Build America Bureau at the U.S. Department of Transportation

The Bureau team is delighted to welcome Touacha Her to our Outreach and Project Development Office. He will help the Bureau reach prospective clients about technical assistance and financing programs and improve technology use and efficiency in our processes. Touacha comes to us through the Pathways Recent Graduates Program and is a commissioned officer in the Airforce Reserves. He holds two Bachelors’ degrees, One in Video Production from the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago and Engineering Technology from DeVry University and is pursuing a master’s in electrical engineering from NC State. He holds certifications with PMP, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Veteran Entrepreneurship from William and Mary, and Communication Strategy from the Defense Information School. He was a small business owner for a decade and has private industry experience. He enjoys blending arts and engineering to provide a full spectrum of strategic insight while maintaining a mastery of the details. He looks forward to being a part of a team that provides the means to keep the world moving. #welcometotheteam

Wishing you and yours a safe and happy new year.

The Bureau Team is extending a warm welcome to our newest member, Charlena Young. Charlena is a Project Development Lead and will play a key role in managing the Bureau’s highway pipeline, Private activity bonds program, and working with the Federal Highway Administration. Charlena has 18 years of experience with FHWA, where she held various financial management roles, providing leadership in program administration. Since October 2022, she served as a Program Analyst on the Office of Infrastructure’s Finance and Acquisition Team, coordinating Federal-aid funding, managing the August Redistribution process, and leading the Financial Integrity Review and Evaluation (FIRE) Program. Charlena also worked as a budget analyst, where she managed fund transfers, Appalachian Development Highway System, State Infrastructure Banks, and Emergency Relief. She holds a B.A. in Accounting from Kentucky State University and a M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia Southern University.   In her free time, Charlena enjoys attending WNBA and professional volleyball games, engaging in community service, and spending time with her family. #welcometotheteam

News you can use! Please share and help spread the word! The Bureau published a Notice of Funding Opportunity today: $27 Million Available for Rural and Tribal Community Technical Assistance Grants The technical assistance grants are for the planning and design phase development of transportation projects. There is no local funding match required to participate in this program. The Bureau designated $10 million for Tribal applicants. This program has two types of grants: ·        Single project grants ranging from $200,000 up to $750,000 each, and ·        Multi-community grants ranging from $500,000 up to $2.25 million each to fund projects in at least three eligible communities submitted in a single application. Applications are awarded on first-come, first-served basis beginning Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 2 p.m. ET. Attend the free webinar Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 3 p.m. ET. Register: https://lnkd.in/egjrfMcK News release: https://lnkd.in/eF2Dxg98 The National Center For American Indian Enterprise Development National Association of Counties National Association of Regional Councils Council of Development Finance Agencies AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials)National Governors Association National League of Cities Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration U.S. Department of Transportation National Congress of American Indians Tribal Business News Mpact Native American Connections Native American Business Association - NABA National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) National RTAP

The Bureau team is very pleased to welcome Marcelly Segro as a Portfolio Manager. She will play a key role in managing the Bureau’s portfolio of executed loans including disbursing to borrowers, adjudicating requested changes to loan agreements, and providing financial expertise in the evaluation of loan performance and borrower’s adherence to loan requirements post-close through loan repayment. Marcelly comes to the Build America Bureau after a 24-year career with the Bank of New York Mellon. There, Marcelly was a Senior Client Service Manager/Vice President in the Public Not-for-Profit Finance Group, which supported large issuers in the State of New Jersey. Marcy has experience managing a variety of debt instruments and products including pooled financings, economic development and higher education credits, and debt consolidations. Marcelly received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Caldwell University (NJ). Welcome Marcelly! #welcometotheteam

Laurie K Cullen, A.A.E., the Build America Bureau’s Airport Program Lead, Jaedicke Consulting, Inc., presented an update on the airport TIFIA program in the Innovative Special Facility Financing session at the AAAE Unison CIP Planning and Finance Workshop. Thank you to AAAE for including TIFIA in the agenda so we could share the good news about airports benefiting from the TIFIA program. If you need more information about the program, please contact the Bureau or Laurie directly. 

Delivering transportation projects is complex. This work takes time, and we are proud of the progress Thriving Communities Program (TCP) participants have made toward project delivery, with the support of TCP capacity builders over the last 1.5 years. Hear directly from community leaders about their progress with:     🚌 The Four Corners Partnership is developing a transit-oriented development (TOD) implementation roadmap, among other steps, in Tacoma, Washington     🛣️ Capacity builders are supporting Tempe, Arizona to deliver a Resiliency Framework Action Plan addressing community needs and identifying funding gaps    🚂 With application support from their capacity builder, York, Alabama won a $3M RAISE grant from USDOT to address safe railroad crossing and keep residents connected to parts of the community that are currently cut off by railroads    🚢 With applicant support from their capacity builder, the City and Borough of Wrangell, Alaska won a $25M RAISE grant to revitalize their historic harbor and create new opportunities for its port economy    Watch the story slam at: https://lnkd.in/ePkNBaXP 

Since the beginning, the Thriving Communities Program has recognized and continues to witness the power and impact of connecting communities to federal agencies, philanthropy, nonprofits, and other external stakeholders. At the #DOTThrivingCommunities convening, four communities highlighted progress they’ve made to date and how connection and coordination with partners have provided them the key to unlocking new opportunities, resources, and federal funding:  McAlester, Oklahoma highlighted their placemaking efforts to revitalize and connect Downtown McAlester and its Old Town Antiques District alongside capacity builder team member Project for Public Spaces and the National Endowment for the Arts, whose placemaking grants and technical assistance are changing the game for communities who want to integrate arts, culture, and design into local efforts that strengthen communities long-term. Rexburg, Idaho spoke on their experience connecting and collaborating with community partners on improving and expanding Rexburg’s multimodal network, and the positive impact U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets for All and Reconnecting Communities Grant will make for the city.  Brownsville, Texas discussed progress to date in creating wealth-building opportunities in the community alongside GSA, who is supporting the Brownsville-Gateway Land Port of Entry Project.  Cleveland, Ohio will elevate its experience in maintaining, improving, and transforming infrastructure to meet the community’s needs and better residential and economic development opportunities alongside U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as highlight how USDOT's Safe Streets for All Grant is a gamechanger for the city.  

Connection is powerful. On the main stage at the #DOTThrivingCommunities convening, hear stories from leaders in these four communities on ways they’ve harnessed the power of connection to move their transportation infrastructure priorities forward:     🤝 “Building relationships first” in Independence, Oregon    👂 Leveraging partnerships to make broader regional connections and gain recognition for local transportation needs in the Town of Atlantic Beach, South Carolina    🚂 Intentional planning for a future with restored passenger rail service in Pottstown, Pennsylvania     🚛 Community-led planning to improve freight mobility, safety, and quality of life for residents and businesses in southwest Detroit, Michigan    Watch the story slam at: https://lnkd.in/ekUmkYxK  

Thriving Communities are in DC! This week, follow along for updates from U.S. Department of Transportation HQ as the Thriving Communities Program (TCP) FY22 cohort convenes. These communities began receiving TCP technical assistance and capacity building support in mid-2023 and will wrap up their time in the program in mid-2025. At the convening, we’re celebrating the progress communities have made toward implementing their transportation infrastructure goals and talking about ways to keep the momentum going.     And if you’re in DC representing your community at the convening this week, use #DOTThrivingCommunities to share your experience!   Learn more about TCP at: https://lnkd.in/g-bZHN9P