Jean-Louis Baron-Hyppolite Email & Phone Number

Greater New Orleans Area

As Owner Manager and partner to some of the most prominent disaster consulting firms, I’ve spearheaded the closeout process for several billion dollars in Hurricane Sandy grants, helped our client achieve strategic focus thru process standardization. Leveraging my experience in helping conceptualize a single settlement for the Louisiana Recovery School District which totaled close to $2 Billion at the time (i.e., the first and largest single settlement at the time by FEMA.), I helped formulate the closeout process proposed to FEMA for the 428 programs by the City of New York.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Area

As part of a combined grants and project management team, charged with helping the East Baton Rouge School System with recovering from the August 2016 floods, I spearheaded the formulation and obligation of over eighteen million dollars in remediation funding, enabling EBRPSS to recover close to 1/3 of its capital outlays in less than six months. Thru collaboration with FEMA and GOHSEP, we helped the recovery team develop a reasonable cost model central to EBRPSS's ability to recover funds. Presently I am helping the EBRPSS coordinate our responses to a DHS-OIG "Early Warning" audit.

Greater New Orleans Area

As head of The Special projects team’s our main goal was to provide resolution for a number of programmatic issues that have built up over the course of the past ten years. The special projects team designed and implemented a disaster accounting subledger, compliant with 44CFR Part 13, GASB 20 and GASB 18 to interface with the state accounting and finance system ISIS at our client’s request. The special projects team also helped the RSD resolve $66 million in so called “negative balance” owed to GOHSEP, arguing reasonableness and eligibility with GOHSEP. Designing a framework for drawing down funds on $76 million in fixed cost PM contracts. Securing additional funding for the RSD thru the reconciliation of $216 million in insurance reductions. Assisting the RSD budget director with establishing the processes and tools for reconciling close to $1.8 Billion dollars in diverse Federal grants including FEMA, CDBG and Restart funds.

New Orleans

As Chief Administrative Liaison to the City of New Orleans, I was responsible for the strategic oversight and closeout of 386 project worksheets for the City of New Orleans. Through a risk based approach to the closeout process he enabled the City of New Orleans to mitigate a number of risk factors inherent to the execution of a large scale program. Mr. Baron-Hyppolite was also responsible for formulating the first successful Direct Administrative Cost claim for Hurricane Katrina and secured over $7 million in past Direct Administrative Cost funding under the new closeout incentive program. Also, Mr. Baron-Hyppolite was key in successfully arbitrating $10.8 million dollars in incremental emergency pay incurred by the City, later de-obligated by FEMA and finally restored by the CBCA in its August 29th, 2013 decision (CBCA 2875-FEMA).

New Orleans

Subcontractor to James Lee Witt Group, LLC working in the capacity of State Applicant Liaison (SAL) for the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security. Managed a portfolio of applicants such as the Recovery School District and the Orleans Parish School Board representing over 2000 grants each with an initial obligation of 700 million dollars.Successfully negotiated with FEMA 1.8 Billion dollars of funding for the rebuilding of Orleans Parish Schools after Hurricane Katrina. I was instrumental in the formulation of the strategy and it's implementation. The master plan alternate project was the corner stone of President Barak Obama's speech at Xavier University on August 29, 2010 on the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and cited by local and National Politicians as an example of "Out of the box" thinking.Advised the sub grantee on eligibility and conducted building reassessments helped both applicant manage their grants with GOHSEP.Currently implementing a forward leaning financial controls framework for both applicants.

Miami

State Public Assistance Officer for Solid-Resources, an O’Brien’s Group Company. As State Public assistance officer for the Department of Transportation of the State of Florida (FDOT) for the ’04 and ’05 storms. •  I trained both DOT personnel as well as local legal entities (i.e. Cities, Counties and unincorporated municipalities) on accounting control requirements of the FEMA Public Assistance program, Summary of Documentation, Requests for Reimbursement and supporting audit support documentation.•  I reorganized and retooled the FDOT accounting and auditing processes for drawing down funds obligated thru the FEMA Public Assistance program.•  Achieved the goal of introducing, formalizing, documenting and ensuring the highest quality control standards to the process of documenting the use of public funds.•  I also prepared FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) ER (Emergency Response) claims for FDOT and contributed to FDOT’s debris management plan.

Public Assistance Coordinator (PAC) for the City of Richmond. As State Public Assistance Coordinator representing the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), I coordinated with FEMA the recovery from tropical depression Ernesto for the City of Richmond. In the process I conducted kick-off meetings, reviewed PW's, established grants management processes and liaised with applicants, conducted and coordinated meetings and managed the disaster for the Commonwealth. I was instrumental in guiding the applicant thru the Public Assistance program. This resulted in 40 million dollars worth of projects eligible for reimbursement under the PA program, as well as reaching thru a new collaborative effort, a solution for the City of Richmond's damaged sewer system, that both minimized risks and costs for FEMA and the State of Virginia. DR-1661-VA will be used by FEMA as a text book example of the New FEMA that Director Paulison and his team are creating.

Provided accounting, auditing, financial analysis, and managerial advice to FEMA Public Assistance Strike Team leader for Orleans Parish, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.• As technical assistance contractor with and an accounting background, I provided daily advice on contracts and conformance to 44 CFR Part 13 which governs the FEMA public assistance program.• Audited accounting documentation submitted by applicants in support of their request for public assistance. • Advised Public Assistance Coordinators and Strike team leadership on a number of issues touching upon procurement, accounting systems and controls.• Coordinated task team meetings whose purpose was to provide subject knowledge and management advice to Strike Team Leader and his deputy.• Wrote project worksheets with a combined value well in excess of 50 million dollars. • Conducted damage survey of public works infrastructure and housing.

Greater Los Angeles Area

Restructured and controlled all aspects of the accounting operations for a Global provider of Pharmaceutical services. Designed a financial reporting system to analyze the budgeting and forecasting of business unit results, using SQL based querying tools. This enabled the consolidation of forty business units into one consolidation report with full drill down facility. · This new system reduced consolidation time from several days to minutes, allowing the financial analysis team to focus on interpreting results rather than compiling data. · The new reporting system also allowed the financial team to proactively pursue variances and errors at the source. Provided French GAAP localization support to unit in Lyon France in the following areas: · A/P, A/R, process specification, and mapping to new accounting system, · G/L localization to French GAAP specifications, · Statutory French GAAP and VAT reporting, · Procurement process specification and implementation.

London, United Kingdom

Handled large-scale projects for several customers in diverse vertical markets (i.e. Pharmaceutical, Beverage Industry, Financial Services, Hotel, Insurance, Telecommunications and International Non-Profits.). Specific clients included Sony, Diagio, Credit Suisse, Equant (France Telecom), Shrager Hotels, Swissotel, Clickthings, MDS Pharma Services, ContiGroup, International Rescue Committee and Minoterie D'Haiti.Designed, implemented and trained staff in all areas of accounting and financial reporting, including:• ● Inventory, cost control and supply management.• ● G/L, A/R, A/P, Fixed Assets, Balance Sheet and P&L• ● Corporate reporting, budgeting, variance analysis.• ● Procurement

M.B.A, Finance And International Business

B.A., Law, Taxation, International Law