Ahead of the Curve

Latest Episodes:

Episode 28: Jeffrey Schwartz (Part 1) Jun 15, 2021

Show notes

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 communities
About Jeffrey Schwartz
Jeffrey 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.

Episode 27: Cornell Wesley Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

This episode covers community-minded development, strategies for avoiding displacement, metrics for measuring impact, and the role of partnerships and collaboration.
About Cornell Wesley
With 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.

Episode 26: David Fields May 11, 2021

Show notes

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 Fields
David 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.

Episode 25: Rosie Truelove Apr 27, 2021

Show notes

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 Truelove
Rosie 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.

Episode 24: Karen Freeman-Wilson Apr 20, 2021

Show notes

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-Wilson
Karen 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.

Episode 23: Michael Piscitelli Apr 13, 2021

Show notes

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 development

About Michael Piscitelli
Michael 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.

Episode 22: Paul Young Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

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 Young
Paul 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.

Episode 21: Lauren Lowery Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

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 Lowery
Lauren 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.

Episode 20: Veronica Briseño Mar 12, 2021

Show notes

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 Briseño
Veronica 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.

Episode 19: Richard Leverett Feb 16, 2021

Show notes

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.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected