Amber Seely

I am a community development professional contributing to transformational real estate developments and the creation of affordable housing

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States Contact Info
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Activity

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Experience

  • National Affordable Housing Trust (NAHT) Graphic

    Senior Development Advisor

    National Affordable Housing Trust (NAHT)

    - Present 1 year 10 months

    United States

    Consulting on affordable housing financing and the real estate development process

  • Pennrose Graphic

    Senior Developer

    Pennrose

    - 3 years 4 months

    Cincinnati Area, KY

    Grow field office in first 3 years from 2 development agreements to 459 funded units in 6 deals (5 LIHTC).Building affordable, market rate, mixed-income and mixed use developments throughout Ohio. Incorporating a variety of public-private funding sources including Low Income Housing Tax Credits (9% and 4%), HOME, CDBG, New Market Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits as well as utilizing a variety of debt products from conventional, CDFI, HUD and FannieMae sources.

  • Tulane University Graphic

    Adjunct Professor

    Tulane University

    - 4 years 5 months

    Greater New Orleans Area

    Taught "Intro to Real Estate Finance" and "Business of Real Estate Development" (real estate project management) within Tulane's Masters In Sustainable Real Estate Development program.

  • Director of Development

    Renaissance Property Group

    - 3 years 7 months

    Greater New Orleans Area

    Identification of New Development Opportunities.
    • Identify new development candidates, primarily in the New Orleans metro area but occasionally elsewhere, then evaluate profitability, define the risk profile and feasibility of potential projects.
    • Keep abreast of development, acquisition, recapitalization and disposition policies as a result of legislative, policy and market driven changes.

    Development
    • Prepare and lead tax credit and financing applications and…

    Identification of New Development Opportunities.
    • Identify new development candidates, primarily in the New Orleans metro area but occasionally elsewhere, then evaluate profitability, define the risk profile and feasibility of potential projects.
    • Keep abreast of development, acquisition, recapitalization and disposition policies as a result of legislative, policy and market driven changes.

    Development
    • Prepare and lead tax credit and financing applications and underwriting.
    • Management of the “due diligence” process precedent to real estate and financial closings
    • Project Management of developments during predevelopment
    • Preparation for and execution of financial closing
    • Oversight of project requirements during the construction and stabilization phases.
    • Construction management and facilitating draw requests

    Asset Management.
    • Supervision of operations and property managers, and fulfillment of funder, limited partner and lender reporting requirements for a portfolio of properties.

  • New Orleans Regional Planning Commisson Graphic

    Director of Economic Development

    New Orleans Regional Planning Commisson

    - 1 year 9 months

    New Orleans LA

    • Prepare two applications to Economic Development Administration (EDA) totaling $700,000; one successful application to support a consortium for innovation in econ. dev. involving 11 universities and 8 econ. dev. organizations signing an MOU, providing letters of support and providing matching funds; a second to study value added manufacturing in the region involving 5 organizations
    • Prepare a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the New Orleans region through a 20 month…

    • Prepare two applications to Economic Development Administration (EDA) totaling $700,000; one successful application to support a consortium for innovation in econ. dev. involving 11 universities and 8 econ. dev. organizations signing an MOU, providing letters of support and providing matching funds; a second to study value added manufacturing in the region involving 5 organizations
    • Prepare a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the New Orleans region through a 20 month inclusive process, for submission to the Economic Development Administration (EDA)
    • Launch an University Asset Inventory Database, part of managing a research consultancy on University-Industry Collaboration for Innovation and economic development
    • Developed and disseminated workforce development research on Quality Jobs to regional Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs)
    • Facilitated access to EDA & Delta Regional Authority federal funding programs as local liaison for regional organizations

  • Spark InSites Graphic

    Managing Partner

    Spark InSites

    - 3 years 11 months

    Spark InSite, a real estate market analysis and community development consulting firm.

    • Wrote business plan for real estate market analysis firm, assembled a team of professional partners, and won $250,000 start-up capital through the Rockefeller Foundation Innovation Fund
    • Conceptualized & created products; neighborhood focused analysis & underwriting reports, developed additional professional services including impact analysis, strategic planning, & public policy consulting…

    Spark InSite, a real estate market analysis and community development consulting firm.

    • Wrote business plan for real estate market analysis firm, assembled a team of professional partners, and won $250,000 start-up capital through the Rockefeller Foundation Innovation Fund
    • Conceptualized & created products; neighborhood focused analysis & underwriting reports, developed additional professional services including impact analysis, strategic planning, & public policy consulting
    • Developed all internal systems including data collection and management systems
    • Performed 45 analyses for 20 clients in multiple states
    • Developed $20M neighborhood redevelopment plan for American Red Cross in Port au Prince, Haiti
    • Evaluated New Market Tax Credit applications requesting $850M for the federal agency CDFI Fund

  • Volunteers of America Graphic

    Finance Program Director - CUREX Fellow

    Volunteers of America

    - 3 years 9 months

    Alumn of the Rockefeller Foundation Redevelopment Fellowship in New Orleans through the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence (CUREx).

    Finance Program Director at Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corporation (RNDC) a subsidiary of Volunteers of America with a goal of creating 1,000 units of housing in Post-Katrina New Orleans.

    We have 350 units of mixed-income rental housing in lease-up, 130 units under construction in New Orleans and 240…

    Alumn of the Rockefeller Foundation Redevelopment Fellowship in New Orleans through the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence (CUREx).

    Finance Program Director at Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corporation (RNDC) a subsidiary of Volunteers of America with a goal of creating 1,000 units of housing in Post-Katrina New Orleans.

    We have 350 units of mixed-income rental housing in lease-up, 130 units under construction in New Orleans and 240 units in predevelopment.

    • Prepared six applications for Low Income Housing Tax Credits for multi-family developments of 100-210 of units each – four of the six were awarded
    • Managed the closing teams for 2 multi-family developments totaling $48 million and 224 units
    • Successfully applied for $18 million of Community Development Block Grants
    • Applied and was approved for taxable bond issue for $9M
    • Applied and was approved for a Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) worth $50,000 in annual savings
    • Selected and acquired two properties each occupying a full city block in different neighborhoods
    • Wrote the RFP and managed the selection process for various professional service contracts worth $5,000-$500,000 annually
    • Conducted the community outreach for three mixed-income multi-family real estate developments
    • Prepared and presented the land use approvals for three multi-family developments in two jurisdictions
    • Managed the re-branding , marketing and lease-up preparation for one development of 150 units

  • Economic Development Management Intern

    Port Authority if New York & New Jersey

    - 1 year 1 month

    • Evaluated the RFQ & RFP responses for (1) master planning services for the Queens West development and crafted a recommendation that resulted in the award of a $1.5 million contract and (2) highest and best use analysis of The Powerhouse building in Jersey City, NJ and created a recommendation for awarding the $400,000 contract
    • Evaluated the Port Authority’s previous application for an allocation of New Market Tax Credits (NMTC), then created a new NMTC program strategy accepted by…

    • Evaluated the RFQ & RFP responses for (1) master planning services for the Queens West development and crafted a recommendation that resulted in the award of a $1.5 million contract and (2) highest and best use analysis of The Powerhouse building in Jersey City, NJ and created a recommendation for awarding the $400,000 contract
    • Evaluated the Port Authority’s previous application for an allocation of New Market Tax Credits (NMTC), then created a new NMTC program strategy accepted by management
    • Wrote application for a $120 million allocation of NMTC. Development process included:
    o Initiating relationships with partner organizations
    o Developing a pipeline of projects totaling $500 million
    o Negotiating letters of interest from investors totaling $175 million
    o Creating an econometric model for capturing the economic impacts of NMTC projects
    o Financial analysis to determine readiness of projects and creation of a timeline for tax credit dispersal

  • Milano The New School for Management And Urban Policy Graphic

    Co-Author, Small Business Capital Study for NYC Economic Development Corporation

    Milano The New School for Management And Urban Policy

    - less than a year

    • Work published as “The Five Gaps Facing Small and Microbusiness Owners: Evidence from New York City” March 2010 Economic Development Quarterly, Authors: Lisa J. Servon, Robert W. Fairlie, Blaise Rastello, and Amber Seely
    • Placed winning bid on a RFP issued by NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) to research the supply and demand for small business capital in New York City, identified strategies for NYCEDC to improve access to capital for low income business owners, and made…

    • Work published as “The Five Gaps Facing Small and Microbusiness Owners: Evidence from New York City” March 2010 Economic Development Quarterly, Authors: Lisa J. Servon, Robert W. Fairlie, Blaise Rastello, and Amber Seely
    • Placed winning bid on a RFP issued by NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) to research the supply and demand for small business capital in New York City, identified strategies for NYCEDC to improve access to capital for low income business owners, and made recommendations for the City’s role in various initiatives
    • Research collaborator include: Lisa Servon Dean at Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy, Blaise Rastello at Urban Oasis, Rob Fairlie at University of California Santa Cruz, Jason Friedman at Women Entrepreneurs of Baltimore, Inc, and Greg Stanton at Wall Street Without Walls

  • Co Founder & Chief Operating Officer

    TolkienTown.com

    - 3 years

    • Created and implemented strategies that grew annual sales of online retailer from $0 to $3 million in 3 years
    • Conceptualized and implemented purchasing strategy for just in time inventory system that resulted in 20% reduction in backorders and a 40% reduction in time spent preparing purchase orders
    • Brought in investment capital to supply funding for product expansion by conducting market research and producing a strategic purchasing report of new products with each product’s…

    • Created and implemented strategies that grew annual sales of online retailer from $0 to $3 million in 3 years
    • Conceptualized and implemented purchasing strategy for just in time inventory system that resulted in 20% reduction in backorders and a 40% reduction in time spent preparing purchase orders
    • Brought in investment capital to supply funding for product expansion by conducting market research and producing a strategic purchasing report of new products with each product’s projected revenue stream
    • Replicated business model with SpideyShop.com, trained successors, exited firm to enter graduate school

  • Sterling Commerce Graphic

    HR Intern

    Sterling Commerce

    - 2 years

Education

  • University of Pennsylvania Graphic

    University of Pennsylvania

    Certificate Urban Redevelopment

    -

  • The New School Graphic

    The New School

    MA Urban Policy, Economic Development

    -

    Activities and Societies: Milano The New School For Management And Urban Policy • 2007 Jacob M. Kaplan Award for Outstanding Student in Urban Policy, Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy • Student Speaker, 2007 New School University Commencement • Finance Lab Fellow 2005-2007, Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy

  • Gordon College Graphic

    Gordon College

    BA International Affairs

    -

    Combination of Economics and Political Science

  • Jerusalem University College

    Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) International Study Abroad

    -

Licenses & Certifications

  • Delta Regional Authority Project Specialist

    National Association for Development Organizations

    Issued
    Credential ID N/A

  • Project Management for Development Professionals

    APM Group / PMD Pro

    Issued
    Credential ID PMD/446075

  • Certified Market Analyst

    National Council for Affordable Housing Market Analysts

    Issued
    Credential ID N/A

Projects

  • 1770 Tchoupitoulas: A Visionary Riverfront Community

    -

    Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corporation (RNDC), a subsidiary of Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans (VOAGNO) and Volunteers of America Inc., challenged our New School team to create a proposal for affordable and market rate housing combined with commercial space on 90,000 square feet of riverfront property in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District. Our team proposed a visionary LEED silver-certified structure with 141 units of housing (87 affordable) and 36,819 square feet of…

    Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corporation (RNDC), a subsidiary of Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans (VOAGNO) and Volunteers of America Inc., challenged our New School team to create a proposal for affordable and market rate housing combined with commercial space on 90,000 square feet of riverfront property in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District. Our team proposed a visionary LEED silver-certified structure with 141 units of housing (87 affordable) and 36,819 square feet of commercial space that sought to achieve a triple bottom line through its environmental sustainability, community benefits and financial viability. Project broke ground in October 2012.

    Other creators
    See project

  • 1770 Tchoupitoulas: A Visionary Riverfront Community

    -

    Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corporation (RNDC), a subsidiary of Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans (VOAGNO) and Volunteers of America Inc., challenged our New School team to create a proposal for affordable and market rate housing combined with commercial space on 90,000 square feet of riverfront property in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District. Our team proposed a visionary LEED silver-certified structure with 141 units of housing (87 affordable) and 36,819 square feet of…

    Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corporation (RNDC), a subsidiary of Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans (VOAGNO) and Volunteers of America Inc., challenged our New School team to create a proposal for affordable and market rate housing combined with commercial space on 90,000 square feet of riverfront property in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District. Our team proposed a visionary LEED silver-certified structure with 141 units of housing (87 affordable) and 36,819 square feet of commercial space that sought to achieve a triple bottom line through its environmental sustainability, community benefits and financial viability. Project broke ground in October 2012.

    Other creators
    See project

  • 1770 Tchoupitoulas: A Visionary Riverfront Community

    -

    Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corporation (RNDC), a subsidiary of Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans (VOAGNO) and Volunteers of America Inc., challenged our New School team to create a proposal for affordable and market rate housing combined with commercial space on 90,000 square feet of riverfront property in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District. Our team proposed a visionary LEED silver-certified structure with 141 units of housing (87 affordable) and 36,819 square feet of…

    Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corporation (RNDC), a subsidiary of Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans (VOAGNO) and Volunteers of America Inc., challenged our New School team to create a proposal for affordable and market rate housing combined with commercial space on 90,000 square feet of riverfront property in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District. Our team proposed a visionary LEED silver-certified structure with 141 units of housing (87 affordable) and 36,819 square feet of commercial space that sought to achieve a triple bottom line through its environmental sustainability, community benefits and financial viability. Project broke ground in October 2012.

    Other creators
    See project

Languages

  • American Sign Language

    -

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