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What background do you have with urban renewal or tax increment financing projects?
<br />Alexis Adler
<br />For my Master of Public Administration Capstone project, I worked with the City and County of Denver Mayor's Office of the National Western Center to aid in the development of an
<br />Agribusiness Innovation Center at the future National Western Center campus. Funding for the National Western Center comes from a variety of sources, including Regional Tourism Act funds
<br />administered by the Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA). The RTA funding accounts for approximately 14% of the total finance plan for phases 1 and 2 of National Western Center.
<br />DURA also provided a report for the Mayor's Office to support strategic planning regarding the proposed relocation of the National Western Stock Show Complex. For increased project context
<br />and understanding, I met with Executive Director of DURA, Tracy Huggins. For my research, I conducted mixed methods analysis for benchmarking community engagement practices of 36
<br />innovation centers/incubators across the United States. I provided recommendations to the Mayor's Office of the National Western Center for ways to engage neighborhood residents,
<br />businesses, nonprofits, and local educational institutions in the future Agribusiness Innovation Center at the National Western Center. To develop the innovation center concept, I worked in
<br />partnership with the NextGEN Agribusiness Strategy Team, including the Executive Director of the National Western Center Office, Denver's Chief Economist and Denver's Office of Economic
<br />Development.
<br />In my work with the City of Boulder's Department of Community Vitality, I assisted in the development of the Boulder Civic Area. Boulder's 9th and Canyon Urban Renewal Plan was a key
<br />component of the Civic Area project and included the development of a Civic Use Pad adjacent to the St. Julien Hotel. In my job with the Civic Area project, I helped facilitate working groups in
<br />the areas of innovation, arts, and local foods to seek recommendations for capital development. We gathered local business stakeholders, non-profit representatives, and thought leaders to
<br />discuss future capital redevelopment projects in the Boulder Civic Area. Capital projects included an Arts and cultural facility, an indoor farmer's market and an innovation center. I also
<br />researched and analyzed current meeting space usage to formulate projections of future redevelopment in the area.
<br />Sherry Sommer
<br />I have not worked professionally in urban renewal or tax increment financing. Nevertheless, I would bring a valuable and informed perspective to the LRC. Any further knowledge that I would
<br />need to have could be learned.
<br />One thing I have noticed through attending city meetings and taking part in workshops is how much professional background shapes worldview. This can be an asset, but it can also be a
<br />limitation. People are trained to think and respond in certain ways through their training, and this training can create a very powerful lens through which they see the world. I think this can
<br />sometimes be one source of the very common occurrence we see in politics -people speaking past one another, unable to come to shared understandings or direction. Does this mean
<br />discount professional experience in politics? Absolutely not! I do think, however, that it would be beneficial for conversation in the LRC to include my voice. A citizen like myself who is living life
<br />in Louisville, cares about the direction of the town, and who can relate to the viewpoint of many other citizens has something important to offer in a discussion.
<br />Having said this, I think it's very important to be well versed, and I would be committed to learning all that I could about TIF and urban renewal. I love learning, both inside and outside of the
<br />classroom. I have a B.A (Phi Beta Kappa) from Colorado College, an M.A from C.U. Boulder in Political Science, and an M.A in Teaching English as a Second Language from UCD. Along the
<br />way I have exposure to a wide variety of classes, including several in statistics which would help me work in this position. In addition to my formal education, I read widely on a variety of topics
<br />and am continually learning. Of course, learning isn't just academic -I believe it is essential to look to mentors for advice and perspective, and I continually look for people I can learn from. There
<br />are many well informed and experienced individuals in our city and on our staff and they would be an invaluable resource. Given my background and interests, I have confidence that I could
<br />understand and work with people and with any information necessary to be successful in this position.
<br />Darryl LaRue
<br />I have built multiple technology businesses on both coasts and have sold two of them. I have run companies of 1-100 employees and have been an executive in companies with 100s of
<br />thousands. Operations, sales, negotiations, relationship management and marketing are in my DNA.
<br />I do not have experience in tax increment financing projects, but I am a quick study and believe my background will provide a new view.
<br />Michael Menaker
<br />As a member of the LRC for the past eleven years, I have participated in every discussion about financing alternatives for urban renewal projects in Louisville. I am familiar with all the details of
<br />the LRC issued and privately purchased bonds used to finance critical infrastructure in the urban renewal area. And, I have complete familiarity with the most current revenue/ expense/budget
<br />projections.
<br />Debra Baskett
<br />I do not have direct experience with urban renewal or tax increment financing projects. During my 30 year career in public service for three local governments along the US 36 corridor, RTD
<br />and as the first Executive Director of Commuting Solutions I have helped create land use and transportation plans laying the foundation for development and redevelopment. My leadership in
<br />coordinating policy, planning, communication and advocacy have helped to lay the foundation for successful development and redevelopment.
<br />Rich Bradfield
<br />I have no direct experience with urban renewal or tax increment financing projects. I do have training and experience in: corporate planning, financial analysis for mergers & acquisitions and
<br />new business projects, budgeting, cost accounting, reporting and policy analysis.
<br />Mark Cathcart
<br />2007-2010 - Planning Contact Officer for Austin Texas historic, downtown, home of "Keep Austin Weird" Neighbordhood.
<br />In this role, as well as working with home owners and business to review their initial designs and planning applications, Mark was responsible for sheparding through his neighborhood, the
<br />convertial Vertical Mixed Use ordinance enabling overlay districts on existing planning/zoning maps. I was able to secure neighborhood approval for the key South 1st, Oltorf and South
<br />Congress transit corridors, including the historic and travel destination of South Congress. The nighborhood also agreed to adopt an affordable
<br />housing elemnet in exchange for minimum parking requirements. This is still paying off today, some 8-years later as older properties, which are at the end of life, or no longer an approporiate
<br />use, get replaced.
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