Accessing New Federal Infrastructure Investments

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Recently, the bipartisan “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden. It is the largest investment in infrastructure made in nearly a century. Participate in this online learning event to become familiar with this investment and learn more information about accessing the funding. This talk expands on topics that the NRPA public policy and advocacy team covered in the blog, “Breaking Down the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.”

Objectives:

  1. Become familiar with the federal infrastructure package.  
  2. Allow attendees to think creatively about how they might qualify for and access infrastructure investments

Christopher Douwes (he/him)

Community Planner

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

Christopher Douwes is a Community Planner with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in Washington DC. He has managed the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) since 1992, Transportation Enhancement activities since 2003, Transportation Alternatives since 2012, and has assisted with Bicycle and Pedestrian Activities since 1992. He manages contracts for research, technology development, technical assistance, and training for trail and bicycle and pedestrian-related activities. Christopher received his Masters of Science in Transportation from Northwestern University in 1990.

Madeline Wade (she/her)

Vice President

Signal Group

Madeline Wade is a widely respected leader in the sustainability, climate, and conservation community. She is a founder and co-chair of Signal Outdoors, which is the firm’s practice group dedicated to public lands, outdoor recreation, and conservation. Madeline advises corporations, nonprofits, industry trade associations, and thought leaders on climate change and sustainability regulations, policy, and global trends. She has worked with organizations to develop and position their internal sustainability goals and helped to design the policies to reach those goals. She routinely leads coalitions in the policy outdoor space that are focused on advancing natural climate solutions, seeking funding for conservation programs, and reforming laws to protect public lands and access to outdoor recreation.

Ken McLeod (he/him)

Policy Director

The League of American Bicyclists

Ken leads policy initiatives to improve bicyclist safety, manages the Bicycle Friendly State program and data.bikeleague.org, and provides technical assistance to people and groups working on state and local initiatives. His goals are to promote policies that take advantage of one of the best technologies ever invented - the bicycle, contribute to a thriving bicycle advocacy community, and help people see the future where a Bicycle Friendly America exists for everyone. Ken joined the League in 2012 after graduating from William & Mary Law School and he is a licensed attorney in the state of Virginia. He has a bachelor's degree from Pomona College in Claremont, CA. When he’s not at The League, you can find him serving as Chair of the Roanoke Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, doing projects around his 100-year-old house, and climbing the Blue Ridge Mountains on his bike.

Kyle Simpson (he/him)

Director of Government Affairs

National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)

NRPAs Director of Government Affairs. Kyle has been with NRPA for nearly 4 years. Prior to that he spent over 10 years on Capitol Hill in a variety of roles.

Elvis Cordova (he/him)

Vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy

National Recreation and Park Association

Elvis Cordova is the Vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy for the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).  He leads NRPAs federal policymaking initiatives by providing strategic planning for enhancing community-based advocacy and capacity building programs, and stakeholder engagement aimed at advancing overall health and well-being, equity, and climate readiness. Elvis is a seasoned executive with over a decade of experience developing and implementing innovative solutions for some of the most significant and high-profile challenges facing the U.S. public sector. He has a unique combination of political, legal, economic, and international expertise. He is a proven strategist and manager, adept at building coalitions and communicating effectively to diverse stakeholders. He has built an intimate knowledge of the workings of the U.S. government and has developed strong relationships with a range of policymakers. Elvis was previously appointed by President Barack Obama to serve in various leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) including Chief of Staff, Deputy Under Secretary, and Acting Under Secretary. During his tenure at USDA, he oversaw the federal agencies that handled food labeling programs (including organic and biotechnology), international trade regulations, research  educational grant programs, nutrition programs, commodity procurement, plant and animal health regulations, process verification programs, land conservation programs, and the expansion of local and regional food systems. He also served on the White House Task Force for Puerto Rico, where he focused on strengthening public-private partnerships to aid in the economic recovery efforts for the island. He entered the federal government a Presidential Management Fellow and worked for the Farm Credit Administration and at the U.S. Department of Energy where his work encompassed alternative energy, congressional affairs, economic development, financial services, and international relations. 

Outside of the federal government, Elvis served as a consultant for the United Nations where he focused on improving international trade development strategies for emerging markets. He also served as a management analyst for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. He began his career as a financial analyst at the Harvard Management Company. Elvis holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University. He is a recipient of the Woodrow Wilson Graduate Fellowship and holds various professional certificates from Georgetown University, Harvard University, University of California at Berkeley, Universidad de Sevilla (Spain), Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina), cole Nationale des Travaux Publics de ltat (France), and Pontificia Universidade Catolica (Brazil). In his personal time, Elvis works with various national leadership organizations to create and expand opportunities for diverse communities in the Washington, D.C. area. He has previously served on the Executive Board of the Washington D.C. Chapter of Prospanica (fka the National Society of Hispanic MBAs). He has served as a senior advisor for the Aspen Institutes International Career Advancement Program. He is a graduate of several executive-level training programs including Leadership Alexandria and the Political Leaders Program from the Sorensen Institute at the University of Virginia. He is an alumnus of Project Interchange, which is an international leadership program of the American Jewish Committee and an alumnus of the Hispanic Leaders Program, a professional development program organized by the Foreign Ministry of Spain.

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Accessing New Federal Infrastructure Investments
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Knowledge Check
6 Questions  |  Unlimited attempts  |  6/6 points to pass
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NRPA Learning Experience Survey 2022
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CEU
0.100 CEU credits  |  No certificate available
0.100 CEU credits  |  No certificate available
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