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
614-705-1300
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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 & Technical Assistance ... 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 spearheads the Development division. She is responsible for planning, organizing and directing all of CDFA’s sponsorship, membership and partnership efforts. ... Additionally, she oversee all logistics for the National Development Finance Summit and manages the CDFA Board of Directors.
Before joining CDFA, Mrs. Deardurff worked at Netjets Inc. as an Owner Services Manager 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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Harry Allen
Research & Technical Assistance Coordinator
614-705-1315
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As Director of Research & Technical Assistance with the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA), Mr. Allen leads the day-to-day operations of the Research & Technical Assistance team. He also assists in the management of several 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.
Mr. Allen has contributed to numerous technical assistance reports including the Colorado Access to Capital Report, San Diego Revolving Loan Fund Report and the Lorain Port Authority Strategic Plan. In addition, Mr. Allen was the principal author of "Unlocking Capital: A Handbook for Becoming a High Performing Development Finance Agency." 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 majored in City and Regional Planning with a focus on Economic Development and Local Government. Mr. Allen also earned a minor in Political Science. He has been with CDFA since July, 2016. (More)
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Katie Williams
Director, Programming
614-705-1310
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Katie Williams is the Director of Programming at the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA). Ms. Williams is responsible for managing the day-to-day activities of programming including the CDFA Training Institute, state conferences, Opportunity Zone Conferences, DFCP Program and the National Summit. Katie also ... contributes to several CDFA projects, including the EDA RLF Best Practices program, 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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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
Manager, Research & Technical Assistance
614-705-1318
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Cayla Matsumoto is currently a Manager of Research & Technical Assistance at the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) where she oversees the organization's work in food finance, resiliency, water & energy. Formerly the Director of Programming, she oversaw the CDFA Training Institute, workshops, seminars, BNY ... Mellon webcast series and all state roundtables. Mrs. Matsumoto also managed 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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Adam Gumm
Coordinator, Marketing & Communications
614-705-1307
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Adam Gumm is the Coordinator of Marketing and Communications for the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) and has been with CDFA since July 2018. Mr. Gumm is responsible for executing CDFA marketing efforts through our print, web and social media channels. Adam assists in day-to-day content creation as well as ... maximizing our marketing messages and brand awareness during CDFA events.
Mr. Gumm has an entrepreneurial background working with various small businesses and non-profits on their digital media and marketing efforts. Adam's skill set also includes web development, photography and video editing which will help expand CDFA's network and brand awareness.
Mr. Gumm holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Computer Information Technology from the Purdue University. (More)
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Jennifer Malone
Coordinator, Administration
614-705-1301
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Jennifer Malone is a Coordinator of Administration for the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA). Mrs. Malone is responsible for working with fellow CDFA team members to deliver the organization’s day-to-day and programmatic operational elements including human resources, vendor management and event ... administration.
Prior to joining CDFA, Jennifer worked with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit ESL Program, providing school districts with resources to educate English Learners in the Pittsburgh area.
Jennifer is a graduate of West Virginia University where she studied Media with a focus on Public Relations and Communication. (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
Secretary & 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, Brian directs all legal, ... legislative and regulatory affairs for the nation’s first green bank established in July 2011, a global leader in renewable and energy efficiency financing and winner of the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School of Government Ash Award for innovation in 2017. Brian’s counsel is helping the Green Bank realize its mission of leveraging public and private funds to scale-up renewable energy deployment and energy efficiency projects. In fact, the Green Bank has mobilized over $1 billion of total clean energy investment since 2012.
Directly prior to the Green Bank, Brian was a Senior Attorney with United Technologies’ Sikorsky Aircraft business unit, providing legal counsel for strategic international campaigns, as well as all of Sikorsky’s global environmental, energy, health and safety legal matters. Brian also has worked as an attorney for MassMutual Financial Group and Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge.
Brian was awarded by the Connecticut Law Tribune as the “Best In-House Counsel” of the Year in 2018 and previously named a “New Leader in the Law” in 2013. He is passionate about the renewable energy space, teaches ethics and finance as an adjunct professor, is a board member of the Council of Development Finance Agencies and the Renewable Energy and Efficiency Business Association, and is a former member of the CT Judicial Review Counsel.
Brian obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree, Masters of Business Administration (Finance) and Juris Doctorate from the University of Connecticut. (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 a Partner in the Washington, DC office and is the firm’s co-chair of the national energy ... group and P3 infrastructure groups. He advises clients in the acquisition, selling, leasing and development of domestic and international energy projects. He has worked on the financing and structuring of over $15 billion in government privatized transactions. He regularly structures, negotiates, documents and closes large, complex transactions for lenders, developers, contractors, utilities, federal agencies, state entities, municipalities and reviews such transactions for rating agencies. Mr. Kirshenberg’s unique practice requires him to work on all phases of projects including design and construction, financing, operation, work-outs, legislative authority development, federal agency policy, procurement and budgetary scoring, and everything in between.
In the energy arena, Mr. Kirshenberg has closed transactions involving energy efficiency, smart-grid, battery storage, smart-house demonstration, photo-voltaic (PV), low-flow turbine generation, wind, co-generation facilities, bio-fuel facilities, energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs), utility energy savings contracts (UESCs), PACE, and other energy projects. He is working on small modular reactor projects, tri-generation projects and first of a kind energy production and storage projects. (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. Between 2005 and 2012 Mr. Strnisha provided financial consulting services to developers and companies seeking both public and private sources of capital for major real estate projects. Among others his clients included Developers Diversified Realty, American Greetings Corporation, AmTrust Financial Services, and the developers of the Flats East Bank as they secured $275 million in public and private sources for the initial phase of their mixed-use waterfront project in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Strnisha provided these services first as President of Strnisha Development Advisors (“SDA”) and then as a Director of SDA’s successor, Project Management Consultants. Serving as a consultant to CiF since 2009, Mr. Strnisha joined the company in 2012, becoming CEO and a principal owner. During his tenure with CiF he has implemented new corporate governance and accountability measures and involved the company in industry efforts to promote “Best Practices” for EB-5 practitioners. He has also served for the past two years on the Governing Board of Invest in the USA, ("IIUSA"), the trade association of the EB-5 industry, as its Secretary Treasurer. Mr. Strnisha received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia and a Master’s degree from Syracuse University. (More)
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