Professional

 

Strategic Community Development Executive

Values-driven leader with a proven track record in asset-based community development. Expert at navigating the intersection of complex public policy, fiscal constraint, and political sensitivity to deliver high-ROI infrastructure and housing projects. Specialist in building regional coalitions and centering equity to achieve sustainable, long-term victories for diverse communities. Click here for my resume on LinkedIn.

Core Competencies

  • Political Navigation & Advocacy: Expert at securing buy-in within progressive political environments for controversial or large-scale infrastructure and development projects.

  • Strategic Fiscal Management: Skilled in making difficult tradeoff decisions in resource-constrained environments while identifying creative funding mechanisms (P3s, bonding, land-banking).

  • Intergovernmental Relations: Advanced navigation of local, regional (Metro), and state-level policy frameworks and official relationships.

  • Equity-Centered Leadership: Deep commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), integrated into the design and delivery of public services.

Professional Abilities 

Economic & Workforce Development

  • Incentive Structuring: Expert in crafting public-sector incentives and industry-specific supply chain strategies to drive business retention and job growth.

  • Workforce Integration: Skilled in negotiating Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and aligning training programs with industrial needs and human services frameworks.

Infrastructure, Mobility & Housing

  • Capital Improvement Planning: Specialist in long-term financing strategies, asset management, and bridging funding gaps via P3 models and bonding strategies.

  • Transit & Multi-modal Connectivity: Expert in policy/funding for light and high-speed rail, first/last-mile solutions, and multi-disciplinary safety strategies to eliminate transportation fatalities.

  • Housing Production: Expert in navigating private financing, public permitting, and compliance with Oregon-specific mandates (Metro, HNA/HAPO).

Specialized Public Facilities & Arts

  • School Facility Planning: Proven lead in consolidation planning and connecting deferred maintenance to long-term demographic shifts and investment plans.

  • Venue & Arts Strategy: Strategic advisor on arts investment and entertainment venue deal structures, leveraging cultural assets for urban vitality and placemaking.

Communication & Negotiation

  • Complex Negotiations: Highly proficient in drafting and negotiating Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs), leases, deed covenants, and PLAs.

  • High-Stakes Facilitation: Expert at distilling complex policy for executive-level briefings and community-facing engagement.

HIGHLIGHTED PROJECTS

Fiscal Innovation & Crisis Management

Richmond Public Schools 10-year CIP & facilities task force

The Challenge: A school district with extreme deferred maintenance and a government at its legal debt capacity—meaning traditional borrowing was off the table.

The Strategy: You didn't just ask for more money; you found it within existing assets.

The Solution:

  • Asset Monetization: Making hard decisions to close five schools and “right-size” overall facilities.

  • Tax Credit Integration: Leveraging historic tax credits for the rehabilitation of older school buildings that were closed and use that money for reinvestment into the system.

  • P3 Implementation: Using Public-Private Partnerships to address backlog of HVAC needs, thus avoiding having to take out additional debt to finance.

The Result: A viable, $800M financial roadmap that prioritized student safety and facility modernization without violating debt limits.

Political Navigation & Inclusive Technical Policy

ODOT toll policy & equity framework

The Challenge: Launching a massive, $2B+ tolling program in a region with high political skepticism and concerns regarding the disparate impact on low-income commuters.

The Strategy: Acted as the "Regional Convener" to bridge the gap between technical financial requirements and social equity mandates.

The Solution:

  • Crisis Communications: Acted as the public face for the state’s most scrutinized infrastructure initiatives, successfully translating complex financial and engineering data into narratives that stabilized stakeholder support.

  • The Equity Credit System: Collaborated with an Equity and Mobility Advisory Council, agency leadership, and Oregon Transportation Commission to bake a "social equity credit" into the tolling model—ensuring the project remained "bankable" for investors while protecting marginalized drivers.

  • Tribal Sovereignty: With agency leadership and Tribal liaisons, led a first-of-its-kind engagement with 16 Tribal nations to ensure land and treaty rights were respected through toll exemption.

The Result: Stabilized a $2B portfolio by moving the narrative from "revenue collection" to "regional mobility and equity."