Ahead of the Curve

This episode covers how the City of Las Vegas is cultivating an entrepreneurial ecosystem, attracting remote talent, and leveraging data through their Community Development Dashboard and Small Business Research Portal. About Ryan SmithRyan Smith is the Acting Director of Economic and Urban Development at the City of Las Vegas. Ryan is responsible for business attraction, expansion and retention and redevelopment within the city. Ryan is the co-lead for the City of Las Vegas's Innovation platform and initiatives. Prior to joining the City of Las Vegas Ryan served as the Director of Business Planning and Analysis at the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development. Ryan played an instrumental role in administering the Department's incentive and grant programs. Additionally he helped land over 100 companies and over $5.5 billion in new capital investments.Prior to his positions in the public sector, Ryan served multiple roles in both the gaming and logistics industries. Ryan received a degree in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University.

This episode covers how the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) collaborate to improve buses citywide through the Better Buses Action Plan, how COVID-19 has affected transportation needs, and the importance of data for strategic transportation initiativesAbout Janet JenkinsJanet is the Assistant Commissioner for Transit Development at New York City's Department of Transportation and an American Institute Certified Planner. She has spent 25 years working at the intersection of transportation, urban design, and city planning for public agencies as well as in private consulting practice. Throughout her career she has endeavored to improve quality of life by helping people travel through their environment with greater comfort, increased safety, and multiple alternatives to private cars.In her current role, Janet leads all New York City transit-related street design through the implementation of bus priority projects like bus lanes and busways. These include the 14th Street Busway, Select Bus Service, and the Better Buses Action Plan, which seeks to improve bus speeds by 25% and reverse the decline of bus ridership in NYC. In addition, she oversees many transit policy and planning initiatives, including transit signal priority, real time bus information, and bus stop accessibility.Janet previously served in roles at MTA New York City Transit, MTA Metro-North Railroad, and, as a consultant, helped create the Select Bus Service BRT system in NYC that she now leads at NYC DOT. Janet is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and has a Master's degree in Urban Planning from NYU's Wagner School of Public Service and a Bachelor's degree in Public Policy from Occidental College.

This episode covers building a stable local business economy while supporting larger deals, the role of placemaking in creating barrier-free opportunities, and shaping investments to equitably impact the surrounding communitiesAbout Jeffrey SchwartzJeffrey Schwartz serves as the Director of Economic Development for the City of New Orleans, where he has led the creation of a Generational Economic Development plan for the City and helped steer the City's business response and support efforts during the COVID pandemic.Previously, he served for 11 years as the founding Executive Director of Broad Community Connections, a non-profit community development organization that promoted the revitalization of Broad Street and its surrounding neighborhoods in New Orleans. While there, he led the creation of over $33M in community economic development projects that included the ReFresh Project, a community health hub designed to promote health equity, and the Rose Collaborative, an arts, education, and small business campus. Jeff has a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MCP from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and is done living in cold weather. He loves his hometown and strives to help ensure its long- term sustainability and vitality, especially when it involves investing in its people and businesses. Jeff has been actively involved with economic, planning, and transportation issues in New Orleans; where he has served on the boards of the Regional Planning Commission, Industrial Development Board, Ride New Orleans (which he also co-founded), the Trust for Public Land, and the Friends of Lafitte Greenway. He lives in the Irish Channel with his wife and daughter.

This episode covers community-minded development, strategies for avoiding displacement, metrics for measuring impact, and the role of partnerships and collaboration.About Cornell WesleyWith over fourteen years of experience managing professional staff in both the public and private sectors, Cornell is a seasoned executive with in-depth expertise that includes personnel staffing and management, oversight of complex organizational budgets and management of technical and policy teams, as well as a proven track record as a skilled negotiator. He has extensive knowledge in regional coordination and planning and is adept at setting and achieving priorities. He has a proven ability to manage multiple projects in tandem without compromising the quality of the outcomes.Cornell previously served as the Economic Development Representative for Oklahoma and North Texas for the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA). He worked to successfully build coalitions among regional economic development organizations in his service area and efficiently managed over $20 million in federal investment, yielding a $1.5 billion impact in private investment and creation of over 4,000 jobs and retention of over 3,000 jobs. Notably, Cornell was the first EDA representative in over twenty years who chose to live and raise his family in Oklahoma.Cornell came to Oklahoma after working as the Financial Services and Economic Development Manager for the East Arkansas Planning and Development District, where he developed and implemented lending policies, underwriting guidelines, and approval processes for the District's EDA Revolving Loan Fund and managed lending and economic development projects in 117 cities over a 12-county region. He located in Arkansas after having served in various management positions for a number of financial institutions in the Atlanta, Georgia, area, where he oversaw multi-million dollar portfolios, loans and credit lines, as well as government guaranteed lending. As an SBA lender, he managed an expansive 49 state lending territory.A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Cornell's education is as varied as his work experience. A Morehouse College graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, he also holds a Master of Business Administration from Mercer University and a Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center of Atlanta, Georgia. He also holds certifications in management, economic development and entrepreneurship from a number of universities and economic development institutions across the United States.Mayor Randall L. Woodfin recently appointed Cornell to serve as the new director of the Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity (IEO). IEO is the principal economic development department for the city of Birmingham and the premier destination for small businesses. It is responsible for creating economic vitality through innovation and inclusive growth. Cornell is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma's Class 31. He received a commendation in 2017 from Governor Mary Fallin for his work in economic development. He has been recognized as “Top 40 Under 40” by Oklahoma Magazine and the Oklahoma Journal Record.

This episode covers the intersection of transportation and planning, creating robust and accessible transportation options for all residents, and the City's goals of creating safer roadways through the Vision Zero initiative.About David FieldsDavid Fields, AICP, the City of Houston's first Chief Transportation Planner believes a great community provides safe transportation choice for all. David is experienced planning and implementing multiple modes (walking, biking, heavy rail, light rail, on-street bus services, and TNC's); parking and curb management; and policy (transit-oriented development and transportation demand management); all based on meaningful community participation.David is currently working on the following City initiatives: converting the North Houston Highway Improvement Project into a project that supports the city's values and supports the local communities, Vision Zero so that travel by all modes is safe across city streets, and implementation of over 1,500 miles of high comfort bike lanes.

This episode covers The City of Austin's employee affinity groups, the importance of community engagement in creating housing and initiatives, and how the City is distributing COVID-19 relief.About Rosie TrueloveRosie Truelove currently serves as the Director of the City of Austin's Housing and Planning Department. The Housing and Planning Department was formed in 2020 with the merger of the Planning and Zoning Department and the Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department. The Housing and Planning Department integrates comprehensive planning, zoning, and displacement prevention activities, to include all affordable housing program delivery, which are central to community and council priorities.Prior to her role in Housing and Planning, Rosie served as the Director of Neighborhood Housing and Community Development (NHCD) for four years. NHCD is responsible for the development and incentivizing of affordable housing in Austin, as well as community development services to benefit eligible residents, so they can have access to livable neighborhoods and increase their opportunities for self-sufficiency. Rosie worked in the capital project delivery arena for 14 years and served as the Capital Contracting Officer for seven of those years. The Capital Contracting Office has the delegated authority and responsibility for procurement and contracting services related to the City's Capital Improvement Program. Rosie began her career at the City of Austin 22 years ago, working in the information technology department. From there, she moved to the City Manager's office where she served as an Executive Assistant to the Deputy City Manager and City Manager. She has a Master in Public Affairs from the LBJ School at the University of Texas and undergraduate degree in Government. Rosie is a founding member of Woman-to-Woman, an employee affinity group at the City of Austin and has served on numerous cross departmental groups at the City of Austin focused on technology governance and human resources. She serves as the President of the Board of Directors of the Blodgett Fellows in Urban Management – a non-profit formed to promote the profession of Local Government in graduate education. Rosie is also active in her children's schools and sports clubs. She lives in Southwest Austin with her husband and their two sons and her miniature Australian Shepherds, Kerbey and Chuy.

This episode covers the value of collaboration across levels of government and the power of data as a means for increasing the impact of government actions, elevating accountability, and building relationships and trust with the public.About Karen Freeman-WilsonKaren Freeman-Wilson began serving as President and CEO of the Chicago Urban League in January 2020. She brings a passion for equity and social justice to the organization, which works to advance economic, educational and social progress for African Americans through direct service and advocacy.Having served in the public arena most of her professional life, Freeman-Wilson has deep experience in addressing issues that impact urban communities. She was mayor of her hometown of Gary, Indiana, from 2012 through 2019. She was the first female to lead the city of Gary and the first African-American female mayor in Indiana. Her mayoral accomplishments include job creation, completion of a $100 million airport runway relocation, and the development of key areas in the city. She previously served as Indiana Attorney General, Director of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, and presiding judge of the Gary City Court. She also served as Executive Director of the National Drug Court Institute and CEO of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, where she is currently Board Vice Chair.Freeman-Wilson is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. She is a past President of the National League of Cities, past Chairperson of the Criminal and Social Justice Committee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and sits on the National Police Foundation Board of Directors. She is a member of Israel C.M.E. Church; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; the Links, Inc.; the NAACP; the Urban League of Northwest Indiana and the Indiana Bar.Freeman-Wilson and her husband Carmen Wilson II have a blended family of four children.

This episode covers long term strategies for addressing social equity and affordable housing challenges, New Haven's biotech industry, and the intersection of housing, planning, transportation and economic developmentAbout Michael PiscitelliMichael Piscitelli, AICP, serves as the Economic Development Administrator for the City of New Haven, Connecticut. New Haven is the social- and economic center of southern New England with a long history of innovation, cultural equity and inclusion. The Economic Development Administration coordinates the work of the City's development, planning, transportation, housing and neighborhood programs and currently leads the Together New Haven economic partnership related to coronavirus response and recovery. In current and prior roles within the EDA, Mr. Piscitelli has worked on some of New Haven's signature initiatives including the tear down of the Route 34 expressway and rebuilding the former Oak Street section of the city, workforce career ladders in the biosciences as well as the Mill River revitalization program. He also serves as the Past President of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association.Before moving back to New Haven, Mr. Piscitelli served in similar capacities for the MTA/Metro-North Railroad and the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. Mr. Piscitelli earned a BA at St. Bonaventure University and an MRP in regional planning at the University of Massachusetts.

This episode covers best practices and efficiencies for targeting and distributing COVID-19 and other programmatic resources, the role of public-sector partnerships, and the opportunity COVID-19 relief resources present for creating lasting systemic change and more equitable communities.About Paul YoungPaul A. Young currently serves as the Director of the City of Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development (HCD). HCD is responsible for coordinating community and economic development projects throughout the City of Memphis. The agency has an annual budget of over $16 million from both federal and local funding sources. With over 70 employees, Mr. Young helps to direct the programs and services of the agency and serves as the point person for major development initiatives for the City of Memphis. Mr. Young holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, a Master of City and Regional Planning and Master of Science in Business Administration from the University of Memphis. He is married to Dr. Jamila Smith-Young. They have two children, Zoë (9) and Paxton (5). Previously, Mr. Young served as Director of Legislative Affairs in the Mayor’s Office of Shelby County Government (TN). In this role, he was responsible for advocating the county’s interest to Federal and State Legislative delegations as well as local entities. He also served as the Administrator for the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Sustainability, which is charged with the implementation of a strategic framework for action on green initiatives in the City of Memphis and Shelby County. Other positions held by Mr. Young include: Legislative Liaison for the Shelby County Office of Legislative Affairs; Financial Analyst with Community Capital (Memphis, TN); Assistant Program Officer for Local Initiatives Support Corporation (New York, NY); and Associate Planner for the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development.

This episode covers community revitalization strategies, best practices from the NLC City Center 2020 Evictions Prevention Cohort and Learning Lab and the need for real-time eviction data, as well as how the pandemic has helped expose systemic racism in housing and how it presents opportunities to re approach policy objectives for social equity in housing and economic opportunity.About Lauren LoweryLauren Lowery is the Program Director for Housing and Community Development at the National League of Cities’ Center for City Solutions. Lauren’s research focus at NLC includes affordable housing, housing finance, homelessness, and community development strategies. The research she produces acknowledges the intersectionality of housing and embeds racial equity, health, climate resilience, collaborative governance and state interference.Prior to joining NLC, Lauren worked seven years in local government serving the residents of the City of Norfolk and the City of Chattanooga. During her time in Norfolk’s city hall, she served as the Executive Assistant to the Mayor and the Strategy & Policy Manager for the Department of Neighborhood Development where she developed and implemented an award-winning, comprehensive neighborhood revitalization strategy.She has a Master of Public Administration from Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

This episode covers best practices for cross-departmental collaboration as well as the City of Austin’s COVID-19 economic recovery initiatives, robust economic development divisions, place-based economic development strategies, and innovative approach to using data and technology.A note to our listeners: Unfortunately, we experienced technical difficulties while recording this episode—about 15 minutes in, we lost all audio for our host, Nigel Griswold. We’ve gone back and added in new audio for Nigel; however, because of this, the flow of conversation might occasionally feel disjointed. Thank you for understanding!About Veronica BriseñoVeronica is the Chief Economic Recovery Officer and Director of the Economic Development Department for the City of Austin, Texas.Veronica Briseño has served the City of Austin in various roles since 1999. Currently, she is the City of Austin’s Chief Economic Recovery Officer, responsible for identifying and implementing strategies to help Austin’s economy recover from the unprecedented health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also serves as Director for the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department, which engages business and creatives in Austin through its six divisions: Cultural Arts, Global Business Expansion, Heritage Tourism, Music & Entertainment, Redevelopment, and Small Business. In addition, she is currently serving as the Interim President/CEO for the Austin Economic Development Corporation (AEDC). Prior to these positions, Veronica served as the City of Austin’s Interim Homeless Strategy Officer and held several progressively responsible positions at City of Austin’s Small & Minority Business Resources (SMBR) Department, including Director, Assistant Director, and Certification and Administration Manager. Prior to SMBR, she was a Policy Aide to former Austin City Council Member Raul Alvarez and the City Council Agenda Manager in the City of Austin’s City Manager’s Office. Veronica currently serves on the Board of Directors for Workforce Solutions Capital Area and LifeWorks. She previously served on boards for the Austin Metro YMCA, PeopleFund and Mission Capital. When it comes to professional engagement, Veronica serves as Past President of the Local Government Hispanic Network (LGHN), a national organization that promotes inclusiveness of Latinos in local government. She also co-founded and co-chairs Woman to Woman, a City of Austin employee affiliation group for women. Previously she served on the board of the Austin Hispanic/Latino Network in many roles, including President. She earned her Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, as well as undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Government from The University of Texas at Austin.

This episode covers innovative approaches to public-private partnerships and the role of private sector partners in helping communities close the digital divide.About Richard Leverett:Richard is the Director of External Affairs for AT&T Indiana, where he leads AT&T’s local, state and federal government relations and directs local philanthropic efforts in 21 Northern Indiana Counties including the cities of Gary, Hammond, South Bend, Elkhart and Fort Wayne. A registered state lobbyist, Richard connects government policy and decision-makers to AT&T initiatives around innovation in IoT, smart cities, digital literacy and inclusion, and IT workforce development. As AT&T builds FirstNET and expands small cell wireless technology for 5G across Indiana, Richard serves as a primary resource for public safety and city administrations as well.Richard previously served as Chief of Staff for Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson where he oversaw day to day operations leading over 1,000 employees across city agencies as well as leader of special initiatives including the Smart Cities, Smart Communities Program under the Obama Administration and the UChicago-Gary Urban Revitalization Project. As City Attorney, Richard used his experience as an actuary to renegotiate employee benefits and insurance contracts on behalf of the City.Richard continues his civic and community service on behalf of AT&T serving on the Boards of the Legacy Foundation, Fort Wayne Urban League, and ACCION Chicago. He also serves as the President of the Fund for Hoosier Excellence and Treasurer of the Drexel Foundation for Educational Excellence.

This episode covers Salt Lake City’s strategic approach to supporting inclusive growth, building human capital, fostering healthcare innovation, and planning beyond vaccines for a holistic post COVID-19 economy.About Ben Kolendar: Benjamin is the Director for Salt Lake City’s Department of Economic Development. Prior to his position with the City, Benjamin served as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of SelectUSA, the government-wide initiative to attract and retain foreign business investment in the United States. As a presidentially appointed official, Benjamin provided guidance to the Executive Director to create jobs, spur economic growth, and promote American competitiveness.Before joining SelectUSA, he was dedicated to the development of Afghanistan’s economy as an official in the U.S. Department of Defense. Benjamin’s projects focused on stabilizing the war-torn country through economic development initiatives in the cashmere sector. He spent time on the ground in Afghanistan advising the Afghan Government, local Afghan businesses, and the U.S. government on policies that would help generate economic growth in the sector. Benjamin’s work was instrumental to the sector’s more than double growth from 2012 – 2015, and was recognized from both the Afghanistan and U.S. Governments for his contributions to the sector.Benjamin has a MBA with an emphasis in globalization and international trade from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor’s in Philosophy from Utah State University.

Dr. Adesoji Adelaja is a professor in land policy at Michigan State University and respected public policy expert who has served as advisor to several key local, state, and national policy makers.Dr. Adelaja is the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Policy. Until April 2011, he served as director of the Land Policy Institute, which he founded in 2006. In that capacity, he also served as the director of a W. K. Kellogg Foundation grant which funded the Michigan Higher Education Land Policy Consortium (MiHELP) and the People and Land Initiative (PAL). Prior to coming to MSU in 2004, Dr. Adelaja was at Rutgers University for 18 years, during which period he served as Executive Dean of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dean of Cook College, Executive Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Director of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Professor and Chair of Agricultural Food and Resource Economics, Director of the Food Policy Institute, Director of the Food Innovation Center, and Director of the Eco-Policy Center.Dr. Adelaja has received numerous awards for excellence in research, outreach and policy leadership.

Congressman Dan Kildee (Michigan’s Fifth District)Born and raised in Flint, Congressman Dan Kildee is a lifelong Michigander. In Congress, he has proven he can bring people together and get real results for his constituents and Michigan. Congressman Dan Kildee holds various leadership positions in Congress. As Chief Deputy Whip—part of the Democratic leadership team in the 116th Congress—he acts as an important liaison among Members of Congress and the leadership to build support for Democratic priorities and legislation. Congressman Kildee serves on the prestigious Ways and Means Committee, the oldest and one of the most powerful committees in the U.S. House of Representatives. On the committee, Congressman Kildee works to lower the costs of health care premiums and prescription drugs, protect Social Security and Medicare, negotiate fair trade deals, and create a tax system that benefits working families, not just the richest corporations. The committee also has vast jurisdiction over important programs including Unemployment Insurance, enforcement of child support laws, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and foster care and adoption programs. Before being elected to Congress, Congressman Kildee co-founded and served as the president of the Center for Community Progress, a national non-profit organization focused on urban land reform and revitalization. He also founded Michigan’s first land bank – the Genesee County Land Bank – which is responsible for tens of millions of dollars in redevelopment in Flint. The Genesee County Land Bank later served as a model for over 100 other land banks across the nation. Previously, Congressman Dan Kildee served as the Genesee County Treasurer, on the Genesee County Board of Commissioners, and on the Flint Board of Education. Additionally, he worked for eight years at the Whaley Children’s Center, a residential treatment facility in Flint for children who have experienced trauma and abuse. Congressman Kildee resides in Flint Township with his wife, Jennifer. They have two children, Kenneth and Katy. Dan’s oldest son, Ryan, and his wife Ginger are the parents of their first two grandchildren, Caitlin and Colin.

Arcadio Ramirez, Business Technology Consultant at Michigan Small Business Development Center Arcadio’s love of early stage businesses began during his prior life as an attorney at Wilson Sonsini. He quickly realized that the competitive, fast moving and multidimensional environment of business better suited his character and he moved on to “doing deals” rather than papering them.Arcadio’s passion with early stage technology and its potential to change the world has expressed itself throughout his career. It shaped him professionally by providing deep experiences across multiple functional areas: strategy, marketing & sales, operations and finance. Above all it instilled a sense of self-reliance and a focus on simply “getting things done.”Arcadio’s specialities include: Private Equity Finance, New Business Formation and Development, Business Strategy, Marketing & Sales Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate Finance

Mac Sims, President, East Greensboro NOWPresident since inception in 1997, Sims has experience working as a consultant/developer for community development corporations in Wilmington, NC and Washington, NC, regarding single-family housing development and construction, as well as tax credit experience for multi-family housing developments. Prior to EGN, Sims worked for Weaver Cooke Construction Company, LLC, serving in a variety of roles that included: commercial and residential real estate development, commercial and multi-family real estate management, business development manager and marketing manager for construction. He serves on a number of local advisory boards and boards of directors including Salvation Army, the YMCA, and Wellspring Retirement Community. He is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University.

Doug Matthews is the Assistant City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan. There here oversees internal operational functions to include human resources, IT, performance management, communications, equity and engagement. During his career he has helped build open data, community engagement and performance management programs for several cities, including Grand Rapids and Austin, Texas. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Innovation and was recognized by the Obama Administration as one of 11 “Champions for Change” in local government innovation.

Rob Linn is a seventh generation Detroiter and the Inventory Director at the Detroit Land Bank Authority, where he manages an inventory of 86,000 parcels and oversees research, strategy, field operations, and land use policy development for the organization. At the DLBA, Rob’s work is focused on housing strategy, vacant land planning, demographic and real estate analysis, and leveraging data to create more granular and proactive responses to the city’s vacant properties. In addition to his work at the land bank, Robert serves as an adjunct professor of GIS and statistics at Lawrence Technological University, and is on the board of the Michigan Association of Land Banks. He holds a BA in Economics and an MUP in Housing and Economic Development from the University of Michigan and is an author of several books, including Mapping Detroit: Land, Community, and Shaping a City (2015), and Belle Isle to 8 Mile: An Insider’s Guide to Detroit (2018).

Krista joined the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority (CCLBA) in 2011 as part of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program team and was appointed as Executive Director in 2013. She also serves as the Michigan Association of Land Banks (MALB) Board of Directors Chair.Prior to her work at the CCLBA, she spent several years as a County Planner in Indiana before relocating to Michigan and delving into the effects of foreclosure, vacancy and abandonment on municipalities.At the CCLBA, Krista helped develop its mission and created the framework for its efforts in community stabilization and revitalization. She works to promote and further the goals of the Land Bank by collaborating with local partners on innovative strategies and funding streams. Krista leads a creative team of dedicated individuals focused on building capacity around, and positioning its properties for, reuse and/or redevelopment. Krista has twenty years of experience and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan in Urban and Regional Planning. After serving for two years as the Vice Chair of MALB, she now serves as its Chair.

Shawntera M. Hardy is an award winning policy professional and serial entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience leading work in the areas of government affairs, healthcare access, economic and workforce development, environmental sustainability, city planning, and international affairs. Shawntera’s current leadership includes her roles as the founder of PolicyGrounds Consulting, a strategic management firm working at the intersection of public policy, organizational effectiveness, and placemaking; the cofounder and chief strategy officer for Civic Eagle, a tech company building policy intelligence software that automates state and federal legislative tracking; and as the cofounder of Fearless Commerce, a publication and platform focused on elevating Black women business owners.Prior to going full-time in her business ventures, Shawntera was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton as the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) where she led a team of 1300 public servants and an annual budget of over $600 million. While at DEED, she played a critical role in shaping the lives of everyday Minnesotans by spearheading the state’s investment in inclusive economic growth and operational excellence. Additional past leadership roles for Shawntera include: deputy chief of staff for Governor Mark Dayton; policy director for FreshEnergy; government relations manager for HealthPartners; and city planner for the City of Saint Paul. Shawntera has a strong commitment to serving in the community. She is currently a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis community advisory committee; Minnesota Public Radio board of trustee; Great North Labs advisor; and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, a global sorority grounded in servant-leadership. To ensure access to educational opportunities, Hardy co-founded and co-directs the Fatima Kinshasa Memorial Fund and the Pioneer Scholars Award, both at The Ohio State University. Born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, Shawntera holds a Bachelor of Science in Consumer Affairs from The Ohio State University, and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning. Shawntera lives in Saint Paul, MN with her husband Aasim.

Jim is Vice President of Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Director of its Thriving Communities Institute. He is involved in a number of activities, including the establishment of almost 60 County Land Banks throughout Ohio and working in Columbus and Washington, D.C. to raise funds for Ohio communities to deal with distressed properties. Rokakis served for 19 years on the Cleveland City Council – the last seven as chairman of the finance committee. In 1997, Rokakis took office as Cuyahoga County Treasurer. Faced with Cuyahoga County’s mortgage foreclosure crisis, Rokakis helped to write and pass House Bill 294, which streamlined the foreclosure process for abandoned properties. Additionally, Rokakis was the driving force behind a bill that allowed for the creation of the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation, also known as the Cuyahoga Land Bank.Former Attorney General, and current Governor Mike DeWine recently stated that Rokakis was the reason behind his decision to allocate 75 million dollars of Ohio’s 93 million dollars from the “Robo-signing” settlement for demolition. Rokakis helped to put the Ohio program and its rules into place. He played an integral role in the U.S. Treasury Department’s decision to allocate a portion of the Hardest Hit Fund for demolition and in Cuyahoga County’s commitment of $50 million dollars for demolition. Working with the Ohio Congressional delegation he led the effort to reallocate an additional 2 billion dollars to the Hardest Hit Funds last December—with 192 million of those dollars coming to Ohio. To date, Rokakis has raised almost 450 million for the demolition of over 40,000 blighted structures in Ohio. He is the recipient of numerous local, state and national awards, including being named “County Leader of the Year” by American City and County Magazine in 2007, and the recipient of the Cleveland Foundation’s Wadsworth Award in 2016. In December 2011, Rokakis was featured on the CBS program “60 Minutes”, discussing the need to fund demolition in distressed urban areas. He has written for numerous publications including the Washington Post where he wrote the cover story for the Outlook section about the foreclosure crisis and Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood.Rokakis earned his undergraduate degree at Oberlin College and his Juris Doctorate degree from Cleveland-Marshall School of Law.

Natalie Pruett is an urban economist and strategist. She has ten years of experience blending statistical analysis, institutional insights, and community input to improve the impact and transparency of governments and nonprofits. Natalie’s work centers on urban development, urban resilience, vacant property adaptation, public land management, land banking, and real estate valuation and taxation. She works with an array of government and nonprofit institutions that have included the City of Flint, the Genesee County Land Bank Authority, the Center for Community Progress, the Center for Local Government Finance and Policy at Michigan State University, and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint. Natalie has led the development and implementation of bold plans and programs. In 2013, she was commissioned by the City of Flint to author a five-year blight elimination plan. Much of Natalie’s work is devoted to creating data-driven planning products that prioritize transparency and improving quality of life. She led the development of the Flint Property Portal, an online platform for property information-sharing, which was awarded the international Engaged Cities Award by Cities of Service in 2019. She has authored several policy reports and academic papers, including publications on tax foreclosure, municipal fiscal health monitoring, and community-based greening. Her planning, policy, and research is grounded by extensive experience working with grassroots organizations and community-based groups. Natalie holds a MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science as well as a BS in Economics and a BA in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy from the James Madison College at Michigan State University. She is currently completing a PhD in urban economics at the London School of Economics and Political science where her research centers on urban housing and resilience. She is a proud native of Flint, Michigan.

Joseph van Dyk served the City of Gary, Indiana for nearly ten years, most recently as the Director of Planning and Redevelopment. During his tenure, Joe managed economic development initiatives and negotiations with large employers like US Steel; led the Gary parcel survey and associated Gary Counts initiative; and spearheaded the city's blight elimination strategy, including oversight of major demolition projects and management of the city's Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program. Joe partnered with state legislators to advance land banking and redevelopment statutes in Indiana, creating new tools for redevelopment commissions to combat property speculation and re-purpose unproductive land. Under Joe's leadership, the City of Gary adopted a new comprehensive plan in 2019 featuring novel approaches to land use planning and redevelopment in disinvested communities. Joe currently lives in Seattle, Washington where he works as a city planner.

Jerry Paffendorf is co-founder and CEO of Loveland Technologies, a nationwide property data and GIS software company that runs landgrid.com.Visitors to landgrid.com can surf nationwide property data for free, subscribe to GIS software, commission white label GIS systems, and license the data for use inside of their own apps and databases. Customers range from large real estate, insurance, energy, data, and other businesses, to governments, community development organizations, block clubs, and motivated individuals. The common thread is that all of them need to understand how the world is subdivided, owned, inhabited, and used in order to understand the world, make plans, and get their work done successfully.Jerry grew up in New Jersey and has a GED, a BFA from Montclair State University, and an MS in Studies of the Future from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. He and his wife split their time between Detroit and Calumet, MI, an old copper mining city way up on the west side of Michigan's Upper Peninsula where he has been developing a geology interest and a rockhounding problem on the beaches of Lake Superior, which you can see if you follow him on Twitter or Instagram.

Michael Schramm is the Director of IT and Research at the Cuyahoga Land Bank and Research Associate at the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development in the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.At the County Lank Bank, Michael is currently developing information tools to help the corporation use data to make strategic acquisition decisions as well as track property status from acquisition to demolition to disposition. Recognized as a national expert in property data systems, Michael is also extensively involved in the development and maintenance the neighborhood information system, NEO CANDO (Northeast Ohio Community and Neighborhood Data for Organizing). Michael's expertise on foreclosure, subprime mortgages, and other real property data has been extensively utilized by the Neighborhood Stabilization Team sponsored by Neighborhood Progress, Inc, the Cuyahoga County Foreclosure Prevention Program as well as the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. He is also active in the local foreclosure and vacant property dialogue through VAPAC (Vacant and Abandoned Property Action Council) and has presented at numerous national meetings and conferences on these topics. Michael has B.S. degrees in Geography and Meteorology from Penn State University and a M.A. in Geography from Syracuse University.

In this episode we're joined by Eric Schertzing, Treasurer of Ingham County, Michigan and Ingham County and Bank Chair.Eric led the creation of the Ingham County Land Bank Fast Track Authority in 2005, the second County authority in Michigan, and serves as Chair and is a leader in the tri-county area for foreclosure prevention and consumer financial literacy. He serves on the Capital Area Community Services Board of Directors and is a member of the Michigan Government Finance Officers Association (MGFOA), Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) the Congress for New Urbanism, the Michigan Sense of Place Council, and many other financial and development organizations.

In this episode we're joined by Sally Martin, Housing Director for the City of South Euclid, Ohio.Since 2009, Sally Martin has served as the Housing Director for the City of South Euclid. Her main duties include managing residential code enforcement and overseeing the daily operation of the Housing Department. In addition, Martin helped establish the city’s affiliate community development corporation, One South Euclid, creating the Build-Grow-Thrive Residential Resale program, which has provided the main income stream for the non-profit. Since 2009, she has served on the region’s Vacant and Abandoned Property Action Council where she chairs the delinquent tax committee and has coauthored papers and studies on housing policy issues. She is a regular speaker at local, state, and national conferences, and serves on the boards of the Cuyahoga Housing Consortium, and Solutions at Work, Inc (SAW). She currently serves as the chair of the executive committee for the Greater Cleveland Reinvestment Coalition. Martin has a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications.

In this episode we're joined by Ian Beniston, Executive Director of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation. He holds a Master of City and Regional Planning, is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a National Development Council Housing Development Finance Professional, and serves on the Board of Directors of Community Corrections Association, Ohio Poverty Law Center, and ACTION.

This episode we spoke with Alan Mallach, a senior fellow with the Center for Community Progress and lecturer in the Graduate Center on Planning and the Environment at Pratt Institute. Alan has been engaged as a practitioner, scholar and advocate with the challenges of rebuilding America’s cities and their neighborhoods for over fifty years.