Jeffrey Schwartz is the founding Executive Director of Broad Community Connections, where he has worked since January 2009. A native New Orleanian, Jeff has over a decade of community economic development experience, where he has focused on community development finance, small business and real estate development, and the relationship between the health and vibrancy of a community and its built environment. He has a BA in Economics and History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master of City Planning degree from MIT, where he studied City Design & Development and Housing & Community Economic Development, and wrote his thesis on fresh food access in New Orleans before and after Katrina. Jeff is actively involved with economic development, planning, and transportation issues in New Orleans. In addition to serving on the CCCLT Board of Directors, he also serves on the boards of the Regional Planning Commission, Industrial Development Board, Ride New Orleans, and the local advisory board for the Trust for Public Land.