Libby Williams Email & Phone Number

Community, Business and Economic Development Consulting.• Provide comprehensive community and economic development consulting services to public agencies and private sector organizations. • Project manager and economic development practitioner with 20 years experience generating new jobs and investments while retaining current businesses and employment for the community. • Experienced in business attraction/retention, governmental affairs, economic development corporations, private business / governmental liaison, community outreach, economic analysis, and strategic planning. • Extensive relationships with local experts including economists, attorneys, urban planners, real estate brokers, accountants, researchers, economic developers and community based organizations.• Projects include: Organizing City of Los Angeles’ construction industry business matchmaking events for over 500 attendees; Assisting Community Build non-profit with required City of Los Angeles Business Inclusion Program outreach for grant applications; Working as Small Business Outreach Director for the LA Community College District Build Program; Assisting the USC Center for Economic Development with preparing an EDA grant application for Southern California and serving as project manager for the awarded project; Creating an LAEDC resource guide of business assistance services available to innovative companies. Producing a gap analysis of workforce, training and business development needs of Southern California businesses for the LAEDC and; serving as the executive director of the Mayor’s blue-ribbon task for how to make the City of Los Angeles more business-friendly.

Los Angeles, California, United States

Los Angeles, California, United States

The Advanced Manufacturing Partnership for Southern California (AMP SoCal) collaborates with organizations in both public and private sectors, across government, academia, and industry, to strengthen the region’s aerospace and defense manufacturing economy. Led by the Price School – USC Center for Economic Development, AMP SoCal is focused on the southernmost ten counties in California, a federally designated manufacturing community. AMP SoCal’s shared goal is to provide aerospace and defense manufacturers and their supply chain with the tools, talent, and capacity to master the future. Responsibility to:• Grow the AMP SoCal consortium and identify partners to help engage the region in activities that support the growth of the A&D industry in Southern California and create jobs. • Formulate and implement outreach operating practices to encourage small A&D suppliers to join the AMP SoCal consortium. This includes the development and maintenance of the AMP SoCal website in addition to all marketing efforts through social media platforms.• Create research forums on topics of interest to consortium members from both industry and academia, develop a semi-annual conference to showcase the successes of the consortium, and engage industry and the public sector across the 10-county Southern California region.• Develop and implement workshops, trainings, and webinars to address industry problems in workforce development, new technology, and business assistance so that A&D suppliers have the tools to be successful.• Coordinate and provide technical assistance to small A&D manufacturers for business growth including hosting semi-annual strategic matchmaking events to introduce small A&D suppliers to OEMs.

Los Angeles

• Responsible for developing policies and programs to assist the 300,000+ small businesses in the nation’s second-largest city. Key areas of focus include City Services, Procurement, and Convening Resources.• Alongside the Community Development Department (CDD), oversaw the implementation of the City’s redesigned business assistance program, BusinessSource. Responsible for strategy, content, and partnership development of the Business Source Centers. Worked closely with the City’s partners to ensure they are providing the best possible business assistance to the small business and entrepreneur community.• Developed programs related to such areas as job creation, economic development for disadvantaged communities, and access to capital. • Negotiated and managed strategic partnerships with major corporate partners including Goldman Sachs, UBS, Kiva.org, and Dun & Bradstreet to offer programs that benefit the City’s small businesses.• Assisted the Executive Director of the Office of Contractor Relations with developing and implementing programs that worked to increase the City’s utilization of small, minority, women and disabled veteran-owned businesses.• Managed the Mayor’s Small Business Advisory Council which provided guidance to the City on policies and procedures that affect small businesses.• Represented the Mayor’s office at business events and to various business organizations.• Served as a liaison between the small business community and the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Business Policy.

• Lead the Small Business Program for the nation’s second-largest school district.• Responsibilities included increasing the number of Small Business Enterprise (SBE) firms competing for bond-funded construction, architecture, engineering, and professional services contracts in an effort to meet the Board of Education’s 25% small business utilization goal.• Provided referral services to technical assistance, financial, bonding and insurance, and SBE certification services.• Developed and executed seminars, symposiums, and special events for contractors, architects, engineers, construction management firms, and elected officials to increase competition and promote Owner initiatives.• Tracked and reported the District’s small business utilization rates for use in evaluating future contractors.• Reviewed, evaluated, and scored Request for Qualifications and Request for Proposal submissions.• Represented the District to elected officials, contractors, business community groups, trade organizations, labor unions, and public agencies concerning procurement policies and procedures.• Managed the Small Business Advisory Council which provides guidance to the District on policies and procedures that affect small businesses.• Managed a team of five District employees and contract professionals.

Los Angeles Metropolitan Area

Community and Economic Development Consulting.• Provide comprehensive community and economic development consulting services to public agencies and private sector organizations. • Project manager and economic development practitioner with 15 years experience generating new jobs and investments, while retaining current businesses and employment for the community. • Experienced in business attraction / retention, governmental affairs, economic development corporations, private business / governmental liaison, community outreach, economic analysis and strategic planning. • Extensive relationships with local experts including economists, attorneys, urban planners, real estate brokers, accountants, researchers, economic developers and community based organizations. • Recent projects include producing a resource guide of technical assistance providers and funding options available to innovative companies (www.laedc.org/irg) in addition to a gap analysis of workforce, training and business development needs of Southern California businesses for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.

• The Los Angeles Economy & Jobs Committee (LAEJC) was a blue ribbon task force responsible for helping the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles retain and attract job-creating investments. • Served as executive director conducting broad-based collection and analysis of key issues, obstacles, and deterrents to business/job attraction and retention in Los Angeles; o executed a comprehensive audit of existing L.A. business attraction and retention information and initiatives; o reviewed and summarized the best business development practices across the country to guide the structure of L.A.-based initiatives designed to create quality jobs; o recommended steps to improve the City of Los Angeles’ ability to retain and attract job-creating investment; o and coordinated the Committee’s efforts to retain or attract specific companies. • Supervised the work of a research assistant, interns and pro-bono consulting firms. • Reported directly to the Chairman of the LAEJC, Russell Goldsmith, CEO of City National Bank. To view the final report visit https://www.thelacoalition.com/research/laejc-report-mayor/.

• Provide one-on-one, business assistance services to companies located within the Westside Cities of LA County with the focus to attract, retain and expand businesses, and jobs within the region. • Act as confidential liaison with city and county officials, business leaders, real estate professionals and other economic development allies such as trade organizations and chambers of commerce to provide a variety of services which include: site searches, community profiles, economic and demographic information, incentive zones information (Enterprise, Revitalization, Empowerment, Foreign Trade), assisting with securing incentives, facilitating the permitting process (City, County, State, Environmental), labor market information, workforce assistance (placement and customized training), utility and transportation services, public financing programs (local, state and federal) including industrial development bonds, identification of traditional financing opportunities and providing personalized briefings and orientations that are tailored to meet the specific needs of the client. • Work as an executive on loan to the newly formed Westside Economic Collaborative (WEC) to strengthen its development. Help the WEC better understand its market, industry clusters and area needs. • Market to and build relationships with brokers, bankers, building owners, management companies, architects, facility managers, consultants and developers.

• Responsible for identifying opportunities and developing community economic development programs and initiatives to stimulate economic growth. • Also responsible for management of the LAEDC Business Assistance initiatives designed to improve business opportunities and competitive position of LA County. • Developed and maintained relationships with over 300 federal, state, county, local and regional professionals. • Managed implementation of the Job Creation Investment Fund, a $750,000 state funded program to stimulate job creation activities within LA County. • Awarded two additional grants to supervise workforce and economic development outreach programs throughout various regions of LA County. • Supervised Department Coordinator and several project based consultants.• Managed Los Angeles County Regional Business Assistance Network (RBAN), a collaboration of all business service providers located in Los Angeles County. • Program focus is to create a “seamless referral system” for all participating businesses, along with many other projects which ultimately educate, connect and harmonize all phases of business. • Created Regional Business Assistance Resource Guide for in house staff use and conducted training on all available programs and products available to economic development professionals. • Coordinated and facilitated quarterly meetings for 200 attendees representing a wide range of service providers, community based organizations, workforce development organizations and local municipalities. • Also convened and facilitated quarterly Leadership Council (steering committee) meetings.

Selected as one of 12 Fellows for Southern California. On average only 2% of applicants are selected. Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs is one of the premiere non-academic, full time postgraduate programs in the country. Over the last decade, The Princeton Review has consistently featured the Fellows Program as one of the top 10 internships in the country. Coro trains ethical, diverse civic leaders nationwide. Coro leaders develop skills; master tools needed to engage and empower communities; gain experience in government, business, labor and not-for-profit community organizations; and participate in special community and political problem solving processes.

Master Of Leadership

Certificate, Real Estate Development And Finance

Lusk Center for Real Estate, Ross Minority Program in Real Estate (RMPIRE), Summer 2004.

Education record

Bs, Mpa, Public Administration

Activities and Societies: Vice President, Associated Students; Cal State Students Association (CSSA) representative