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Unlocking the Opportunity in Opportunity Zones

What are Opportunity Zones? And what purpose do they serve? Earlier this year, 150 census tracts in Louisiana were approved for the federal Opportunity Zones Program, including 33 in the Capital Region. Designed to spark investment in distressed communities, under certain conditions these zones are eligible for tax-advantaged investment. This preferential tax treatment is represented by deferred and, depending on investment period, reduced federal capital gains tax to encourage private investment.

Featuring special guest Senator Bill Cassidy and experts in the fields of federal tax and capital financing, this program will illustrate how banks, communities and others can take advantage of the Opportunity Zones Program.

Agenda

8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. Registraion, Networking, Breakfast

8:45 a.m. Remarks by Senator Bill Cassidy

9:00 a.m. Panel Discussion

Valet parking will be offered by the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center for $5 per vehicle.

Additional public parking is available in two lots on the corner of Florida and Lafayette Street for $5 and $7.

About the speakers

Senator Bill Cassidy

Dr. Bill Cassidy is a United States Senator for Louisiana. Bill grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and attended Louisiana State University (LSU) for undergraduate and Medical School.

For nearly three decades, Bill has provided care for uninsured and underinsured patients in Louisiana’s charity hospital system. During this time, he co-founded the Greater Baton Rouge Community Clinic, a clinic providing free dental and health care to the working uninsured.

Bill was elected to the Louisiana State Senate in 2006. In 2008, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives to represent Louisiana’s Sixth Congressional District. In the US House, Bill served on the Energy and Commerce Committee and supported a conservative agenda. Bill was elected to the United States Senate in December, 2014. He serves on the Energy and Natural Resources, Health Education Labor & Pensions (HELP), Finance, Veterans’ Affairs and Joint Economic Committees.

James Chappell

James H. Chappell, Jr., is the Executive Director of State Economic Competiveness for Louisiana Economic Development (LED) and leads a team focused on policy and business development strategies. In his capacity as a member of the department’s senior management team, James is also the LED designee for several boards and task forces, including the Research Park Corporation, Medifund, Baton Rouge Smart City Committee, and the Inventory Tax task force.

Steven Leblanc

Steven LeBlanc, Vice President at Stonehenge Capital Company, is engaged in Stonehenge’s Tax Credit Services business line with a primary focus on the origination, structuring, and underwriting of both state and federal historic tax credit transactions. Steven previously worked with Stonehenge’s Community Development line of business in Columbus where he was responsible for the origination and underwriting of junior capital investments with an emphasis on both state and federal New Market Tax Credit transactions. Prior to joining Stonehenge, Mr. LeBlanc worked as a senior auditor for Halliburton in Houston, Texas, where he was responsible for providing business advisory services to the company’s global management team. Mr. LeBlanc earned his BS in Finance from Louisiana State University.

Michael Kressig

Michael Kressig is a partner in the St. Louis office of Novogradac & Company LLP, where he specializes in community development and affordable housing, including new markets tax credit (NMTC), low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) and historic rehabilitation tax credit (HTC) transactions. His consulting expertise includes forecasts and projections, deal structuring and related services. Mr. Kressig also works extensively with real estate partnership and compliance audits, advises clients on accounting, tax and regulatory issues. Before joining Novogradac & Company LLP, Mr. Kressig was partner in charge of Sabino & Company's assurance services group and directed the firm's real estate services practice group. Mr. Kressig also served as a senior manager with Deloitte LLP, where he specialized in financial industry audits as well as merger and acquisition consulting and due diligence. Mr. Kressig received a bachelor’s degree in business administration, majoring in accounting, from Rockhurst University. He is licensed in Missouri as a certified public accountant.

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BRAC Signature Speaker sponsored by Georgia Pacific