Whenever a new industry emerges, there’s always a trade organization that gets created to serve its needs. The Opportunity Zones Marketplace is no exception. In this podcast episode, listen to Aaron Grau, the Executive Director of the Opportunity Zone Association of America (OZAA), as he explains how his nonprofit national platform is helping those involved in the Opportunity Zones industry to connect, form relationships, learn, and advocate in order to promote the stability and success of the Opportunity Zone industry.
Education in any industry is important for everyone to understand how all the moving parts work together and is the basis for creating a track record of success to share information and to encourage investment. The uncertainty regarding the new guidelines for Opportunity Zones investments makes the necessity of a trade organization like the OZAA even more essential as new policies are formed and debated.
Because so many are unfamiliar with Opportunity Zones, OZAA conducts a variety of webinars and boot camps, all focusing on developing conversations with the intent to ignite deals across the country. As Mr. Grau mentions on the podcast, there is no such thing as an Opportunity Zone project, but rather, projects within Opportunity Zones. That’s a subtle distinction to make, but important to understand as Opportunity Zone stakeholders must rely on relationships to advance their professional projects. Membership into the OZAA helps facilitate these communications and connection strategies. After you listen to this podcast, you’ll understand why membership into the OZAA makes since if you function in any part of the industry. Questions? Comments? Want to become a member? Then make sure you contact Mr. Grau by sending him an email or calling him directly at 412.480.1809. You can also visit the OZAA website at www.OZAA.org for more information as well.
ABOUT OUR GUEST: Aaron Grau, Esq.
Aaron serves as Executive Director of OZAA. He’s the Principal of Grau & Associates, LLC, an association management firm in Pittsburgh. Before creating his own Pittsburgh based company, Mr. Grau directed Pittsburgh’s Duane Morris Government Strategies’ federal government affairs practice from its creation, a 2012 merger between GSP Consulting and Duane Morris Government Affairs.
Before G&A’s Virginia start, Mr. Grau was General Counsel for an Alexandria, Virginia based boutique-lobbying firm. While there Mr. Grau developed extensive experience establishing, managing, and growing trade associations including the National Job Corps Association and the National Organization of Rehabilitation Partners. Given associations’ ability to leverage broad based platforms to impact policy, economics, and business, he maintained his interest and abilities in trade association management through his career in Pittsburgh and today.
Earlier, Mr. Grau was Majority Counsel on the US Senate Health Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee where he developed Senate hearings and negotiated and drafted several pieces of federal legislation. He was part of the Senate team that created the Workforce Investment Act, a bipartisan bill signed into law during a Rose Garden ceremony in August 1998.
Mr. Grau has a BA from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and a Juris Doctorate from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. He is licensed to practice law in Florida, Georgia, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Courts and has been honored by the State of Ohio for his legislative work on behalf of people with disabilities.
IMPORTANT!
All information provided is for informational purposes only. This information is not intended as legal or investment advice for anyone to make an investment in any one particular company and is not intended for any companies to rely on this information to form an opinion to go public or not to go public or to do any type of offering of securities. You must check with a securities attorney to find out if an offering is for you, or if you are going to be in the business of selling any type of securities, you need to make sure you are following your state and federal legislative law so you do not get into any troubles. Do not use the opinions as stated on this show as any way to form an opinion as what is wrong or right or what could be done for your business or as an investor.
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