Alabama Opportunity Zone Forum
May 1, 2019

More than 230 developers, investors and community leaders met at Auburn University on Wednesday May 1 for the first statewide conference on the federal Opportunity Zone program. Read the full story on the Forum.

View scenes from the Alabama Opportunity Zone Forum, reference the agenda and featured speakers from the program, and learn more about opportunity zones in James R. Barth and Shen Zhang's paper: "Opportunity Zones for Economic Development and Job Creation: The “Nuts and Bolts” and a Look at Alabama."


Opportunity Zones for Economic
Development and Job Creation:
The “Nuts and Bolts” and a Look at Alabama
A paper by Dr. James R. Barth and Shen Zhang
  Listen to the Podcast
The Nuts & Bolts of Opportunity Zones
Guest Speakers: Dr. James R. Barth and Shen Zhang
Join Joe Barnett's Podcast

Preliminary Agenda
8:00 – 9:00 A.M. Registration — Networking: Continental Breakfast (Grand Ballroom)
9:05 – 9:45 A.M. Welcome
Dr. Royrickers Cook, Vice President for University Outreach and Associate Provost
Steve Pelham, Auburn University Chief of Staff
9:45 – 10:30 A.M. Opportunity Zone Nuts and Bolts (Auditorium)
Moderator: Angela Coker, Reporter, Birmingham Business Journal
Panel: Alex Flachsbart, Opportunity Alabama & Richard Shamos, Sadis & Goldberg
10:30 – 10:50 A.M. Break (Grand Ballroom)
10:50 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. Investing in Alabama (Auditorium)
Moderator: Alex Helm, Acumen Capital
Panel: Frank McGrew, McNally Capital; George Buchanan III, Regions Bank; Brandon Seagriff, Gabelli & Partners; Giev Askari, HSBC
12:00 – 1:00 P.M. Lunch: Grand Ballroom – Sponsored by Gabelli
Introduction: Dr. Jim Barth, Lowder Eminent Scholar in Finance, Auburn University
Keynote Speaker: Dr. C. Gene Steuerle, Institute Fellow and Richard B. Fisher Chair, The Urban Institute
1:15 – 2:30 P.M. Positioning Your Community for Opportunity Zone Development (Auditorium)
Moderator: Alex Flachsbart, Opportunity Alabama
Panel: Rejane Frederick, Center for American Progress; Erin Gillespie, Madison Street; Don Hopper, Calhoun County Economic Development Council; Fred Rendfrey, Downtown Mobile Alliance
2:30 – 2:45 P.M. Break (Grand Ballroom)
2:45 – 3:45 P.M. Latest Developments, Question & Answer Session, and Where Do We go from here? (Auditorium)
Moderator: Paul Marino, Sadis & Goldberg
Panel: Ken Chan, Attorney and Real Estate Developer; Jeff Drinkwater, NES Financial; Craig Mason, RSM; Richard Shamos, Sadis & Goldberg;
3:45 – 4:00 P.M. Wrap-up and Call-to-Action (Auditorium)
Dr. Royrickers Cook, Vice President for University Outreach and Associate Provost
Giev Justin Askari
Giev Justin Askari, Panelist
Senior Wealth Planner, HSBC
James Barth
Dr. James Barth, Organizer & Moderator
Lowder Eminent Scholar in Finance, Auburn University
George Buchanan
George Buchanan, Panelist
Executive Vice President & Chief Risk Officer, Consumer & Wealth Management, Regions Bank
Kenneth Chan
Kenneth Chan, Panelist
Real Estate Owner, Developer & Attorney
Angel Coker
Angel Coker, Moderator
Reporter, Birmingham Business Journal
Royrickers Cook
Dr. Royrickers Cook, Organizer
Vice President for University Outreach and Associate Provost, Auburn University
Jeff Drinkwater
Jeff Drinkwater, Panelist
Vice President of Business Development, NES Financial
Alex Flachsbart
Alex Flachsbart, Organizer & Moderator
Founder and CEO, Opportunity Alabama
Ralph Foster
Ralph Foster, Organizer
Assistant Vice President for University Outreach and Public Service, Auburn University
Rejane Frederick
Rejane Frederick, Panelist
Associate Director, Place-based Policy and Strategy, Poverty to Prosperity Program
Erin Gillespie
Erin Gillespie, Panelist
Founder, Madison Street Strategies
Alex Helm
Alex Helm, Organizer & Moderator
Chairman & CEO, Acumen Capital Group, & Principal, Helm Family Office
Don Hopper
Don Hopper, Panelist
Executive Director, Calhoun County Economic Development Council
Paul Marino
Paul Marino, Organizer & Panelist
Partner, Sadis & Goldberg
Craig Mason
Craig Mason, Panelist
Tax Partner, RSM
Frank McGrew
Frank McGrew, Panelist
Managing Partner, McNally Capital
David Mixson
David Mixson, Organizer
Associate Director, Government & Economic Development Institute, Auburn University
Frederick Rendfrey
Frederick Rendfrey, Panelist
Director of Downtown Economic Development, Downtown Mobile Alliance
Brandon Seagriff
Brandon Seagriff, Panelist
Assistant Vice President, Alternative Investments, Gabelli & Partners
Richard Shamos
Richard Shamos, Organizer & Panelist
General Counsel, Sadis & Goldberg
Eugene Steuerle
C. Eugene Steuerle, Keynote Speaker
Institute Fellow & Richard B. Fisher Chair, The Urban Institute

We wish to gratefully acknowledge the support of these organizations:

Platinum Sponsors

HSBC Private Banking


Regions Bank


Sadis


Lunch Sponsor

Gabelli


Program Partners

Acumen


Opportunity Alabama

Last Updated: May 7, 2019