Edward Francis

• Responsible for management, policy development, direction, and coordination of real estate operations and project management for Right of Way Division covering Counties of Los Angeles and Ventura.
• Lead and support top-level executive decision-making and strategy planning, forging productive relationships with top leaders and serving as key advocate for various community, state, and city transportation project and support issues.
• Manage 160 team members across 20 departments, strategically managing resources, milestones and budgets.
• Accomplishments:

Developed and optimized organizational systems to boost efficiency and keep operations scalable and agile for changing demands.

Provided leadership and direction for successful drafting of regulations to increase and preserve affordable housing in Los Angeles County.

Delivered leadership to management team dedicated to driving ambitious targets with well-orchestrated plans to deliver right of way component over 100 transportation projects.

• Responsible for management, policy development, direction, and coordination of real estate operations and project management for Right of Way Division in Orange County.
• Managed 60 team members across 20 departments, strategically managing resources, milestones and budgets.
• Accomplishments:

Successfully completed in-depth analyses of risks to control real estate component of project delivery, enhance systems and track legal concerns.

Successfully delivered right of way component for over 60 transportation projects in Orange County.

Created, planned, and implemented policies and procedures to increase productivity related to local public agencies to deliver oversight and guidance in locally funded projects.

• Responsible for management of all surplus property held by Department in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
• With staff of 26, supervised and managed staff in their duties in maintaining inventory of state-owned properties, marketing of vacant/rentable properties, establishing and terminating tenancies, collecting rents, repair contract management, monitoring and administrating Affordable Housing Rent Program, arranging property maintenance, and budgeting.
• Accomplishments:

Served on State level Affordable Housing Related Entity Review Panel.

Effectively provided leadership and direction in establishing measurable goals and objectives in administering budget guidelines and accounting practices for $9 million funding budget.

• Responsible for management of complex and detailed residential, commercial, and vacant property management functions for over 600 properties throughout Los Angeles and Ventura Counties
• With staff of 10, supervised staff activities including approval of rental applications, executed rental agreements, correspondence, property inspections, and maintenance and repair requests.
• Accomplishments:

Developed training and response plan for Property Management Agents statewide to identify possible hazardous materials in properties.

Effectively updated policies and procedures in the monitoring of timely receipt and reconciliation of rent collections in accordance with landlord and resident statutes.

Established new policies and procedures for internal and external attorneys in evaluation and resolution of administration, tenant, legal, market, and physical risks associated with management of property leasing.

• Responsible for management and supervision of acquisition team to facilitate possession of required property rights for project delivery.
• Performed required higher level negotiation activities to process agreements with railroads, local and statewide agencies, and other property owners impacted by transportation projects.
• Ensured that staff followed land acquisition and construction project delivery schedules to facilitate on-time property acquisition completion.
• Implemented process improvements that resulted in property purchasing numbers.

• Produced complex appraisals on Commercial, Manufacturing, Industrial, and Residential Properties.
• Interpreted job schematics and construction plans to identify and appraise land easement and acquisition requirements.
• Documented condition and special features to provide accurate estimations, including severance damages.
• Maintained high work volume and tight deadlines.

• Project Planning and Management; monitoring capital and support budgeting, project scheduling and certification.
• Followed land acquisition and construction schedules to facilitate on-time project completion.
• Oversight on Federal and State Funded Local Agency Projects; Acquisition; Appraisals; Liaison between LA Metro Transportation Agency, Railroads, and Local partners in railroad related projects.
  

• Maintain and repair state highway roadways and landscaping.
• Operated loaders, backhoes, graders, sweepers and various sizes of dump trucks to complete safe and efficient work.