Senior Advisor, Tribal Energy Finance Program
Department of Energy (DOE)
Longmeadow, Massachusetts, United States
Jen Lerch Bio
Jen worked on her first tribal project financing in 1997 for Quinault Indian Nation and has since worked on tribal project financings in the private sector/municipal bond arena and through federal direct loan and loan guarantee programs, most recently with USDA Rural Development as Director of Business and Community Programs and Native American Coordinator in Southern New England since 2010. Her role as Director included leadership and oversight of numerous loan, loan guarantee and grant programs relating to municipal infrastructure for Tribes, towns and special purpose districts, rural business expansion and energy projects, and not-for-profit care facilities as well as cooperative ventures and technical assistance.
Her experience brings 25 years of relevant finance experience funding critical tribal infrastructure projects such as Tribal Government Centers, hospitals and clinics, and various Tribal Enterprises for tribes in Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Minnesota, Florida, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington, among others. She joined DOE in October 2023 in the Portfolio Management Division to support the fast-growing portfolio of Tribal energy projects and looks forward to expanding her focus in the role of Senior Advisor for the Loan Programs Office’s Tribal Energy Financing Program (TEFP) going forward. Jen graduated from George Washington University with a BA/Political Science and obtained her Master’s Degree in Public Administration/Finance. She currently lives and works remotely from central MA.
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QuickTalk: Best Practices for Tribal Project Development
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
1:00 PM – 1:30 PM PT