CDFA is managed by a professional staff headquartered in Columbus, OH. The staff and various advisors carry out the day-to-day administration of the Council. To contact a member of the staff or an advisor, use the following information.
100 E. Broad Street, Suite 1200
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Toby Rittner
President & CEO
614-705-1300
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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 entities. Members are state, county and municipal development finance agencies and authorities that provide or otherwise support economic development financing programs. Mr. Rittner runs the day-to-day operations of the Council, which includes management of a 32-member Board of Directors, and the organization’s various educational, advocacy, research, resources and networking initiatives.
Rittner is one of the most vocal and recognized leaders of the development finance industry nationwide and has advised state and federal government leaders, including President Obama’s Administration Transition Team, 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.
Rittner is a frequent speaker at local, state and national conferences and events focused on economic development finance. He has been featured extensively 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 teaching planning and finance for sustainable economic development. He is a Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) through CDFA.
Prior to joining CDFA, Mr. Rittner was the Director of Legislative Affairs for the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Mr. Rittner has also worked for the Franklin County, Ohio Board of Commissioners and the City of Gahanna, Ohio. 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. (More)
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Katie Kramer
Vice President
614-705-1316
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Katie Kramer is a Vice President at the Council of Development Finance Agencies and has been with CDFA since 2005. She is an accomplished non-profit executive with expertise in fundraising, grant writing, operations, and building organizational capacity. In her role at CDFA, she leads the Research & Advisory Services team ... focused on technical assistance and creating strategic partnerships with foundations, federal agencies, and other industry non-profits to grow the professional acumen of CDFA members and the development finance industry at-large.
Ms. Kramer interacts with thousands of development finance practitioners each year, guiding them through their professional development and understanding of the diversity of development finance programs. She has developed numerous courses in the CDFA Training Institute, edited several CDFA publications, and designed marketing and communications collateral for the association. Her writing has been featured in publications and reports on development finance, including those commissioned by The Kresge Foundation, World Bank, U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. Department of Agriculture. She regularly speaks about development finance at national and local conferences and is a guest lecturer at The Ohio State University.
Previously, Ms. Kramer served as CDFA’s Director of Education & Programs and Development Director. Before joining CDFA, Ms. Kramer worked in the Assessment Division at Ballard & Tighe, Publishers as Project Coordinator where she managed projects involved with the development of standardized language tests. Prior to Ballard & Tighe, Ms. Kramer was employed by Scripps College as Assistant Director of the Annual Fund where she organized fundraising campaigns for alumnae, parents, and students. She studied art history at Scripps College and holds a BA in English with honors from Cleveland State University.
Ms. Kramer serves as a board member for the Ohio Statewide Development Corporation and is a member of the Education Committee for Ohio Women in Public Finance. (More)
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Kimberly Deardurff
Vice President
614-705-1302
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Kimberly Deardurff is a Vice President at the Council of Development Finance Agencies and has been with CDFA since 2012. In her role at CDFA, Mrs. Deardurff oversees Operations and spearheads Development. She is responsible for planning, organizing and directing all of CDFA’s sponsorship and membership efforts. ... Additionally, she oversee all logistics for the National Development Finance Summit and special partnership campaigns.
Before joining CDFA, Mrs. Deardurff worked at Netjets Inc. as an Owner Services Manger where she did logistical planning for all owner flights. Prior to Netjets, Mrs. Deardurff was employed by Aramark as Sales Manager at the Greater Columbus Convention Center where she helped to plan all events held in the venue. She has a Bachelor’s of Science Business Administration in International Business from Ohio Northern University. (More)
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Emily Moser
Director, Research & Advisory Services
614-705-1305
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Emily Moser is a Director of Research & Advisory Services for the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA). She manages CDFA's Brownfields Technical Assistance Program, which provides financing technical assistance to brownfield redevelopment projects. The program offers free online resources via the Brownfields ... Financing Toolkit, a Brownfields Financing Webinar Series, and a monthly newsletter. Technical Assistance opportunities include the Brownfields Project Marketplace and on-site technical assistance offered via Project Response Teams.
Prior to joining CDFA, Ms. Moser worked for Homeport, a non-profit housing developer, where she managed the redevelopment of single family housing for a neighborhood revitalization project. Ms. Moser has a Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University, and a Bachelor's Degree in English from Hillsdale College. (More)
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Averi Cragel
Manager, Programming
614-705-1319
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Averi Cragel is a Manager of Programming for the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) and has been with CDFA since October 2015. Ms. Cragel is responsible for managing projects related to the CDFA Training Institute and CDFA State Conferences, including building state networks, developing programming content and ... building agendas, and providing leadership at in-person and online events on behalf of the Council. Averi assists in the day-to-day production of the CDFA State Program Directory and Development Finance Certified Professional certification program.
Ms. Cragel holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environment and Natural Resources and a Minor in Public Health from the Ohio State University. (More)
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Tim Fisher
Manager, Government Affairs
614-705-1309
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As the Manager of Government Affairs, Tim Fisher is focused on advancing development finance policy interests at the state and national level, as well as defending the interests of CDFA members on Capitol Hill. In addition to leading CDFA advocacy efforts, Tim authors the annual CDFA Volume Cap Report, the CDFA Federal ... Policy Agenda, and CDFA federal policy white papers. Tim also coordinates CDFA research on microfinance and manages its international partnerships. Prior to joining CDFA, Fisher worked for the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission, where, under the direction of the Commission’s Public Policy officer, he authored reports on topics ranging from the state of Latino small business ownership in Ohio, to the cultural responsiveness of Ohio’s public institutions. Tim is a graduate of Ohio University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and his master’s degree in Latin American Studies. (More)
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Candace Frank
Manager, Membership
614-705-1300
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Candace Frank is the Manager of Membership for the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA). In this roll, Mrs. Frank manages the day-to-day operations of membership, assists with meeting planning and logistics for CDFA's various national events, manages CDFA's extensive database and manages the day-to-day bookstore ... sales and fullfillment.
Mrs. Frank previously served as a state programs manager, administering the state-specific programming for the western states in the CDFA network. This included all annual conferences and networking events.
Prior to joining CDFA, Mrs. Frank worked with Ohio Job and Family Services for five years providing services to families who needed a loved one cared for that dealt with a disability on a day to day basis.
Mrs. Frank holds certification in Engineering Design from North State College and a Bachelor of Science degree in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University. (More)
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Cayla Matsumoto
Director, Programming
614-705-1318
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Cayla Matsumoto is the Director of Programming at the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) where she oversees the CDFA Training Institute, workshops, seminars, and online training. Mrs. Matsumoto also manages the Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) Program working with participants to guide them in ... completing their DFCP certification.
Mrs. Matsumoto previously served as a state programs manager, administering the state-specific programming for the southern states in the CDFA network. This included all annual conferences, networking events and webinars. She was instrumental in building new state networks and expanding the Southern region’s reach to include six states.
Her experience prior to CDFA included work as the assistant director of development at After-School All-Stars Ohio, a state-wide after-school programming non-profit where she worked as a grant writer, managed donations, and facilitated relationships with donors. She also served in Ukraine with the U.S. Peace Corps as an educator where she concentrated on leadership and citizenship skills with kids grades 5-10.
Mrs. Matsumoto earned her bachelors from Miami University of Oxford, Ohio in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies where she studied the intersection of political science, anthropology, art history and international studies. (More)
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Blake Williams
Coordinator, Research & Advisory Services
614-705-1306
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Blake Williams is a Coordinator of Research & Advisory Services with the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA). Mr. Williams is focused on expanding CDFA’s various activities related to brownfields finance programming and technical assistance. This includes the development of online resources and educational ... content, organizing national meetings of public- and private-sector industry stakeholders, conducting extensive outreach and marketing efforts, and coordinating on-site technical assistance teams in communities throughout the country.
Previously Mr. Williams worked as a Program Manager for the Community Ambassador/ Commuter Liaison Programs at The Ohio State University’s Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in City and Regional Planning. (More)
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Katie Williams
Manager, Research & Advisory Services
614-705-1310
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Katie Williams is a Manager of Research & Advisory Servies for the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA). Ms. Williams is responsible for managing and contributing to several CDFA projects, including the EDA RLF Best Practices program, the National Development Finance Summit, the Urban Finance Forum and CDFA's ... work with the University of Tennessee. Prior to taking on these project's, Ms. Williams worked to build strong state relationships and programming at CDFA. This included managing a select number of the Council’s State Roundtable, a specialized initiative aimed at building strong state and local networks of stakeholders through education, research, reporting, engagement and technical assistance. Ms. Williams was responsible for working with fellow CDFA team members to build these networks and execute events, conduct meetings, manage event logistics, publish newsletters, manage web content, recruit speakers, organize advisory committees and other tasks.
Prior to joining CDFA, Ms. Williams worked in early childhood development for five years teaching preschool and nannying.
Ms. Williams holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Child & Family Studies from Ohio University. (More)
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Harry Allen
Coordinator, Research & Advisory Services
614-705-1315
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Harry Allen is a Coordinator of Research & Advisory Services with the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA). In this role, Mr. Allen assists in the management of several of CDFAs contracts and events including the CDFA EDA RLF Best Practices Program and the National Development Finance Summit. Mr. Allen’s work is ... focused on access to capital tools including Revolving Loan Funds (RLFs), seed and venture capital, and various other lending programs. Prior to joining CDFA Mr. Allen worked as an Intern for the Village of Marble Cliff where he created a plan to guide Village development for the next 10-15 years.
Mr. Allen is a graduate of The Ohio State University where he studied City and Regional Planning with a focus on Economic Development and Local Government. Harry has been with CDFA since July, 2016. (More)
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Thomas Leonard
Coordinator, Research & Advisory Services
614-705-1308
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Thomas Leonard is a Coordinator of Research & Advisory Services for the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA). Mr. Leonard is responsible for handling CDFA's involvement with environmentally sustainable areas of development finance which include food systems finance, water infrastructure finance, renewable energy ... finance, and resiliency finance.
Mr. Leonard earned his bachelor's in Environmental Science from Goshen College in 2015 and his master's in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University in 2017. He has been with CDFA since July, 2016. (More)
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James Carras
CDFA Housing Finance Course Advisor
Principal
Carras Community Investment, Inc.
James Carras is a member of the faculty at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and ... Graduate School of Design as well as Tufts University’s Department of Urban Policy and Planning. He has been consulting with mission-driven organizations and government agencies as well as financial institutions and developers for the past 30 years. James and his consulting firm, Carras Community Investment, Inc., has facilitated the creation and capitalizationof over fifty community development corporations (CDCs), development financial institutions (CDFIs) and public private partnership initiatives. He is the author of numerous affordable housing and equity studies and revitalization plans and has served as the Founding Executive Director of the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders, the Founding President of the Broward Housing Partnership and the South Florida Community Land Trust. Prior to establishing his consulting business, he served as a Community Development Advisor to the Mayor of Boston and was the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Urban Reinvestment Advisory Group where he was awarded the John Hay Whitney Fellowship. Mr. Carras is recognized as a national development finance expert with a particular focus on New Markets Tax Credits, CDFI Fund, Opportunity Zones, the Community Development Financial Institution Fund and the Community Reinvestment Act.
Mr. Carras was awarded a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban Sociology from Suffolk University in Boston, completed graduate work at Tufts University’s Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and received a Master’s Degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in Public Administration. He is certified by the National Development Council (NDC) as an Economic Development Finance Professional and completed NDC”s Rental Housing Finance course. He is also certified as a Leadership Facilitator by the Lincoln Land Institute.
Mr. Carras has published various articles and publications including ones focusing on New Markets Tax Credits for the American Planners Association and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Community Reinvestment Act for the American Planners Association, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, National League of Cities and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition and Affordable Housing Loan Consortia for the National Association for Affordable Housing Lenders.
He chairs the Broward Housing Council and is the former Chair of the Broward County Minority Economic Development Board as well as Vice Chair of the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Economic Development Advisory Board. He served as Vice Chairman of the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Board of Directors, and is currently a Coordinator the South Florida Harvard Kennedy School Network Coordinating Committee, and Vice Chair for the Broward Schools Committee for Harvard College. Mr. Carras has also served on the Board of Directors for St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, the Broward Alliance for Neighborhood Development, Haymarket Bank and advisory boards for the United Way of Broward County, Neighborhood Lending Partners and Paradise Bank. For eight years, he served as the Chairman for the Fort Lauderdale Greek Festival as well as the President of the Himmarshee Village Association. (More)
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Brian Cooper
CDFA Bond Finance Course Advisor
Principal
Umbaugh
A twelve year veteran to the Public Finance and Economic Development arena Brian specializes in general ... obligation and revenue based project and public finance. Mr. Cooper financial matters that range from credit strategy, debt issuance and management, financial operations, capital planning and support, management review and budgeting and forecasting.
Brian serves the Ohio public finance market and has worked with issuers large and small including the City of Akron, Development Finance Authority of Summit County, City of Wadsworth, the City of Grandview Heights and City of Tallmadge and the City of Cuyahoga Falls. Brian has also worked with regional authorities such as the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) and State level issuers including the State Treasurer and the Ohio Public Facilities Commission. Mr. Cooper has completed over 120 distinct project financings representing over $2.75 billion in financed projects.
Mr. Cooper graduated from the Ohio State University in 2001 and is registered as a municipal advisor with the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Mr. Cooper serves as a board member to the Ohio Tax Credit Authority and a trustee to the Worthington Education Foundation.
Cooper joined Umbaugh in 2015 when his practice, ACI Advisors, LLC, merged with Umbaugh. He is based in Umbaugh’s Columbus, Ohio, office and lives in Worthington, Ohio with his wife Patty and their three boys, Alex, Calvin and Ivan. (More)
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Brian Farnen
CDFA PACE Finance Course Advisor
General Counsel & Chief Legal Officer
Connecticut Green Bank
As General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer for the Connecticut Green Bank (Green Bank), the nation’s first ... “green bank”, Brian directs all legal, legislative and regulatory affairs at the Green Bank. Brian was an attorney with the AmLaw 100 law firm Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge before accepting a position with Sikorsky Aircraft as a Senior Attorney. As a Senior Attorney, Brian provided legal counsel for the majority of Sikorsky’s strategic international sales campaigns and oversaw all global environmental, health and safety legal matters. Brian’s past state government experience includes time spent as a regional director for the Department of Economic and Community Development and a judicial clerkship for the Honorable Barry Schaller of the Connecticut Appellate Court.
Brian was named a “New Leader in the Law” by the Connecticut Law Tribune in 2013. Brian taught “Law and Society” as an Adjunct Professor, is a board member of the Renewable Energy and Efficiency Business Association and he is a former member of the CT Judicial Review Counsel. Outside of his legal career, Brian is currently an elected volunteer member of the City of Fairfield’s legislative body. He also is active in veterans’ charities, including starting a charity 10K road race in Shelton, CT, and he was a volunteer camp counselor at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.
Brian obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Connecticut. He went on to earn both his Juris Doctorate and Masters of Business Administration from the University of Connecticut School of Law and School of Business, respectively. (More)
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Ellen Harpel PhD
CDFA Incentives Course Advisor
President
Business Development Advisors
Ellen Harpel is the founder of Smart Incentives and president of Business Development Advisors LLC (BDA), an ... economic development and market intelligence consulting firm. She has helped many communities evaluate the competitiveness of their incentives offerings. Using the Smart Incentives 4 x 4 framework, she continues to work with communities to implement policies that enable them to achieve their development goals while making smart fiscal and economic decisions. Recent projects include competitive analyses of state and city incentive policies and assessments of incentive management and evaluation programs. Dr. Harpel speaks and writes frequently on incentive policies and programs. Dr. Harpel is a Senior Research Fellow with the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness and an affiliate with the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University. She is a member of the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), Virginia Economic Developers Association, and the European Association for Research on Services (RESER). Dr. Harpel earned a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina, and a doctoral degree in regional economics from George Mason University’s School of Public Policy. (More)
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Seth Kirshenberg
CDFA P3 Course Advisor
Partner
Kutak Rock LLP
Mr. Kirshenberg is the Managing Partner of the Washington, DC office of Kutak Rock LLP. He advises clients in ... the acquisition, selling, leasing and development of private and federal real estate and alternative energy projects (including federal, state and local government-owned real estate privatization). He has worked on the financing and structuring of over $8 billion in government privatized real estate, alternative energy and other transactions.
He regularly structures, negotiates, documents and closes large, complex real estate transactions for lenders, developers, federal agencies, state entities and municipalities. Mr. Kirshenberg's unique practice requires him to work on all phases of development projects. Projects have included Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Department of Energy (DOE) privatization projects (enhanced use leases, housing privatization, energy development and utilities privatization). (More)
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Eric Silva
CDFA Legislative Representative
Principal
North South Government Strategies
Eric Silva serves as CDFA's Legislative Representative in Washington, DC. Eric has been an instrumental part ... of CDFA's legislative workings.
Eric Silva is a founding partner at NSGS. He began his career in Washington as a Fellow with the Congressional Hunger Center and the Corporation For Enterprise Development before serving as an aide to Senator James Jeffords (I-VT) and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Prior to founding NSGS, Eric practiced law for more than eight years in the Government and Regulatory Affairs group of Winston & Strawn LLP, a major international law firm.
Mr. Silva has significant experience in a number of policy areas, including tax, agriculture, financial services, health care, energy and the environment, and trade. Mr. Silva has successfully advocated for client interests on some of the most significant legislation of the past decade, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, the Affordable Care Act, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the 2008 and 2012 Farm Bills.
While practicing law, Mr. Silva served as legal counsel to clients on matters related to the Federal Election Campaign Act, the Lobbying Disclosure Act and congressional and executive branch ethics rules. He also served as in-house counsel to a major law firm Political Action Committee.
Mr. Silva received a B.A. from Boston College and a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School. While at Boston College, he was a member of the University President’s Council on Student Formation and the recipient of the Congressman John Joseph Moakley Award for International Service. In law school, he competed on the Notre Dame International Moot Court Team and represented clients pro bono on a variety of matters through the Notre Dame Legal Aid Clinic.
Eric proudly serves as a Board Director for the Congressional Hunger Center, Boston College Alumni Association, and the Belfast Beltway Boxing Project. (More)
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Tony Smith
CDFA TIF & Tax Credit Course Advisor
Executive Vice President
SB Friedman Development Advisors
Tony Q. Smith is an Executive Vice President with S. B. Friedman & Company, a development advisory firm based ... in Chicago's Loop. He has extensive experience in financial analysis, public-private deal structuring for complex projects, tax credit finance, and Tax Increment Financing (TIF). In the past seven years, he has participated in structuring, underwriting, and negotiation of approximately $1.2 billion of public-private financing for about $2.9 billion of projects. He has led all of SB Friedman's New Markets Tax Credit-related assignments, including the preparation of successful NMTC allocation applications securing about $485 million of allocation, and structuring/closing of over $700 million in NMTC transactions. During his tenure with SB Friedman, Tony has provided technical support, financial analysis, and strategic guidance to public, private and non-profit organizations seeking to facilitate high-quality urban redevelopment and challenging, catalytic projects. His clients have included, among others, large municipalities such as the Cities and redevelopment agencies of Chicago, Dallas, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh. Tony holds both a B.A. (Magna Cum Laude) and a Master's from the University of Pennsylvania. (More)
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Stephen Strnisha
CDFA EB-5 Course Advisor
Chief Executive Officer
Cleveland International Fund
As CEO since March, 2012, Mr. Strnisha has been responsible for formulating and executing the Cleveland ... International Fund’s (CiF) strategic vision of maximizing the EB-5 opportunity for major development projects in Ohio's major metropolitan areas and beyond. So far this has included raising $225 million from overseas investors for among others the Flats East Bank (Phases 1 and 2), the University Hospital System expansion, Uptown in University Circle, the new Westin Hotel adjacent to the Cleveland Convention Center, and the expansion of the Crocker Park development in connection with construction of a new corporate headquarters for American Greetings Headquarters. CiF’s footprint currently includes the metropolitan areas of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Columbus, and Cincinnati. CiF can also assist with EB-5 financings in Kentucky, Western Pennsylvania, and Tennessee,. Mr. Strnisha is a former senior bond analyst with Moody’s Investor Service, investment banker specializing in structured finance, and Director of Finance and Mayor’s Chief Development Officer for the City of Cleveland. In that position he played a major role in developing and implementing the financing of several high profile projects including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena. Following his public sector service he served as Cleveland Tomorrow’s Deputy Director and Chief Development & Finance Officer of its successor, the Greater Cleveland Partnership. (More)
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