Evan Weiss, an expert in public finance and economic development, has been hired by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority as Senior Advisor for Public Finance.

Weiss is on mobility from the EDA to the Governor’s Office, where he will report to Deputy Chief of Staff for Economic Growth Joe Kelley and Chief Policy Advisor Kathleen Frangione.

‘Hiring Evan from the private sector is a major step in achieving the kind of economic prosperity and job growth we envision, said the Governor. ‘Evan’s experience creating effective and lucrative partnerships between public and private entities, as well as his expertise in tax incentives and Opportunity Zones, will serve New Jersey well as we move into the next phase of economic development.’

Weiss will focus his time on finding creative solutions to New Jersey’s most pressing economic and community development problems, including financing affordable housing and water infrastructure, leveraging Opportunity Zones, and collaborating with hospitals and universities.

Weiss comes to the administration from PEL Analytics, where he was a director specializing in helping cities recover from financial distress and developing strategies to rebuild their economies. He is also a thought leader on Opportunity Zones, having designed and guided the Opportunity Zone allocation formulas for New Jersey and three other major states and having worked on early initiatives to use the incentive to build schools and invest in high-potential tech and life sciences businesses. A noted specialist in the fields of public finance, public private partnerships, and community development, Weiss has worked with both the State of New Jersey and several of its largest cities on economic development and recovery plans. He also has authored several white papers on urban policy.

Evan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Fundamentals from the University of Chicago.