and financing rural broadband. Thanks to BNY Mellon's support, these webinars are free to our entire network.

After SSBCI was reauthorized, CDFA began many aspects of programming and content related to SSBCI. These included the SSBCI Briefings, the SSBCI Coalition, the SSBCI Resource Center, the SSBCI Learning Series, listening sessions with the Department of the Treasury, analysis of the program guidelines, and much more. We're thankful to gener8tor for their generous support of the SSBCI Update Newsletter and the SSBCI Resource Center and all those who have joined us and provided insight along the way.

In February, CDFA released Development Finance Solutions for Building Back Better: Policy Priorities for the Biden-Harris Administration. The paper was authored in collaboration with development finance agencies across the country and several key advocacy partners. Half of the 18 policy recommendations made by CDFA in the paper were introduced in Congress. CDFA is thankful for all those who provided input on our policy agenda.

The CDFA Rural Development Finance Webinar Series provided information and best practices about financing tools and programs available to rural communities. Webinars discussing financing disaster resiliency in rural communities, assembling capital for rural development, and best practices for rural development finance agencies are available to view online.

The Council of Development Finance Agencies is honored to announce the 2021 class of the Caren S. Franzini Fellowship. Join CDFA in congratulating Michelle Barnett at the City of Tulsa, Ashley Jones with Microsoft, Elizabeth Limbrick from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), and Sima Thakkar at the Raza Development Fund.

This year's CDFA Federal Financing Webinar Series has convened finance experts, federal agencies, and local practitioners to discuss the variety of federal programs available to restore local economies, preserve small businesses, invest in our communities, and protect our environment. We're thankful to all who have participated in this series.

CDFA hosted three webinars this year on financing food systems, with featured discussions about food-centered redevelopment, fintech, and debunking risk. Webinars are recorded and available to view on the CDFA website.

CDFA's latest edition of the Practitioner's Guide to Economic Development Finance features added discussion on topics like social and racial equity, expanded chapters covering new tools like Opportunity Zones, and updates to federal tools, case studies, and tax code laws. The 3rd edition was released this past summer and is still available in our online bookstore!

CDFA worked with King County, Washington to highlight financing opportunities for a local food facility. The local food facility will be a critical piece of local food systems infrastructure by assisting small and medium-sized food businesses scale up with amenities like commercial production kitchen space, cold and dry storage, and flexible space for packing and other educational or collaborative activities.

This report highlights possible financing resources at the state and local levels that can be brought into coordination with the existing efforts to rebuild Detroit's food system. This report demonstrates the significance of incorporating local food systems efforts into local economic development agendas and the importance of engaging local development finance agencies in the work to restore healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems.

The Council of Development Finance Agencies is pleased to announce the CDFA Community Facilities Technical Assistance Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This program is targeted at rural communities that faced a recent natural disaster and need assistance using the USDA Community Facilities Program.

In April, Reps. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) and Darin LaHood (R-IL) introduced the Modernizing Agricultural and Manufacturing Bonds Act (MAMBA) in the U.S. House of Representatives as H.R. 2737. MAMBA would modernize the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) as it relates to small issue bonds, specifically the private activity bond rules for first-time farmers and manufacturing bonds.

CDFA and Bricker & Eckler LLP continued our popular PACE Webinar Series again this year with special attention paid to the ways that PACE has grown and evolved over the last decade. Expert panelists shared their experiences and insights related to using PACE across various sectors, marketing PACE, applying PACE retroactively, and engaging PACE for a range of project goals. Webinars are recorded and available to view on the CDFA website.

CDFA is continuously expanding and evolving our educational offerings in response to what professionals in the development finance sector need to be successful. The Advanced Tax Credit WebCourse builds on Intro Tax Credits so that those with experience can deepen their understanding of tax credit uses and transactions.