Project Management Consultants Expands Again in Cleveland
Former Cleveland Economic Development Director Tracey A. Nichols Joins
Firm
CLEVELAND–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Project
Management Consultants (PMC), a subsidiary of Thompson
Hine LLP, is pleased to announce that Tracey A. Nichols, the former
director of economic development for the city of Cleveland, has joined
the organization as a director of financial services. Nichols, who is
widely recognized for her role in Cleveland’s economic development
revival, led her team to complete more than 625 projects and $146.8
million in new grants or pass-through loan funding.
At PMC, Nichols will manage public financing projects for corporate,
real estate and public sector clients. Her expertise with HUD financing
and other complex financing tools will assist clients in closing project
financing gaps.
“We are ecstatic to have Tracey join PMC,” said Jeffrey R. Appelbaum,
managing director of PMC. “Her background in public-private
partnerships, public finance, incentives, policy, program development
and federal grants will be a tremendous resource to our clients. Her
leadership and innovation as economic development director has made
Cleveland a more attractive place to do business, and she has an
incredible ability to develop relationships both within and outside of
the government.” Ryan P. Sommers, managing director of financial
services, added, “Her numerous strong working relationships both locally
and nationally will be a huge asset for our team. She understands how to
develop the most complex financing structures, which are often required
in markets like ours to get deals done.”
Nichols joins the financial services branch of PMC, which focuses on
bringing public and private financing to construction and corporate
projects throughout the United States. Her experience in the public
sector will allow the group to focus on regional economic growth in
addition to the list of financial services currently offered, including
intergovernmental funding strategies, bank financing assistance, public
sector bond financing negotiation, tax increment financing analysis,
building lease reviews, private sector fund development, New Markets Tax
Credit and Historic Preservation Tax Credit strategies and application,
bond rating assistance, economic and fiscal impact analysis, public and
nonprofit economic development planning, and financial procurement.
“The sophisticated work handled by PMC is second to none,” said Nichols.
“I have worked with Ryan and Jeff on over one billion dollars’ worth of
development deals for the city of Cleveland, including the Metropolitan
at the 9, Flats East Bank, and the Terminal Tower redevelopment, and I
am looking forward to collaborating on new projects.”
Under Nichols’ leadership, Cleveland’s economic development department
was recognized for innovative projects with awards from Team NEO/Inside
Business, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the
International Economic Development Council and the Federal Laboratory
Consortium for Technology Transfer.
Nichols also has received widespread national and regional recognition.
In 2015, she received the Council of Development Finance Agencies
Excellence Award for Leadership and the North Coast Minority
Media and Diversity Chamber MBE/Urban Professional Award for Government,
and she was named Public Executive of the Year by the Novogradac
Journal of Tax Credits and a Woman of Note by Crain’s Cleveland
Business. She also has received the Homer Wadsworth Award for
extraordinary accomplishment in the public or not-for-profit sector from
the Cleveland Foundation, an award for Best Community Development Project
from the National Development Council, nine IEDC Economic
Development Awards including the gold award for Public-Private
Partnerships and for Gardening for Greenbacks Program, HUD’s Award of
Excellence and 16 prestigious Team NEO/Inside Business
Awards including awards for Public-Private Partnership, Business
Attraction, Minority Business, Community Investment and Business
Retention.
Nichols earned a B.S. in business management, with a concentration on
accounting and finance, from Case Western Reserve University and is
certified by the National Development Council as an Economic Development
Finance Professional.
Nichols is the second high-profile addition to PMC this year. In
September, R.
Douglas (Doug) Myers, the former director of planning, design and
construction for Cuyahoga Community College, joined the firm as a senior
project consultant.
About PMC. Founded in 1997, Project Management Consultants LLC
(PMC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Thompson Hine LLP. PMC’s
professionals have extensive experience in design, finance, construction
consulting, construction management, partnering facilitation and owner’s
representation, and they work seamlessly with Thompson Hine’s lawyers to
provide integrated services to the marketplace. PMC’s four primary
services for the real estate, design and construction industries are
owner’s representation, public and private financing consulting, project
and risk management consulting, and design and construction partnering
facilitation and mediation. For more information, please visit aboutPMC.com.
Contacts
Thompson Hine LLP
Sheila Turner, 202-263-4132
Media Relations
Manager
Sheila.Turner@ThompsonHine.com
