Jill Homan is from Clayton, North Carolina, and serves as Deputy Director, Economy & Trade, Campaign Director, and Senior Advisor to the President & CEO at AFPI. Over a two-decade career in private equity, Homan has focused on investing in low-income communities, including Opportunity Zones. She is recognized for her expertise in Opportunity Zones and has worked closely with legislative and administrative members to advocate for effective regulations and promote economic development in underserved areas. In addition, Homan’s commitment to community development is evident in her efforts to own, operate, and preserve quality workforce housing.

Before working in economic development and finance, Homan served on Capitol Hill as a legislative assistant and press secretary. She was formerly an elected member of the Republican National Committee, held senior leadership positions with the RNC, and served as a site selection committee member for the 2016 and 2020 Republican National Conventions.

Homan earned her Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Policy degrees from Duke University, where she focused on finance and urban revitalization. She is an Accredited Professional in Leadership Energy and Environmental Design ® and has founded an organization of several hundred women dedicated to helping educate women on investing in institutional real estate. She currently serves on the Economic Investment Committee for the State of North Carolina, the Triangle East Chamber Board of Directors, and its Economic Development Committee.

Craig Bernstein is a Managing Partner of OPZ Bernstein, a subsidiary of The Bernstein Companies, a Washington, DC based real estate investment management firm. Mr. Bernstein has more than 20 years of experience in real estate, including acquisitions, dispositions, construction, development, financing, asset management, property management and leasing. Mr. Bernstein is responsible for establishing OPZ Bernstein’s strategic initiatives and overseeing the Fund’s investor relations.

As one of the nation’s leading Opportunity Zone experts, Mr. Bernstein has contributed to stories for The New York Times, Associated Press, Washington Post and CNBC. Mr. Bernstein is a frequent speaker at Opportunity Zone events including the Global Institutional Real Estate Forum, Washington, DC Building Industry Association, Washington, DC Economic Partnership, Bisnow, The ASD Summit and The New York Riverside Experience.

Prior to founding OPZ Bernstein, Mr. Bernstein was the Chief Investment Officer of White Star Investments, a prominent single family investment office in Bethesda, MD. During his 10 year career at White Star Investments, Mr. Bernstein oversaw a diversified portfolio of privately held real estate, private equity, alternative investments, and marketable securities. Mr. Bernstein focused extensively on allocating capital to external managers, and leading the firm’s manager selection and due diligence processes. Prior to joining White Star Investments, Mr. Bernstein was a Director at Cushman and Wakefield. One of the youngest Directors in the firm’s history, Mr. Bernstein’s clients included TIAA-CREF, TA Associates, Lerner Enterprises and the B.F. Saul Companies.

Named as a member to the Inaugural Bisnow “Top 35 under 35” list, Mr. Bernstein has also served on the Board of the Greater Washington Commercial Association of Realtors (GWCAR) and the Board of Hillel at the University of Maryland. Mr. Bernstein resides in Potomac, MD.

With almost 20 years of experience as the President of Servant Financial, a registered investment advisor, this wealth management leader has served the diverse investment, risk management, and finance needs of family offices, high net worth clients, and individuals. John built a reputation for excellence in alternative investment management, including founding of a farmland Opportunity Zone fund - Promised Land OZ, and private equity and hedge fund management for Samuel Zell's family office for over a decade.

Servant Financial leverages their extensive finance and accounting background to provide comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management services, utilizing low-cost ETFs and other liquid marketable securities. They hold the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and the DACFP Basic Certificate in Blockchain and Digital Assets credentials, demonstrating their commitment to continuous learning and staying ahead of the curve in the dynamic financial landscape. Their mission is investing with purpose to deliver customized, transparent, and ethical solutions that align with their clients' goals and values.

Mr. Jonathan D. Tower is the Founder and Managing Partner of the Arctaris Impact Fund, LP, Arctaris Royalty Partners, LLC, and three predecessor Arctaris impact investment funds. Mr. Tower invests in growth-oriented businesses in the manufacturing, technology, and services industries with heavy emphasis on underserved and underrepresented banking markets.

Mr. Tower has over 15 years of industry experience, investing in private equity and private debt, including three interim Chief Executive Officer roles in private equity-backed companies. He has worked closely with portfolio companies in the manufacturing, technology, and services industries to achieve their growth objectives, including Capterra (acquired by Gartner), Verid (acquired by EMC), QuoteShip (acquired by ICGE), Moguldom Media (acquired by InteractiveOne), and Xoom (acquired by PayPal).

Prior thereto, Mr. Tower was a Managing Director, Operating Partner and member of the Investment Committee at Dutchess Capital Management LLC. He held responsibilities both in private equity deal execution and maximizing value in portfolio companies, working with management teams to develop growth or turnaround strategies.

At Fidelity Ventures, he executed private equity and venture capital investments, focusing on the enterprise technology, security and communications sectors.

At IBM, Mr. Tower was a member of the Corporate Venture Capital, Mergers & Acquisitions and Debt Capital Market groups, where he facilitated the issuance of more than $2 billion in term debt, managed $250 million of A/R factoring transactions, led venture investments in five expansion-stage technology businesses, and executed two corporate divestitures that generated $300 million in profit.

Prior to IBM, Mr. Tower was a Co-Founder and Vice President of Business Development at Vodium.com. From 1996 to 1999, he was a Financial Journalist at Bloomberg News. Mr. Tower has published articles on corporate finance, derivatives and risk management in Bloomberg News, Bloomberg Magazine, International Herald Tribune, and the New York Times.

Mr. Tower received an M.B.A. degree from Harvard Business School in 2002 and a B.A. degree in English and Mathematics from Georgetown University in 1996.

Catherine Lyons is the Senior Director of Policy and Coalitions at the Economic Innovation Group, a bipartisan research and policy organization dedicated to creating a more dynamic and inclusive U.S. economy. Catherine leads the organization's government affairs work, focused on implementing and enhancing Opportunity Zones, restricting the use of noncompete agreements for all workers, creating more pathways for high-skilled immigration, establishing new retirement savings vehicles for workers, and increasing housing supply across the country. In previous positions, Catherine worked on federal immigration reform as well as a variety of state and local policies across California, and served as an AmeriCorps member in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina. She holds a Master of Public Policy from the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy and Bachelor's degrees in International Relations and Journalism from the University of Southern California.

As a former college athlete, Angel understands the preparation it takes to know your team, know the game plan and execute it for the win. She uses this same approach when it comes to working with clients. Angel is always looking for that competitive advantage business owners can use to realize tax savings.

Since beginning her public accounting career in 2010, Angel has focused on tax planning and compliance, as well as reporting and minimization strategies for clients within the real estate and construction industry. She has deep expertise in the area of Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZ) and serves as one of the firm’s leaders in this area.

NAIOP Northern Ohio (Commercial Real Estate Development Association) (Education Committee Chair)

Case Western Reserve University Spartan Club (President)

Ohio Society of CPAs

American Institute of CPAs

Crain’s Cleveland Business 40 Under 40 award (2024)

Cleveland Leadership Center’s Bridge Builders Program (Class of 2021)

Bethany Baptist Church

Frequent speaker on the topic of Qualified Opportunity Zones

Angel loves watching and playing all sports, but especially loves cheering for Cleveland’s sports teams and the U.S. women’s soccer team. If not for her star role as an accountant at Cohen & Co, Angel’s dream job would be coaching women’s softball. She also loves spending time with her dogs in the park. Angel lives in Fairview Park, Ohio.