Directors

Stephen Madsen

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Stephen Madsen is an Associate Director at Econsult Solutions, Inc., providing expertise in housing and economic development policy analysis. In 2020, Mr. Madsen earned his Master’s in City and Regional Planning from the Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. In 2012, Mr. Madsen earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the College of the Holy Cross.

Prior to joining ESI, Mr. Madsen worked across the public and private sectors with experience at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency; the New York City Economic Development Corporation; and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. During these experiences, Mr. Madsen has worked on the development, implementation and evaluation of local, state and federal affordable housing programs and economic development practices including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit; the State of New Jersey’s Down Payment Assistance program; and locally-funded real estate development.

Sam Sklar

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Sam Sklar is a director with Econsult Solutions, Inc. (ESI). Prior to joining ESI, Mr. Sklar previously worked as a senior urban planning analyst with Localize.city where he led the expansion of their web-based real estate marketplace into 22 municipalities. Mr. Sklar excels in project management and problem identification, having a deep focus on building equitable and dignified solutions to locally developed problems.

Mr. Sklar has extensive experience in program and project management, planning, and analysis. As an effective communicator, Mr. Sklar has special expertise in many forms of communications strategies. In addition to his duties at ESI, he publishes a growing newsletter, Exasperated Infrastructures, which covers state and federal infrastructure policy.

David Stanek

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David Stanek , Ph.D., a director at ESI, is an urban planner who specializes in combining data science techniques, geographic information systems, and qualitative research methods to evaluate the role and influence of land use and preservation interventions on residents, places, and municipal budgets. Prior to joining ESI, he was a land use and zoning researcher at the Penn Institute for Urban Research. He has taught land use, urban policy, and public finance at Rutgers University and Hunter College and has consulted on projects for a variety of clients including the World Monuments Fund, Arup, the William Penn Foundation, Ford Foundation, USAID, the Urban Institute, and WSP as well as several municipal governments.

Tiffany Hudson

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Tiffany Hudson is an associate director at ESI. Ms. Hudson provides expertise in economic development, marketing and business strategies, infrastructure planning, and has a PMP  project management certification. Her experience dates back to 2013 when she was a sales analyst and category manager for Kao, USA.

Experience

Prior to joining ESI, Ms. Hudson served in several strategic planning positions. While in these positions, she gained experience in marketing as well as infrastructure and city planning.

  • Marketing Manager, 2020-2021;
  • Green Stormwater Infrastructure Graduate Intern, 2019-2020;
  • Project Management Contractor, 2017-2021

Additional Experience

Ms. Hudson has ten years of professional experience in project management, data analysis, client management, spatial analysis, design thinking, and strategic planning.

Frank Robinson

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Frank Robinson is a vice president with Econsult Solutions, Inc. (ESI). Mr. Robinson has been a leader in the economic development and sustainable development industries for over 20 years, working with corporate, government and nonprofit clients, banks and credit unions, as well as community development financial institutions (CDFI) and small businesses. With a knack for creatively engaging clients and re-envisioning possibilities, he enjoys hammering out logistics and bringing forth new realities.

Mr. Robinson has extensive experience articulating primary objectives for strategic plans, pursuing federal grant opportunities, construction management, business expansion and sustainability planning, and launching new programs. He has also written and managed over $40 million in federal grants / programs: assessing, planning, improving, reporting, and presenting to high-level boards and governing bodies along the way.

Prior to joining ESI, Mr. Robinson worked at Kairos Development Group as a managing partner. His responsibilities focused on executing diverse projects that benefit disadvantaged populations and assisting government and private entities pursuing social good. Before that, he was the Director of Entrepreneurship and Resource Development at People for People. He has managed and streamlined several construction projects and real estate portfolios, oversaw federal programs, operated a credit union, and served as chief development officer (fundraising). He is currently an adjunct professor at Cairn University, PA.

Additionally, beyond his extensive education, Mr. Robinson holds several certifications including one in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Management & Development and another in Faith-Based Initiatives.

Alix Sullivan

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Alix Sullivan is an Associate Director at Econsult Solutions, Inc. with expertise in economic development, public policy, and quantitative analysis. She joined ESI in 2019 and as an Analyst. Alix received her MS in Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania in 2018 and her BA from James Madison University in 2014.

Prior to working at ESI, Alix was an intern with the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Department of Community Development and Regional Outreach, where she conducted research on home improvement lending in the region.

Prior to joining ESI, Alix served in the following positions:

  • Program Coordinator, University of Pennsylvania, 2018-2019
  • Community Development & Regional Out Reach Intern, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, 2018
  • City Council Fellow, Philadelphia City Council, 2017-2019
  • Digital Marketing Analyst, CreditCards.com, 2016-2017