Jay C.

Cook
Grants Evaluation Specialist at US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD)
jccsacto@gmail.com

Summary
An effective communicator and experienced leader with proven management and negotiation skills. Expertise
in administration, program operation, project oversight, and regulatory compliance of federal grants involving
affordable housing, community and economic development, and public service activities.
An accomplished researcher, capable of accurately interpreting government regulations and compliance
guidelines governing grant contracts with extensive experience overseeing federally funded grant programs &
projects involving affordable housing, community development, economic development, public infrastructure
and facility construction/rehabilitation projects, neighborhood revitalization, disaster recovery programs and
multiple public service activities.
Expertise in competitive grant application design & development and the corresponding rating and ranking
process (awarding/contracting). Capable of performing accurate analysis of program/project feasibility and
maintaining regulatory compliance. Experience in successfully managing a portfolio of highly complex, multiyear, multi-activity, federally funded grant contracts (State CDBG Program). Experienced as single-point-ofcontact for new grant applicants as well as current grant recipients (Grantees) providing regulatory guidance,
rule interpretation, product & program training and technical assistance (TA).
Additional professional experience in grant writing, fundraising and resource development, real estate and
mortgage sales/sales management, territory, account and relationship development, credit/income analysis,
processing/underwriting, loan origination and closing, and the training and expertise to accurately interpret and
maintain compliance of all rules and regulations governing residential mortgage products and programs.

Experience
Grants Evaluation Specialist at US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) / Office of
Native American Programs (ONAP)
August 2016 - Present (6 months)
* Ensure the compliance of program grant recipients to HUD requirements through on-site monitoring, fiscal
audit tracking, and coordination of training and technical assistance for local clients.
* Maintain relevant database systems and data integrity, and;
* Develop resolutions to complex problems, identify and track trends, and provide recommendations for
resource allocations as well as programs solutions, and processes to be reviewed for effectiveness.

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Graduate Student at Master of Arts in Public Policy & Administration (MPPA) at National Louis
University
January 2015 - Present (2 years 1 month)
and Graduate Student - Master of Arts in Public Policy & Administration (MPPA) Program scheduled for
completion in March, 2017.
Grant Research / Resource Development / Marketing & Outreach / Trainer-Presenter at AmeriCorps
VISTA & Graduate Student
November 2015 - August 2016 (10 months)
Sponsoring Organization: Housing Action Illinois
Project Name: Illinois Affordable Housing Support Project.
Host Site: HOPE Fair Housing Center
Assigned to HOPE Fair Housing Center in West Chicago to help build organizational capacity though
development of sustainable, efficient processes to market and implement HOPE Fair Housing's goals of
creating healthy, diverse neighborhoods.
Primary responsibilities:
* Development and implementation of new marketing/outreach campaigns designed to reach low and mixed
income communities to ensure residents have a fair and equal opportunity in finding and securing safe,
affordable housing.
* Conduct research, prepare letters of intent (LOI's) and grant applications for submission to relevant
government and foundation based funding sources.
* Develop recruiting materials for volunteers, interns and fair housing testers (fair housing testing involving
Realtors/Brokers working with home-buyers, landlords and property management companies of rental
units,and banks/mortgage companies offering home loans).
* Assist with fair housing training and civil rights presentations at schools/universities, public service
agencies, housing agencies, Realtors, Lenders and at conferences and funding raising events.
* Provide Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) training and materials to Chicago metropolitan area
HUD entitlement jurisdictions, Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), Community Development agencies, and
social service providers.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) / Senior Program Representative II at State of
California Department of Housing & Community Development
June 2009 - July 2014 (5 years 2 months)
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM SPECIALIST
Responsible for regulatory compliance, contract administration and program/project management to include
(but not limited to) Housing Rehabilitation and Home-Buyer Assistance Programs; Multifamily Acquisition
& Rehabilitation; Public Infrastructure and Public Facility Development & Rehab Projects; Public Service
Programs, and Economic Development Programs and Projects (BA & ME), Planning Grants and Technical
Assistance (TA)..

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NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION PROGRAM SPECIALIST (NSP1 & NSP3) / Single and Multifamily
Housing Acquisition/Rehab/Resale/Rental Program & Project activities. Responsible for entire NSP3 grant
portfolio ($12M). Redesigned reporting format to improve grantee accountability, provided increased
technical assistance on project completion improving expenditure rate by over 50% in under six months time.
DISASTER RECOVERY INITIATIVE (DRI) PROGRAM SPECIALIST / Appointed project lead for $54M
DRI Program (2008 California Wild Fire Disasters) / drafted/published all required public notices, HUD
Action Plans/Amendments, Notice of Funds Available (NOFA), created specialized grant application w/
scoring criteria and instructions, reviewed/scored/approved all (54) DRI applications, developed special DRI
Program contract templates.
AMERICAN RECOVERY & REINVESTMENT ACT (ARRA) PROGRAMS & PROJECTS SPECIALIST /
Managed multifamily affordable housing rehabs, public infrastructure (roads/buildings) projects and job
training programs.
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE: Monitoring, Financial Audits, National Environmental Protection Act
(NEPA), Fair Housing/Equal Employment Opportunity (FH/EEO), MBE/WBE, Labor Standards/DavisBacon and Related Acts (DBRE), Part 5 Income Eligibility/Determination, Uniform Relocation Assistance
and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act (URA), Public Participation, Federal Procurement Methods/
Procedures, Debarment, and Audit Requirements under OMB Circular(s) A-133, A-122 & A-87.
Regional Account Executive - Special Lending Division at CitiMortgage
October 2006 - May 2009 (2 years 8 months)
Successfully managed Northern California regional territory. Responsible for all special mortgage programs
(CRA origination) business, territory and customer relationship development, key account management,
contract negotiation and special order fulfillment.
Provided ongoing cross-functional sales/credit/underwriting team training, coaching and mentoring.
Monitored and routinely adjusted business plans and development strategies to grow/maintain profitable
client base and successfully convert prospects into additional long-term customers.
Awarded 2007 Rookie of the Year, New Account Development
US Small Business Administrtaion (SBA) / Disaster Assistance Lending Specialist at United States
Small Business Administration (SBA)
April 2006 - September 2006 (6 months)
SERVED UNDER TWO TEMPORARY FEDERAL APPOINTMENTS:
Disaster #2824 / (Flooding) / Lending Specialist (09/01) 01/31/1996 to 05/30/1996 - AND
Disaster #10176 (Hurricane) / Paralegal Specialist (09/01) 04/01/2006 to 09/30/2006

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Experienced disaster assistance home loan originator, processor and closer (disbursement services). Provided
significant outreach and detailed communication with eligible borrowers (residential & business).
Responsible for loan set-up/review, complete application processing, clearance of conditions, final approval,
funding and doc-draw process including, but not limited to, development, review and execution of all
promissory notes, guarantees, mortgages, deeds of trust, and other legal and financial documents to ensure
accuracy of financial underwriting criteria (qualifying ratios/acceptable credit) and full compliance with
Federal regulatory rules and guidelines.
Responsible for ensuring agencys local recovery goals and rebuilding objectives were achieved within each
affected community by successfully identifying and assisting all eligible homeowners and small business
owners from application/processing through final loan approval, construction contract bid/review, draw/final
inspection and the funding (disbursement) process.
Achieved/maintained the highest, most consistent and most accurate divisional disbursement (funding)
volumes in the region throughout entire deployment. Received multiple awards for recognition of exemplary
performance.
Regional Sales/Operatons Manager - Residential Lending at Regency Savings Bank, a Division of First
Bank of Oak Park (FBOP)
2003 - 2006 (3 years)
Provided key leadership for bank-wide Residential Retail & Wholesale Mortgage Origination Division.
Direct day-to-day supervisory responsibility for staff of 20 (sales and operations) including regular interaction
with internal underwriting, closing and secondary market senior management staff to insure regulatory
compliance while consistently achieving sales volume goals.
Successfully prospected, recruited, assembled and retained mortgage origination staff of 14 experienced, selfsourcing loan officers generating an estimated $300M in annual production.
Maintained strong commitment to affordable housing and sustainable community development through
representation at regional Builder/Developer and Realtor Association activities as well as significant, active
participation with varied community development and affordable housing coalitions and home-buyer
counseling agencies throughout the Greater Chicago and Northern Indiana regions.
Developed and successfully implemented the banks first ever five year strategic plan for the Mortgage
division.
ADDITIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE at INCLUDES
1994 - 2003 (9 years)
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PREVIOUS POSITIONS HELD:

Prior to 2003
Real estate sales, property management, strategic sales training & coaching (Century 21); Franchise account
management (Century 21, Coldwell Banker & ERA); Corporate relocation (Cendant Corp); Retail sales
and store management, Loan servicing, processing, underwriting, closing, retail, wholesale, correspondent
mortgage origination (American Savings Bank & Washington Mutual); and customer service (call center
experience)

Courses
Grant Research / Resource Development /
Marketing & Outreach / Trainer-Presenter
AmeriCorps VISTA & Graduate Student
Resource Development / Fundraising & Grant Writing Education Northwest/Bank
Social Media Strategy
Becker Digital Strategies

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) /

Senior Program Representative II
State of California Department of Housing &
Community Development
NEPA - Part 58 Environmental Review Procedures
CDBG Boot Camp Training through Council of State
Community Development Agencies
Basically CDBG Training through Council of State
Community Development Agencies
Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRE)

HUD Region IX
COSCDA
COSCDA
US Dept. of Labor (DOL)

Projects
Disaster Recovery Initiative (DRI) Program & Grant Application Development
February 2010 to Present
Members:Jay C. Cook
Appointed project lead for $54M 2008 California Wild Fire Disaster Recovery Initiative (DRI) Program.
Independently developed and successfully drafted and published approved HUD action plans, substantial
amendments, state-wide public notices, special Notice of Funds Available (NOFA), and all related
training materials, program forms, including the 2008 DRI grant application and all special grant
contracts/agreements (evidence of all forms and materials produced for this special program are still
available at: http://www.hcd.ca.gov/financial-assistance/community-development-block-grant-program/
disasterrecoveryinitiative.html).

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Skills & Expertise

Government
Program Management
Affordable Housing
Community Development
Federal Grants Management
Community Economic Development
Grant Writing
Grant Administration
Grant Monitoring
Grant Preparation
Grant Coordination
Account Management
Sales Management
Relationship Management
Sales Operations
Mortgage Lending
Mortgage Industry
Mortgage Underwriting
Mortgage Servicing
Public Speaking
Training Delivery
Online Research
Budgets
Policy
Data Analysis
Outlook
Leadership
Management
Training
Strategic Planning
Team Building
Customer Service
Strategy
Analysis
Sales
Cross-functional Team Leadership
Contract Negotiation
Finance
Grants
Program Development
Public Policy
Economic Development
Microsoft Office
Policy Analysis
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Marketing

Education
National Louis University
Master's Degree, Public Policy & Administration (MPPA), 2014 - 2017
Grade: 3.80 / 4.0 GPA
National Louis University
Bachelor's Degree, Management, 2004 - 2006
Grade: 3.95 / 4.0 GPA

Interests
Fair and Affordable Housing issues, Community Development, Economic Development, Local Government,
Training & Development (T&D), Domestic Travel, Food

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Jay C. Cook
Grants Evaluation Specialist at US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD)
jccsacto@gmail.com

Contact Jay C. on LinkedIn

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