{"80":{"first":"Ingrid","last":"Osborn"},"81":"Chief Counsel Jacksonville Field Office, U.S. HUD","82":"suarezosborn@outlook.com","83":"904-540-6767","84":{"first":"Brad","last":"Rader"},"85":"2002","86":"It is my honor to nominate Brad Rader for the Widener Law Commonwealth Excellence in Public Service Award. Mr. Rader has dedicated his almost 20 year professional career as a public servant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (\"HUD\"). He has consistently embraced HUD\u2019s mission, and his work exhibits the highest quality of legal service on a daily basis in a caring, competent, and professional manner. He has dedicated his vast legal expertise in doing transactional real estate work for the creation of HUD insured nursing homes, multifamily housing complexes, housing for the elderly, housing for people with disabilities, hospitals, and low- and mixed-income housing. His work has produced over 500 properties, and a surpassing number of affordable housing units. Mr. Rader was designated by the General Counsel to represent the Office of Counsel and provide support to the Secretary's Chairmanship in the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. The Council was tasked with encouraging public and private investments in urban and economically distressed areas, including qualified opportunity zones. An Opportunity Zone is an economically distressed community where new investments may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. In this capacity, Brad spearheaded a knowledge base within the industry to find best ways to target, streamline, align existing HUD programs and reduce regulatory and administrative barriers to encourage beneficial investment for Opportunity Zones. In 2019 alone,  this work created hundreds of housing units and employment opportunities within the community. Brad\u2019s leadership was essential in driving staff\u2019s understanding of what appeared to be a challenging program. With Brad\u2019s help, staff, colleagues and counterparts in field offices throughout the nation, now have a better understanding of a complex program such as the Opportunity Zones tax benefit program. Brad\u2019s work relating to Opportunity Zone was published by the American Bar Association Affordable Housing Journal. Mr. Rader is widely revered and highly sought by colleagues, private lenders and counsel and program staff for his vast legal expertise. His excellence in public service was recently recognized by U.S. Secretary Benjamin Carson as a recipient of the 2020 Secretary's Award for Excellence. This award is given to an individual who has gone above and beyond the call of public service, and whose service and leadership is distinguished by marked achievements of significance which demonstrate impactful, quantifiable improvements to the community.\r\n\r\nBrad Rader is a distinguished Widener Law Alumni; a leader in the Housing industry, who improves the communities he serves and gives back to his alma mater. His extraordinary commitment to public service and exceptional leadership demonstrates excellence in public service and makes him the best candidate for Widener Law Commonwealth\u2019s Excellence in Public Service Award.\r\n\r\n"}