Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Accomplishments
Certification
Timeline
Generic

William Smith

Atlanta,United States

Summary

Development professional with strong background in managing and guiding development projects from inception to completion. Excels in fostering team collaboration and achieving targets in dynamic environments. Recognized for problem-solving abilities and adaptability to evolving project needs.

Overview

12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Economic Development Manager

City of Douglasville, GA
06.2023 - Current
  • Presented project updates during executive meetings to maintain transparency around progress towards key objectives while addressing any concerns raised by leadership stakeholders.
  • Balanced competing priorities and resource constraints to deliver optimal results within the context of project timelines and budgetary restrictions.
  • Improved overall project efficiency by setting clear goals, milestones, and expectations for the development team.
  • Championed a culture of innovation within the development team by encouraging experimentation with new technologies or approaches to problemsolving.
  • Conducted regular risk assessments to proactively identify potential issues, allowing for timely resolutions before impacting project timelines.

Economic Development Director

City of Stonecrest
07.2022 - 06.2023

The City of Stonecrest, GA is seeking an experienced, energetic, and creative Economic Development Director to serve Dekalb County’s newest city in creating economic development opportunities. Strong candidates will have a portfolio of successful economic development initiatives, be entrepreneurial, tech-savvy, and creative in using strategies that promote the City’s assets while looking for ways to overcome challenges. The successful candidate will be a proactive partner with community stakeholders to develop innovative strategies that produce new opportunities and initiatives.

A successful history of building bridges, seeking win-win solutions where divergent interests lie; and generating commitment and enthusiasm for the vision of building a vibrant city will be key credentials. The Economic Development Director must be able to convey a passionate understanding that safe and livable communities are an essential part of quality of life, a key ingredient for individual opportunity and economic development.

Economic Development Manager

City of Covington, Georgia
04.2020 - 07.2022
  • Managing the Economic Development Efforts for the City of Covington

Real Estate Coordinator

Invest Atlanta
07.2018 - 04.2020
  • Provided programmatic support for real estate services and activities within the Community Development Department. Assisted in program and policy development; project and data management, as well as monitoring of various policy and legislative matters as it relates to housing and community development. As Real Estate Coordinator, have developed relationships with community stakeholders, attended meetings with City Council members, toured Council Districts, both multi-family and single-family developers. Have demonstrated the ability to navigate government and financial environments.
  • Worked successfully bring awareness of potential catalytic developments in SW Atlanta to developers’ attention
  • Worked with Single Family Manager to develop programs concerning the financing of single-family residents
  • Worked to leverage outside resources for the creation of affordable housing and improved commercial corridors.
  • Assisted with community development’s policy development and implementation by ensuring the policy and programs are designed based on best practices and are responsive to the community’s goals and needs.
  • Assisted in the marketing, soliciting, and implementation of all real estate projects managed by the Community Development team by site selecting areas of opportunity, developing a list of capable developers and marketing the sites to those developers.
  • Assisted in the review, analysis, and underwriting of development loan and grant incentive applications which included tax-exempt bond transactions and tax allocation district grants transactions.
  • Provided administrative and project support to successfully close development incentive transactions by working with Transaction Services Manager to navigate due diligence process and execute development agreements for large and small projects.

Real Estate Analyst

Invest Atlanta
09.2019 - 03.2020
  • The Community Development Real Estate Analyst (REA) for Invest Atlanta is responsible for providing underwriting, reporting, analysis, and programmatic support to the Director, Underwriting & Transaction Services (the “Director”) within Community Development. The REA will be expected to provide multifamily underwriting, construction management, financial, database management, reporting and other support services to Invest Atlanta. The REA will support and assist the Director in evaluating and underwriting proposed development incentives for credit risk, obtaining internal approvals, and seeing each approved developer incentive through to closing. The REA will work on diverse multifamily and TAD transactions for which analysis of situation and data requires evaluation of a variety of factors, including property cash flow and valuation, borrower credit, and real estate market trends. Many of the functions managed by the REA are time sensitive and require collaboration with both external customers, internal business partners and the leadership team to achieve shared success.

Economic Development Coordinator

City of Smyrna
02.2015 - 06.2018
  • Implements the City’s business recruitment and retention activities, and small businesses development program; administers economic incentive programs such as Enterprise and Opportunity Zones, Tax Allocation Districts (i.e., TIFs), property tax abatement, management of filming requests; assists in technical support with the City’s DDA (Downtown Development Authority) and UDC (Urban Design Committee); zoning matters with regard to mixed-used and commercial properties, density, floor area ratio, and land use; coordinate objectives with economic development partners such as Cobb Chamber, Cobb County Economic Development, Cumberland CID, ARC, and Metro Atlanta Chamber. Works with local businesses through the legislative process, and works with agencies on the State level regarding local project to ensure seamlessness in communication and permitting.
  • Created the Smyrna Small Business Loan Program
  • Apart of the City of Smyrna’s response team for Amazon proposals
  • Awarded of grants from Atlanta Regional Commission for Transportation Improvement Program and LCI Livable Centers Initiatives studies
  • Development of new mixed used developments in the City of Smyrna through the utilization of Tax Allocation Districts.
  • Successfully working with local planners on new developments with regards to density, land use, commercial zoning, mixed used development, and floor area ratios.
  • Creation of effective policy memos that resulted in changes to City ordinances that were restrictive to businesses.

Construction Project Manager

APDS
01.2014 - 12.2014
  • Served as Construction Project Manager for multiple sites using NSP (Neighborhood Stabilization Program) funds, federal funds provided to state and local government to provide financing to purchase, rehab residential properties abandoned or foreclosed. During this tenure, capacity included responsibility for the oversight and management of projects from beginning to end, working closing with both construction professionals, clients, and tenants; pricing materials before starting jobs; negotiating contracts with vendors and subcontractors as well as Davis-Bacon wages; managing project budget and change orders; ensuring site safety according to OSHA standards; providing punch list and evaluating progress of work in relation to project schedule.
  • Work Results include:
  • Successful completion of 6 unit apartment and beginning of leasing
  • Successful audit, contract negotiated, and signed with general contractor which resulted in the start of construction for 12 unit apartment

Education

Master of Arts - Public Policy Analysis

Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA
05-2008

Skills

  • Business analysis
  • Employee presentations
  • Course design
  • Curriculum planning
  • Land Development
  • Real Estate Development
  • Financial Underwriting

Accomplishments

Authored a published white paper


Successfully worked on Tax Allocation Districts projects


Successfully worked on New Markets Tax Credit deal


Successfully leverage CDFI capital for small business and real estate deals.



Certification

Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP)


Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) (pending)

Timeline

Economic Development Manager

City of Douglasville, GA
06.2023 - Current

Economic Development Director

City of Stonecrest
07.2022 - 06.2023

Economic Development Manager

City of Covington, Georgia
04.2020 - 07.2022

Real Estate Analyst

Invest Atlanta
09.2019 - 03.2020

Real Estate Coordinator

Invest Atlanta
07.2018 - 04.2020

Economic Development Coordinator

City of Smyrna
02.2015 - 06.2018

Construction Project Manager

APDS
01.2014 - 12.2014

Master of Arts - Public Policy Analysis

Georgia State University