Experience

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  NJ Business Action Center

  • New Jersey, United States

  • Assistant Director

    • Apr 2023 - Present
    • New Jersey, United States

    Working collaboratively within the NJ Business Action Center, provide "intrepreneurial" support to the offices and programs within the Division, in particular to the Office of State Planning as it works to revise New Jersey's State Plan. Provide Business Enhancement technical assistance, training, guidance and inspiration to NJ's 564 municipalities and over 200 place-based district management entities with an emphasis on growing local economies, placemaking, and real-time problem-solving. Teach communities and organizations about the NJBAC’s suite of services and support, serving as a lead generator for the Division. Train local economic development stakeholders in a comprehensive approach to stakeholder-driven revitalization of districts and communities, as well as small business success, balancing the enhancement of 4 key values in each case: Economic Value, Place Value, Social Value and Civic Value.

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  Neighborhood Preservation Program, Div. of Housing & Community Resources, NJDCA

  • Trenton, NJ

  • Leader/Administrator

    • Jul 2019 - Apr 2023
    • Trenton, NJ

    Ran the annual $5 million Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP), the $6.1M+ NPP-CRF grant and technical assistance program in response to COVID-19 at the NJDCA, the $2.5M NPP-Community Capital Needs program, and the $2.5M NPP-American Rescue Plan program, working with 40 designated mixed-use neighborhood districts in urban, suburban, and rural settings, many of which are majority low-income. Provides technical assistance, training, and grants to municipalities, local officials, non-profit district management and community enhancement organizations and an array of local private-sector stakeholders who live in, run businesses in, and own property in each NPP district. Currently supervises an NPP Team of six professionals, all working remotely. Redesigned the NPP approach to focus on mixed-use and commercial revitalization while still integrating residents and addressing residential issues. Created a new vision for NPP that focuses on placemaking and adaptable asset-based and stakeholder-driven change.

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  Local Planning Services, NJDCA

  • Trenton, NJ

  • Placemaking & Place-Based Revitalization Specialist

    • Jan 2017 - Jul 2019
    • Trenton, NJ

    Provide technical assistance & implementation-oriented planning and project-based guidance to dozens of communities, municipalities, & private-sector stakeholders in NJ seeking to revitalize & manage mixed-use commercial areas, including, but not limited to the creation and management of Improvement Districts (IDs) & other district management entities, Executive Director hiring and search assistance, placemaking projects, & public education presentations. Work with teams of planners, partner organizations, municipalities, businesses, and other stakeholders to foster economic growth and placemaking with both tactical short-term solutions and longer-term visioning and strategies. Specifically:Created, implemented, & update the 2018 NJ Improvement District Census of 565 Municipalities and 93 ID Mgmt. Corporations.Provided direct technical assistance and guidance to Voorhees Twp. to create an ID as a tool to foster redevelopment; the result was the sale of a dying mall to a redeveloper who is creating an $85M mixed-use redevelopment project.Supervised a team of planners working in New Egypt, NJ to research & create a full downtown revitalization implementation strategy. Co-supervised a planning team to research & create a first-of-its-kind Latino Cultural & Culinary District Plan for Passaic, NJ, with materials & presentations in both English & Spanish. Provided implementation plans for district revitalization for Maplewood Township & Roselle Borough. Served a key role in the research & creation of the Browns Mills, NJ Redevelopment Plan for Pemberton Twp. Provided assistance on the topics of platemaking & commercial corridor revitalization to planning projects in Trenton, Salem, & Woodbine, NJ. Planned & managed 3 regional Main Street Kick-Off Workshops with over 150 attendees. Created the MSNJ District Transformation Grant Program & implemented a full application round in only 3 weeks.

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  Main Street New Jersey & Improvement District Programs

  • Trenton, NJ

  • State Director

    • Jul 1996 - Dec 2016
    • Trenton, NJ

    Coordinate the delivery of and directly provide technical assistance and training in downtown revitalization and management to 45 Main Street New Jersey communities and dozens of other downtown management entities and other municipalities in New Jersey.Ran 5 grant rounds of the Downtown Business Improvement Zone Loan Fund, reviewing all applications and managing the award of over $5M in 0% interest loans to 15 placed-based revitalization projects. Managed all loan repayments from a total of 35 projects.Through creative partnerships and tough negotiating, create a 100% leverage vs. program budget to provide a high service value to our constituent programs, resulting in a $250 to $1 ROI for the State of New Jersey.Created the first ever statewide 14-site pop-up store program - in honor of New Jersey's 350th anniversary, winning the inaugural 2015 Innovation Award on Main Street from the National Main Street Center.

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  Jef R. Buehler, Community Consultant

  • Greater Philadelphia Area

  • Principal

    • Dec 1990 - Nov 2011
    • Greater Philadelphia Area

    Facilitating community and economic development through asset-based change on local levels in diverse settings in the US and abroad since 1990.