Biography
Al Eisenberg's extensive experience includes includes the following professional full-time, part-time, and volunteer positions.
1984 to 1999: Chair, Vice Chair, Member, Arlington, VA, County Board
Leader in development/evolution of the county's housing and community development policy, including:
- creation of the county's multi-million dollar housing loan funds,
- reform of the county's rental assistance program,
- establishment of a local congregate housing services program for frail, low income elderly people,
- formation of the county's homeless assistance and prevention programs,
- establishment of the county's Advisory Commission on Housing,
- establishment of special housing preservation zoning overlay districts, an award winning program requiring the unit for unit replacement of housing displaced by redevelopment.
- creation of four mini-enterprise zones.
- leadership in establishing and supporting for four economic development public/private partnerships.
- Recipient of the Washington, DC, region's highest award for public service in 1992, the AHC Housing Hall of Fame Award, and the Housing Association of Non-profit Developers Lifetime Achievement Award.
Commissioner, Virginia Housing Development Authority;
Chairman, Virginia Housing Fund, which provides grants and low-cost loans to congregate housing and homeless assistance facilities, and the Multifamily Committee, which provides low-cost loans for low-income housing construction and renovation.
Co-founder, Vice-Chairman, Washington Area Housing Partnership, which promotes favorable regional housing policies and provides technical assistance and outside resources to affordable housing development.
Co-founder, Northern Virginia Housing Coalition, instrumental in creating the Virginia Housing Partnership Fund, which has provided funding assistance for low-income housing across the state, and the Virginia Housing Fund, noted above.
Member (current), Chairman, Northern Virginia Regional Commission
Member, Chairman, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Metropolitan Development Policy Committee
Founder, Co-chairman, Arlington County, VA, Task Force on Affordable Housing, which initiated reforms and improvements in County housing policy.
Chairman, Arlington County, VA, Tenant-Landlord Commission, instrumental in establishing relocation payments to help displaced tenants reestablish themselves in better housing, both homeownership and rental.
Member, Arlington County, VA, Community Development Citizen's Advisory Committee, recommending funding for programs and projects in distressed neighborhoods.
2002 to April 2004: Vice-President for Government Relations for the Greater Washington Board of Trade. (regarding this position)
- Leading the creation of two special task forces, one on affordable housing, the other to promote transit-oriented, smart growth developments,
2001: Consultant representing a variety of clients in housing and transportation including:
- the U.S. Millennial Housing Commission;
- Birmingham Green, assisted living facility owned by five governments in Northern Virginia, that needed replacement with a larger facility.
1999 to 2001: Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, U.S. Department of Transportation
- Secretary's designee on the White House Community Empowerment Board, which oversaw the Enterprise Community/Empowerment Zone program.
- Served on White House Task Force on Livable Communities
- Chairman, Administration's Mississippi Delta Regional Initiative Task Force, which created the new Mississippi Delta Regional Authority to dispense funds for projects and programs in this poor section of the country.
- Chairman, U.S. DOT's Task Force on the President's New Markets Initiative, which brought Federal technical assistance and business investments to troubled rural and urban communities.
1996 to 1998: Deputy Director for Conservation Policy, National Parks and Conservation Association,
- Created an environmental award-winning coalition to enact the 1996 Omnibus National Parks bill;
- Led the coalition's successful defense of the President's authority to create national monuments; and devised and
- Helped enact the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act.
1982 to 1996: Senior Director of Federal Legislative Affairs, for the American Institute of Architects
- Leader in conceiving and writing HUD's Consolidated Planning Process;
- Conceived of, and in coalition with other supporters developed, the Commercial Revitalization Tax Credit Act for federal or state designated enterprise communities. It became a tax deduction in "new markets" legislation enacted in 2002.
- Active in the legislation that established the Enterprise Zone/Empowerment Community program.
1975 to 1982: Legislative Assistant/Staff Director, U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Affairs
Helped develop every housing and community development authorization that Congress enacted between 1976 and 1982, with major roles in the following:
- Creation of new FHA mortgage instruments for multi-family and single-family housing, such as the graduated payment mortgage and adjusted rate mortgage.
- The Urban Development Action Grant program, especially the selection criteria that directed funds to the most distressed urban areas
- Reauthorizations of the Community Development Block Grant Program, including the special legislation that made Arlington County a recipient of funds by formula, thus automatically providing millions of dollars a year
- Conceived of, largely wrote the "Congregate Housing Services Act" to help frail elderly individuals avoid premature institutionalization