Roberto Carmona, Executive Search and Management Consultant
David Gomez and Associates

Roberto has over 15 years of experience in management, human resources, strategic planning and leadership development in the federal government, the private sector and the non-profit sector. Roberto joined David Gomez and Associates (DGA) as an Executive Search and Management Consultant in 2005, where he provides business development, client management, recruitment services and executive coaching for Public Sector, Higher Education, Nonprofit, and Fortune 500 clients and candidates.

In 2002-2003 Roberto was awarded the NCLR's (National Council of La Raza) Mid Career Fellowship to attend the John F. Kennedy School of Government (KSG) at Harvard University. His focus of study at the KSG, were in the areas of community development, leadership, strategic planning and resource development. While studying at the KSG, Roberto served as a consultant for the Boston Workforce Development Coalition and Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation.  

After completing a Masters Degree in Public Administration (MPA) at Harvard, he returned to Washington, D.C. as Director of Programs for the New America Alliance (NAA). Roberto was lead liaison for the NAA on Capitol Hill and to the White House; he coordinated the NAA's 2003 Wall Street Summit in New York, represented the NAA on the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' Task Force on Corporate America and served as Project Director for the publication of a study entitled "The Status of American Latinos in Financial Services."

In 2004, Roberto returned to Chicago and worked as an independent consultant. He was as an environmental justice consultant for the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of the O'Hare Airport Modernization Program. Roberto was a marketing and professional development consultant to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) in Washington DC. In 2005, Roberto served as a strategic planning consultant to the American Hospital Association's/American Colleges of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Institute for Diversity and assisted in the launching of the National Forum of Latino Hospital Executives (NFLHE).

From 1997-2002, Roberto was a federal official in Washington DC, overseeing national programs in civil rights, workforce and community development for the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) and the  U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He helped establish HUD's Office of Rural Housing and Economic Development and represented USDOL for the multi-Federal agency $1.7 Billion Round II Empowerment Zone Competition.

From 1999-2000 Mr. Carmona was awarded Community Builder Fellowship by HUD and Harvard's KSG Executive Programs. In 2000, Roberto was appointed by USDOL as the National Monitor Advocate, where he oversaw federally funded employment services programs targeted to Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFWs)

From 1994-1997 Roberto served as Midwest Regional Director for the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). At the NCLR, he oversaw the implementation of federal and private grants targeted to assisting community-based organizations with their workforce, housing and economic development initiatives.           

From 1990-1994 Roberto was an academic advisor and recruiter for the LARES (Latin American and Educational Services) program University of Illinois at Chicago and prior to his work at UIC, Roberto served as an adult basic education instructor for Latino Youth Alternative High School and the City Colleges of Chicago.

Roberto completed a Master of Arts in Political Science from Northeastern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Arts from Northern Illinois University.

Chris King, Director
Ray Marshall Resources Center for the Study of Human Resources

Dr. Chris King is director of the Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resources and the Mike Hogg Professor in Urban Management at The University of Texas at Austin’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. He has written widely on education, workforce, and social policy, including Education and Work After High School: First Look at the Class of 2006 (2007, with colleagues at the Ray Marshall Center), Welfare and Work: Experiences in Six Cities (2005, Upjohn Institute Press, with Peter Mueser), Improving the Odds: Increasing the Effectiveness of Publicly Funded Training (2000, Urban Institute Press, with Burt Barnow), and “The Effectiveness of Publicly Financed Training in the United States,” in Job Training Policy in the United States, edited by Chris O’Leary, Robert Straits and Steve Wandner (2004, Upjohn Institute Press). He is currently co-directing the Central Texas Student Futures Project and directing evaluations of locally funded workforce services for the City of Austin, Travis County and WorkSource-Greater Austin Area Workforce Board, and a statewide return-on-investment analysis of workforce development services for the Texas Association of Workforce Boards. He has consulted with the National Governors Association and several states and localities on initiatives to more closely align economic and workforce development policies and currently serves on the board of the 10-county Capital Area Economic Development District.

Dr. King was assistant professor of economics at the University of Utah (1973-1976), an economist with the U.S. Secretary of Labor (1976-1980), and director of Research, Demonstration and Evaluation for job training programs in the Texas Governor’s Office (1983-1985). He has a B.A. in economics from The University of Texas at Austin and both an M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from Michigan State University.

Morning Workshop B:
REBUILDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS

MODERATOR:
Jeff Finkle, President & CEO
International Economic Development Council

As an advocate of and spokesperson for economic development for more than 20 years, Jeff Finkle has built a reputation of leadership in the United States and abroad while working in both the public and private nonprofit sectors. He currently serves as President and CEO of the Washington, DC-based International Economic Development Council. Finkle serves as the first head of the organization, having presided over its creation from a 2001 merger of the nation’s two leading economic development groups – the Council for Urban Economic Development (CUED) and the American Economic Development Council (AEDC).

Previously, Finkle served in the Reagan administration for five years as deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In his leadership role at IEDC, the nation’s largest economic development professional association, Finkle is one of the most respected experts in the economic development industry and is frequently called upon to assist and discuss economic development issues with other governments and communities around the world.

His approach to economic development is a testament to his diverse background and education. Finkle earned a Bachelor of Science degree (cum laude) in communications from Ohio University and studied business administration at the graduate level at Ohio State University. He has cultivated a career that extends to the public and private sectors. He is also an author of several articles on topics germane to the profession.

SPEAKERS:

Dr. Edward Blakely, Executive Director
Office of Recovery Management and Administration, City of New Orleans

In January 2007, Dr. Blakely was appointed by the Mayor of New Orleans to head the recovery effort following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. He is Executive Director of the Office of Development and Recovery Administration.

Dr. Blakely has served as a policy advisor to the mayor of Oakland and advisor to the Los Angeles Public School District. He organized and led the Oakland response to the earthquake in1988 and The Oakland Fire in 1991 the largest urban fire in the 20th Century. He moved to New York just prior to the attacks at Ground Zero and became one of the leaders in the City recovery effort helping guide the citizen and community planning effort. In addition he serves on a number of task forces and commissions at the local, state, national and international levels on urban disaster recovery.  He was appointed by President Clinton as Vice Chair of the Presidio Trust where he played a key role in the development of the former army base to a profitable civic facility. He has served on the Board of Directors of the American Planning Association, the Nature Conservancy, and Fulbright Association.

Dr. Blakely was appointed and is on leave as the fourth Chair of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Sydney in 2003. Before taking the Sydney Chair, Dr. Blakely was the Dean of Management and Urban Policy at the Milano Graduate School at the New School University, New York. Previously he was Lusk Professor of Economic Development and Dean of the School of Urban Planning at the University of Southern California. He served as Chair of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley for 10 years where he was also co-director of the Institute for Urban and Regional Development. He has directed several research centers in the United States at leading universities and his research funding has averaged over US$2 million per year for the past 20 years.

Dr. Blakely is the author or co-author of 8 books and more than 150 scholarly articles.

Walter Brooks, Executive Director
New Orleans Regional Planning Commission

Mr. Brooks is the Executive Director of the Regional Planning Commission for Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Tammany Parishes. He has been with the Commission since 1976 and holds degrees from Tulane and the University of New Orleans.

As the Metropolitan Planning Council, the RPC has been very active in the Post-Katrina re-building effort. Mr. Brooks is a member of the Louisiana Recovery Authority’s Infrastructure Task Force and was co-chair of the Land Use Committee of the Bring New Orleans Back Commission. He also serves on the city of New Orleans’ Parish Recovery Committee. RPC continues to provide technical assistance to federal (FEMA), state ((Louisiana Speaks), and local communities in the planning and recovery efforts. Mr. Brooks’ current activities have been directed to securing FHWA Emergency Relief funds for the restoration of transportation infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Prior to coming to the Commission, Mr. Brooks worked as a District Planner for the Boston Redevelopment Authority serving the neighborhoods of Charleston, South Boston and East Boston. Mr. Brooks directs RPC’s unified planning work program activities in transportation, infrastructure, economic development and environmental areas. His work involves extensive outreach and coordination with business, civic, and governmental entities at the local, state, and federal levels.

Mr. Brooks is active in the New Orleans community. He is a past member of the New Orleans Regional Business and Industrial Park Board, ex officio member of the Jefferson Parish Chamber of Commerce Board, and a member of the World Trade Center’s Intermodal Committee. He is a past Director of the Metro New Orleans Section of the American Planning Association; past President of the Louisiana Planning Council; and a former board member of the New Orleans Chapter of the American Public Works Association.

Ivan Miestchovich, Director
The Center for Economic Development at the University of New Orleans

Ivan Miestchovich has been the Director of the Center for Economic Development at the University of New Orleans since 1979. The Center is a state and federally funded program providing technical assistance to local business and community organizations and government agencies focused on economic development throughout Louisiana. He is also an Associate Professor of Finance, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in real estate principles, investment and development as well as entrepreneurial and personal finance. He is also teaches courses in local economic development and development finance in conjunction with UNO’s planning program as well as financial management of nonprofit organizations as part of UNO’s International Project for Nonprofit Leadership. Dr. Miestchovich is the founding Director of UNO’s Small Business Development Center and the Louisiana International Trade Center. In June of 2005, he was named Director of the UNO Real Estate Market Data Center. Before joining UNO, he was principal of a real estate research and consulting firm based in New Orleans.

He holds a BS in Marketing, an MBA, and an MS in Urban Studies from the University of New Orleans and a PhD in Marketing Communications and Economic Development from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. Dr. Miestchovich has also earned the CEcD designation, a professional certification awarded by the International Economic Development Council.

Dr. Miestchovich has authored or co-authored numerous research monographs focusing on housing and neighborhood redevelopment, business, industrial and port development, economic development strategic planning and commercial revitalization. He has also authored articles appearing in professional journals in the fields of real estate and economic development and is the author of the Metropolitan New Orleans Real Estate Market Analysis. He has assisted a wide range of local communities as well as regional and state organizations throughout Louisiana in formulating economic development strategies.

Dr. Miestchovich has also been very engaged in the recovery and rebuilding process of the region following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This has included serving as Economic Development Sector leader for the Unified New Orleans Plan; assisting the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission formulate short and long term business recovery strategies; assessing the impact of the hurricanes on general aviation in Southeast Louisiana; serving on a project study team to formulate a recovery strategy for the Medical District; evaluating housing markets throughout the GO Zone for low income housing tax credit financing; and serving on a wide range of advisory and planning committees such as GNO, Inc.’s regional housing task force and the Mayor’s Bring New Orleans Back Commission where he served on the Land Use and Housing Committees.

Dr. Miestchovich is active in many civic, business, and professional organizations and serves on, or has served on, the boards of several of them. He currently serves on the boards of the Bank of New Orleans, FSB, Jefferson Workforce Investment, Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Greater New Orleans, Inc., First Bank and Trust Community Development Corporation and the St. Tammany Economic Development Foundation. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Capital One Community Renewal Fund, LLC.

Dr. Miestchovich is a native of New Orleans. He received his elementary education at St. Pius X School and is a graduate of Jesuit High School. He and his wife Peggy live in the Amite, LA area. They have been married 37 years and have two daughters, Kristin who is 33 and Kaitlin who is 17.

Morning Workshop C:
TOMORROW’S ECONOMIC DRIVERS

MODERATOR:
Bob Farley, President of Economic Development
Angelou Economics

As President of Economic Development, Mr. Bob Farley leads AngelouEconomics' economic development department, including activities in the areas of strategic planning, economic research, entrepreneurship and R&D, workforce development, and marketing. Bob has extensive experience in economic development and has worked with notable communities and companies around the world. Most recently, Bob served as the President and CEO of Team NEO (Team Northeast Ohio) where he was responsible for generating job and wage growth programs and coordinating a regional voice to advocate improvements in the physical and human infrastructure. Prior to Team NEO, Bob was the Executive Vice President for the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce where he directed all corporate recruitment activity focused on sectors in aerospace, biomedical, financial services, and the logistics industry. Bob also helped establish a new consulting division for Hillwood Development Corporation, which develops and owns commercial, industrial, and residential properties and is ranked as one of the top 10 developers in the country. Hillwood, a Perot Company, is recognized for its high-profile projects and public-private ventures and is best known for its development of AllianceTexas and the $420 million American Airlines Center and Victory district in downtown Dallas. From 1990 to 1998, Bob was a senior manager/partner in Fantus Consulting where he worked with corporate clients such as Porsche Cars NA and with economic development clients such as the states of Michigan and New Jersey and the city of Miami, Florida. Finally, Bob was the deputy director of the State of Texas where he was instrumental in establishing the state's first Department of Commerce and was responsible for developing the first Texas Strategic Economic Plan and targeted industry analysis.

Bob holds a Masters Degree from both the LBJ School and the McCombs School of Business from the University of Texas at Austin.  He also holds a Bachelors Degree from Syracuse University where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

SPEAKERS:

Kurt Weigle, Executive Director
City of New Orleans Downtown Development District

Kurt Weigle is President & CEO of the Downtown Development District of New Orleans (DDD), where he has been instrumental in attracting over $2 billion of new investments during the last two years. He is a board member of CBNO/MAC, the New Orleans Medical Complex (NORMC), the New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation, the International Downtown Association, and the National New Markets Fund. He is an associate member of the Urban Land Institute. Mr. Weigle earned his Master of Urban Planning and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He lives in Uptown New Orleans with his wife Caitlin and one darling daughter.

Tom Ballard, Director
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Partnerships Directorate

Thomas B. (Tom) Ballard was appointed the inaugural Director of the Partnerships Directorate for UT-Battelle, the managing contractor for Oak Ridge National Laboratory, on January 1, 2008. The new organization added two strategic responsibilities – industrial and educational partnerships – to the former Technology Transfer and Economic Development Directorate which Ballard had headed as Interim Director since August 1, 2007.

In his new role, Ballard leads an organization that plays a key role in connecting the world to the technology rich assets of ORNL. The Partnerships team manages ORNL’s intellectual property, negotiates and executes licenses for use of that intellectual property, links local economic development organizations and their businesses to the lab’s resources, executes research and usage agreements with companies needing access to ORNL’s researchers and tools, and promotes stronger alliances between universities and the lab.

Ballard joined UT-Battelle in July 2004 after retiring from The University of Tennessee as Vice President for Public and Governmental Relations following nearly 35 years representing the institution with a variety of stakeholders. During his more than three decades at UT, Ballard helped facilitate major initiatives in Tennessee including implementation of the Solid Waste Management Act of 1991 and the Tennessee Growth Policy Act of 1998, development of statewide distance learning and telecommunications networks, and coordination of the planning committee for the first-ever Governor’s Economic Summit in 1997.

Ballard serves on the board of directors of a number of local and regional not-for-profit organizations including the Blount County Chamber of Commerce, East Tennessee Economic Council (Past Chair), East Tennessee State University’s Innovation Park, Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership, National Transportation Research Center Inc., Oak Ridge Economic Partnership (Chair), Technology 2020, Tennessee Technology Development Corporation (Executive Committee), Tennessee Valley Corridor, Inc. (Past Chair), and Tennessee Valley Corridor Foundation (Chair). He also serves on the Advisory Board for The University of Tennessee’s Center for Industrial Services and is a member of the Southern Technology Council.

Ballard joined the UT staff in 1969 as Director of Alumni Programs and moved to the 18-month old Institute for Public Service in early 1973. For years, IPS has been recognized as the nation’s most comprehensive, university-based program focused on helping build stronger communities by strengthening the efficiency and effectiveness of cities, counties and manufacturers.

Ballard is a graduate of UT with a bachelor's degree in communications and was the 2001 recipient of the College’s Hileman Outstanding Alumni Award. He also was named the second “Tennessee Valley Corridor Champion” in 2005. His wife, Diane, is editor of The Tennessee Alumnus magazine, and they have one daughter, a granddaughter and two step grandchildren.

Edward Uhlir, Executive Director
Millennium Park Incorporated

Ed Uhlir was Director of Architecture and Engineering and then the Director of Research and Planning at the Chicago Park District until his appointment in 1998 by Mayor Richard M. Daley as the Director of Design of the Millennium Park Project. He is now a consultant and the Executive Director of Millennium Park Incorporated (MPI) with the responsibility of managing the maintenance and improvement of the public art and gardens of Millennium Park; representing MPI with the Mayor, various government agencies and the public; managing MPI staff and budget; directing and designing continued additions and improvements for Millennium Park and assisting the City with the continued programming, maintenance and development of Millennium Park. He also is a consultant to various private and public organizations regarding park planning and development and an Adjunct Professor of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago.

A graduate of the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois, Chicago he received the Alumni Associations 2002 City Partner Award. He has received many other awards including the Burnham Award for Excellence in Planning from the Metropolitan Planning Council, the American Society of Landscape Architects National Honor Award for the Lincoln Park Framework Plan, the Chicago Civic Federation Urban Innovation Award and the Friends of Downtown, Award for Lifetime Achievement. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and the Chicago Chapter presented him with their Distinguished Service Award in 1999. Ed Uhlir and Millennium Park have received over forty awards including the Barrier Free America Award from the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the American Institute of Architects, 2006 National Honor Award for Urban Design.

He is the Secretary of NeighborSpace, a land trust for community gardens and is a Member of Mayor Daley’s Parks and Open Space Committee. He is also a recognized authority on park development, has lectured to a wide variety of audiences all over the world and has authored the recently published “Ark in the Park, The Story of Lincoln Park Zoo.