Brian Stepp Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, provide leadership and direction of the entire Grant Management & Accounting Division, including Grant Development, Grant Administration, Grant Reimbursement, Project Implementation, Grant Accounting, and Corporate Quality Assurance teams including: securing and managing financial resources; direct analyses of capital investment trends, legislative initiatives, and proposed rules or policies relating to grants and grant processes; and coordinate activities relating to the development and management of account plans, professional service and construction contracts, and capital material purchases and acquisitions. Direct the preparation of grant applications to secure capital, operating, and demonstration grant funds. Direct the management and administration of the capital grant program from project approval through completion and close out. Supervise and control capital, operating, planning, and demonstration grant funds requisitioning to meet established cash flow needs. Supervise record and report preparation and maintenance pertaining to project budgets, obligations and expenditures, fixed assets and depreciation, funding agency equity, and capital grant receivables. Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, procedures, contracts, and financial authorizations relating to grant development, project administration, grant accounting, and the requisition process. Perform all necessary personnel and department budget management activities, including recommendations regarding hiring, performance evaluations, discipline, and termination processes.

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, provide leadership and direction of the entire Grant Management & Accounting Division, including Grant Development, Grant Administration, Grant Reimbursement, Project Implementation, Grant Accounting, and Corporate Quality Assurance teams including: securing and managing financial resources; direct analyses of capital investment trends, legislative initiatives, and proposed rules or policies relating to grants and grant processes; and coordinate activities relating to the development and management of account plans, professional service and construction contracts, and capital material purchases and acquisitions. Direct the preparation of grant applications to secure capital, operating, and demonstration grant funds. Direct the management and administration of the capital grant program from project approval through completion and close out. Supervise and control capital, operating, planning, and demonstration grant funds requisitioning to meet established cash flow needs. Supervise record and report preparation and maintenance pertaining to project budgets, obligations and expenditures, fixed assets and depreciation, funding agency equity, and capital grant receivables. Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, procedures, contracts, and financial authorizations relating to grant development, project administration, grant accounting, and the requisition process. Perform all necessary personnel and department budget management activities, including recommendations regarding hiring, performance evaluations, discipline, and termination processes.

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Reporting to the Senior Director, Grant Management & Accounting, provide direction, planning, and oversight of the Grant Development, Grant Reimbursement, and Capital Project Control teams. Responsible for the administrative and financial management of a portfolio of grants from federal, state and local entities totaling hundreds of millions of dollars annually used to fund Metra's capital projects. Ensures timely fulfillment of financial and grant compliance deliverables and meet deadlines as outlined in funding agreements and government grant regulations. Assists in the coordination of pre-award planning activities working with key decision-makers. Directs the assembly, execution, and safeguarding of grant contract documentation. Ensures grant reimbursements and project control processes are administered appropriately.

Chicago, Il

Reporting directly to the Senior Director, Grant Management & Accounting, this position includes the duties of the Manager, Grant Applications position with increased responsibility.

Chicago, Il

Provide planning and management of the Grant Development department. Direct the preparation and submission of grant applications for federal, state, and local funding agency approval. Coordinate work plans, manage staff, review environmental documents developed by other departments, and direct the preparation and submission of environmental packages to funding agencies. Lead the review of completed grant proposals and monitor Metra's position in funding apportionments and allocations. Manage the preparation of public hearing notices and the publication of the Program of Projects. Serve as Hearing Officer for the annual grant public hearing. Manage various post-award grant-related activities, including, but not limited to: departmental execution of Master Agreements and Certifications & Assurances; releases of funds; and grant-application data furnished to various audits and program reviews.

Chicago, Il

Capital Project Development: I work with the Engineering Department and the Strategic Capital Planning Department, among others, to prepare projects for inclusion in capital grant applications. I update project scopes, budgets and forecasts to ensure accurate information is included in applications.National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Coordination: Analyze all capital projects and identify appropriate environmental Class of Action. I then work with the Engineering Department and outside consultants to prepare and submit the appropriate documentation to the FTA for approval. I coordinate Sec. 106 historic preservation approvals when necessary. I review and interpret new policy and guidance from the FTA and recommend internal policies and procedures.Enhancement Reporting: Section 5307 formula grants require grantees to use 1% of awarded funds for enhancement activities. I track the enhancement projects for all active grants and report annually on their status.CMAQ Reporting: I prepare and submit quarterly progress reports to the CMAQ Project Selection Committee for each Metra project that receives CMAQ funding.Indirect and Direct Supervision: Indirect supervision of other Grants staff on collaborative projects through assigning tasks, providing guidance and training, and evaluating performance. Direct supervision of an intern including interview, selection, training, daily management, review of tasks, performance review, and mentoring.

Chicago, Il

Christopher House contracts with different government agencies to provide services at their six locations. My primary responsibility is to manage all financial aspects of each contract. This is broken into the following categories:Budgeting - Develop annual contract budgets, revise budgets to meet changing revenue opportunitiesAnalysis- Monitor expenditures and cost allocations, ensure expenditures comply with regulations, forecast expenditures and revenueGovernment Contract Revenue-Accurately prepare receivable documents and ensure 100% of available funds are receivedReporting-Prepare monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports and submit to internal departments and all fundersAdditionally, I provided indirect supervision of staff on projects through assigning tasks, providing guidance and training, and evaluating performance.

I work with Social Solution's ETO Impact database. Christopher House uses this database to track all clients and their immediate family in order to maintain a record of everyone who receives services. Also tracked are various indicators that are used to determine the degree of success that the services are having in assisting the low incomes families in obtaining self sufficiency. My duties involve entering new households into the system, ensuring accuracy of demographic information of new and existing households, entering indicator data and producing reports based upon indicator data. These reports are intended for both senior level managers as well as program managers in an effort to identify areas of success and areas for improvement. A second area of responsibility was working with ETO Community. This was part of a collaboration with four other nonprofits in Chicago for a Benchmarking Project. My role was to assist the other agencies with data entry, data integrity and reporting.

Review Zoning Change Applications, Land Use Master Plan Amendment Applications, Special Use Permit Applications, development proposals and Site/Building/Landscape Plans. Prepare monthly planning staff meeting notes for the Plan Commission based upon review of submitted applications or plans. Prepare monthly agenda and take minutes for the Economic Development Committee. Draft Special Use Agreements and Amendments based upon negotiations between the City and a developer. Lead the creation of reports and coordination with City departments for collection of documents to apply for the Wisconsin Award for Municipal Excellence. Assist with the creation of the City's first Business Improvement District, first Redevelopment District and second Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) District.

Researched foreclosure filings in the Milwaukee area and throughout Wisconsin. Researched water industry firms throughout the Milwaukee area for the Milwaukee 7 Water Council. Used Microsoft Excel to process and tabulate survey results from a pilot program in Milwaukee Public Schools.

Coordinated with branch offices throughout the country to ensure the timely delivery of collateral documents to banks. Reviewed and corrected loan documents based upon established guidelines. As necessary, coordinated with branch offices, borrowers and investment banks to correct loan documents. Created and executed necessary loan documents. Created a Collateral Department Manual.

Masters, Urban Planning

Activities and Societies: Milwaukee Student Planning Association: -Member: September 2007 to May 2009 -Vice-President: April 2008 to May.

Bachelor Of Arts, International Studies; Political Science