Advisors

Scott A. Davis has over 30 years of engineering experience. Scott was the Chief Technology Officer at DuPont Fabros Technology, which was acquired by Digital Realty (DLR) in late 2017. Scott and his team pioneered breakthrough technologies in data center design and innovations in green cooling. Early in his career, Scott worked at AOL where he engineered several of the world’s first large-scale internet data centers and managed AOL’s domestic and international data center operations. His prior experience also includes being a design engineer on military simulators.

In addition to serving on the Board of the Verte, Scott is currently an advisor to Microsoft and serves on the Board of Directors of Capitol Power Group. Mr. Davis earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland.

Jesse M. Abraham has over 30 years experience as a forecaster, business economist and Senior Executive for Data Resources Inc., F.W. Dodge, Freddie Mac and Wells Fargo Bank.  His published research includes topics in residential house prices, commercial real estate, housing finance, tax reform and wage determination.     

Dr. Abraham received undergraduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a PhD in Economics from Princeton University. 

In addition to serving on the Board of the Verte, Jesse  currently serves as a Board Member and Research Director for the HomesRenewed Resource Center, a nonprofit promoting home modifications to support widespread aging in place. 

Stephanie M. Smith

OZ Advisor

Stephanie M. Smith, principal and founder of SMS Global Advisors Law Group, LLC (SMS Global Advisors), has over 20 years’ experience as counsel to lenders, developers, and businesses to finance multi-family housing and mixed-use development projects with grants, tax credits, loans, and equity.  Through SMS Global Advisors, Ms. Smith advises real estate developers, lenders and investors on the efficient coordination for multi-layered financing of real estate and business enterprise ventures in opportunity zones located in both urban and rural communities nationwide.

Ms. Smith was a Governing Member of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law, and the past Chair of the ABA Real Property Section’s Affordable Housing Committee.  She is a frequent speaker and writer about tax credit financing and opportunity zone investing for a wide range audience to include investors, developers and real estate trade organizations. She is currently working on a book about “Creative Financing Tools for Real Estate Development Projects,” for publication next year.  Ms. Smith received her B.A. from Howard University, her J.D. from Rutgers Law School, and L.L.M. in Taxation with Honors Certificate in International Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.

Augusto D. Macedo, Esq.

Legal and Compliance Service Provider

Augusto (Gus) D. Macedo, Esq. is the Managing Director of Asset Management Compliance Consulting Solutions, LLC (“AMC Compliance”). He has over 25 years of experience in the asset management sector, providing regulatory compliance consulting services to investment advisers, private equity firms and hedge funds, municipal and securities broker-dealers, mutual funds, life insurance companies and affiliated distributors, and banks.

Prior to Gus assuming his role at AMC Compliance, he served in various senior level positions at Calvert Investments, Inc., Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation, and the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations and Division of Enforcement.
Gus earned his Juris Doctor degree in Law and his Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science. His certifications include FINRA Series 7 and 24 Licenses and CFA Institute’s Claritas® Investment Certificate.

Gus’s expertise includes establishing, supervising, and monitoring compliance and risk management programs, monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of compliance and risk management programs, and conducting inspections, examinations, audits, and internal investigations.

Charles N. Wight Jr.

Accounting and Tax Service Provider

Chuck Wight has over 35 years’ experience representing small businesses and successful enterprises in all accounting, tax, and estate planning matters. Chuck received and B.S. in Accounting and a M.S. in Taxation. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA).

Since 1990, he has partnered and managed a full service accounting practice, Wight and Walsh. He was previously a Tax Manager at Grant Thornton and a Senior Accountant at Rosenbloom and Shapiro. Over his career he has provided dozens of valuations of small- and medium-sized businesses as well as numerous consultations on buying or selling businesses.