Olie B. Godwin, Ph.D.

Olie B. Godwin holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy from Tulane University and has provided grant writing, grant research, grant management, proposal writing, program management, economic development incentives, and project financing packages for public, private, non-profit entities, and educational institutions since 1997. She has provided advice and consulting services to over 300 clients and has been successful in obtaining grant funding in excess of $1 Billion. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience in developing customized financial packages for small to large businesses, governmental agencies, non-profits, and educational institutions.

Dr. Godwin has extensive knowledge and experience in various grant programs that provide leveraged financing for economic development projects, public infrastructure projects as well as projects through non- profit organizations and educational institutions. Throughout all stages of a project, Dr. Godwin has made providing good advice and protecting the client involved in the project her top priority. Recognizing needs of clients and developing unique financing packages for projects is her hallmark.

Dr. Godwin administered 95% of the Hurricane Katrina Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Projects throughout the State of Mississippi, including the Mississippi Gulf Coast. These grants ranged from $1 million to $243 million. She was responsible for the preparation of applications, grant administration, monitoring, auditing, and closeout of approximately 150 CDBG-DR projects totally approximately $633,000,000. The projects ranged from public infrastructure, police and fire stations, streetscapes, visitors’ centers, libraries, community centers, city halls, senior centers, town greens and many more. Also, she is intimately familiar with the workings of a water and sewer districts due in part to being the grant project administrator of 23 CDBG-DR infrastructure projects totaling approximately $243 million for the Harrison County Utility Authority in Gulfport, MS

She is experienced in developing feasible economic development projects by conducting an economic analysis of a locale. She works hand in hand with all parties involved in an economic development project to ensure that all economic development financing possibilities are reviewed and considered. A prime example of the creation of an economic development project using the economic development analysis is the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Dr. Godwin has been an intricate facilitator in successfully completing over 100 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) projects ranging from $300,000 to $35,000,000. These TIF projects are located across Mississippi and parts of Alabama. Notable TIF projects successfully orchestrated are the Bass Pro Shop in Pearl, MS and Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland, MS.

Throughout Mississippi to various parts of Louisiana and Alabama as well as New Jersey, Godwin’s clients have consisted of local, state, and federal governmental agencies, small to large businesses/corporations, private individuals, developers, non-profits, and both public and private educational institutions.