Federal Qualified Opportunity Zones Webinar
Wednesday, February 6th – 1:00 pm-2:00 pm
As part of 2017 federal tax reform, Congress created new tax benefits for certain investments in low-income communities designated as Qualified Opportunity Zones. During 2018 Ohio designated 320 Opportunity Zones, the maximum allowed.
This webinar will provide an overview of the technical aspects of the program. Suggested strategies will be offered for using the QOZ program in mid-western cities and how you can combine QOZ investments with other economic incentives.
Speakers:
Kelly Bissinger
Kelly is a partner in the Vorys Washington, D.C. office and a member of the finance, energy and real estate group. Her practice is focused on real estate and tax matters. Kelly represents clients from all perspectives of the acquisition, financing, ownership, development and sale of office buildings, apartment projects, mixed-use and other commercial properties. In particular, she has experience representing both institutional and developer clients in connection with structuring and negotiating real estate joint ventures with an emphasis on the tax planning aspects of such transactions.
In addition, Kelly has extensive experience advising developers, syndicators and investors on low-income housing, historic, new market and energy tax credits matters, including legislative and regulatory developments, originations, secondary market acquisitions and dispositions, end of compliance period planning and workouts.In 2013, Kelly was named one of Real Estate Bisnow’s (D.C.) 35 Under 35: Rising Stars in Commercial Real Estate. Kelly received her LL.M. with distinction in taxation and her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. She received her B.A. cum laude from Tulane University. Prior to joining Vorys, Kelly was an attorney with Goulston & Storrs P.C. and Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP.
Avram Fecher
Before co-founding EquityPlus, Mr. Fechter worked for the District Government underwriting and closing over $400 million in LIHTC and NMTC financed projects while deploying $3 million of 9% LIHTC Allocation and $80 million of District Government loans. Mr. Fechter has closed over $800 million in NMTC/HTC/LIHTC financing and has served as an NMTC Allocation Application reader for the CDFI Fund. Mr. Fechter has a Masters Degree in Public Policy from Rutgers University. He lives in Aldie, Virginia with his wife, Linnea, and two children, Alana and Evan.
Joseph Mann
Joseph is a partner in the Vorys Columbus office, a member of the tax group and the head of the federal tax subgroup. He practices generally in the area of federal taxation, including public and private mergers, tax-free and taxable acquisitions and divestitures, partnerships, limited liability companies, S corporations, joint ventures, venture capital, real estate, restructurings, financing and equity transactions. Joseph advises in transactions involving federal New Markets Tax Credits and Historic Tax Credits. Joseph’s federal practice also includes tax aspects of the oil and gas industry, including divestitures and joint ventures relating to interests in the Utica Shale formation in eastern Ohio.
This webinar is a benefit of Heritage Ohio membership, to become a member click HERE
Heritage Ohio Members, register for the webinar click HERE
Using Utility Project Funding to Improve More Than the Just the Pipes Webinar
Wednesday, January 9th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
How the City of Newark leveraged a sewer separation project to revitalize their downtown. Faced with US EPA mandates to separate its combined sewer system and wanting to improve the look and feel of the historic Downtown square, the City of Newark was able to put together financing to not only improve failing infrastructure but revitalize the square as well.
Speaker: Roger Loomis
Water Administrator City of Newark, Division of Water and Wastewater
Total of 41 years of experience at various water and wastewater facilities working in all facets of the water and wastewater utility business. B.S. Business Administration, Human Resources from The Ohio State University, A.A.S. Turfgrass Management from Agricultural Technical Institute of Wooster, Class III Water Supply Certification, and Class IV Wastewater Treatment Certification.
This webinar is a benefit of Heritage Ohio membership, to become a member click HERE
Heritage Ohio Members, register for the webinar click HERE
Revitalizing America’s Smaller Legacy Cities: Tools for Local Leaders Webinar
Wednesday, June 20th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Smaller legacy cities – older industrial communities with about 30,000 to 200,000 residents – are undergoing significant transformations as they adapt to twenty-first-century economic realities. Revitalizing America’s Smaller Legacy Cities, a report from Greater Ohio Policy Center and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, documents the unique challenges and opportunities facing these communities as they seek to revitalize and thrive. Eight strategies for small city urban revitalization emerged from that report, and this toolkit is meant to provide additional resources to practitioners working on the ground to implement them.
This webinar will prove useful for individuals in community organizations, local government, community lending, philanthropy or anyone else who is interested in urban revitalization in small legacy cities.
Speaker: John Collier
Manager of Research, Greater Ohio Policy Center
As Manager of Research for the Greater Ohio Policy Center, John provides support on research projects, contributes to policy development, and works with partners statewide. Since joining GOPC in 2016, John has provided data-driven research on a variety of GOPC’s core issues areas including brownfields, housing, and urban revitalization in small legacy cities. John is an Ohio native, born and raised in Toledo and a graduate of The Ohio State University where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in City and Regional Planning.
This webinar is a benefit of Heritage Ohio membership, to become a member click HERE
Heritage Ohio Members, register for the webinar click HERE