Jeffry Harris’ practice spans the experience gained during his career working in Ohio’s economic development. Grant administration, financial incentives modeling and negotiations, nonprofit board governance, Ohio Sunshine Laws, abandoned property redevelopment, and handling federal funds all were touch points gleaned from his positions in state, county, and municipal government work in Ohio. Jeffry now advises clients – in both the public and private sectors – in the legal aspects of running programs, accessing funds, and implementing financial tools.

As a public finance attorney in the firm, Jeffry is counsel to local governments, county land banks, private developers, and nonprofit organizations. Jeffry is helping lead the firm’s efforts to compile and direct clients to public incentives and funding tools for housing rehabilitation and construction in their communities.

Jeffry especially enjoys helping clients understand the quantitative effects of legal concepts in public finance settings. A fan of multi-tabbed spreadsheets, he works with others at the firm to model real property tax exemption mechanisms, such as Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Enterprise Zone and CRA tax abatements. Jeffry strives to help clients determine if the “juice is worth the squeeze” when considering various public development incentives; are the upsides (filling gaps in capital stacks) worth the downsides (reporting, contractual obligations, prevailing wage, and procurement requirements) in using government funding?

For additional ways to contact Jeffry Harris, you can reach his assistant Lora Leuzinger at 614.227.4912 or by email.

Education

The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, J.D. (2003)

The Ohio State University, Glenn College of Public Affairs, M.P.A. (2000)

Bowling Green State University, B.A., cum laude (1997); Phi Beta Kappa

Distinctions

Recipient, Quality of Life Award, Knox County Chamber of Commerce (2018)

Recipient, Outstanding Volunteer Award, The Central Ohio Chapter of NAIOP (2014)

Listed, 20 People to Know in Economic Development, Columbus Business First (2013)

Professional Activities

Member, Ohio State Bar Association

Member, Inaugural Leadership Academy, Ohio State Bar Association (2015)

Development Finance Certified Professional, Council of Development Finance Agencies (2014)

News

Resource Centers

Blog Posts

Speaking Engagements

Publications

Additional Items

• Author, "Housing Land Banks: Technical Report," Prepared for Cape Cod Commission, Barnstable County, Massachusetts (December 2024)
• Moderator, “Land Banks, Land Trusts, and Houses, Oh my!” Ohio Housing Conference (November 2024)
• Co-Speaker, “Legal Update,” OEDA Annual Summit (September 2024)
• Co-Speaker, “What’s More Exciting than ROI Analyses & Compliance in Public Incentives? Not a Damn Thing!” OEDA Annual Summit (September 2024)
• Co-Speaker, “Economic Development Programs to Consider: Local Programming,” Ohio Chamber of Commerce Tax Conference (August 2024)
• Co-Speaker, “The County Role in Housing Development: Finding Opportunities and Overcoming Barriers,” CCAO Webinar (June 2024)
• Speaker, "The A to Z of Brownfields Financing & Capital Stacking," Ohio Brownfields Conference (May 2024)
• Co-Speaker, "Intro Revolving Loan Fund," CDFA Web Course (May 2024)
• Speaker, "Capital Stacks for Housing & Commercial (Re)Development," OLBA Conference (April 2024)
• Co-Speaker, "Economic Development: What are the Tools in the Toolkit?," Greysteel Developer Breakfast (March 2024)
• Speaker, "Getting Land Banks' Commercial Projects to ‘Pencil Out’," NLBN Webinar (March 2024)
• Speaker, "Economic Development Growth Opportunities for Geauga County and NEOH," GGP Annual Business Meeting (March 2024)
• Speaker, “Refresher on Economic Development Tools,” Ohio Municipal League, Columbus, Ohio (January 2023)
• Speaker, “Deploying American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding in Ohio,” Council of Development Finance Agencies, Ohio Financing Roundtable, Columbus, Ohio (September 2022)
• Speaker, “Local Income Tax Incentives,” Ohio Economic Development Institute, Columbus, Ohio (August 2021)
• Speaker, “Building County Land Banks’ Capital Stacks,” Ohio Land Bank Association, Columbus, Ohio (June 2021)
• Speaker, “Making the Incentive Decision: Return on (Taxpayers’) Investment,” Ohio Economic Development Institute, Columbus, Ohio (June 2021)
• Speaker, "Ohio’s Enterprise Zone (EZ) Program and Law Webinar,” Ohio Economic Development Institute, Columbus, Ohio (April 2021)
• Author and Editor, Knox County Comprehensive Plan (2018)
• Author, "The Wily Devils Lurking in the Details of Real Property Tax Exemptions," OML Cities and Villages (July/August 2016)

Music Lover - Jeff is a collector of vinyl records in the areas of jazz, soul, and R&B. Much to his wife’s chagrin, he even built special heavy-duty shelving units to hold all those vinyl records purchased since the early 2000s.

Guardians Fan - Since the late 1980s (when it was terrible), Cleveland’s major league baseball team has been a summer go-to source of respite - or consternation - for Jeff. And his family is thrilled (not really) that all 162 games are voiced by Tom Hamilton on the radio (“Ballgame!”) that’s playing in the kitchen every summer evening.

Golden Frustration - Jeff is a committed fan of golden retrievers – the Harris family bid farewell to two such beloved dogs during the past year. And recently, Jeff got two new golden retriever puppies, in the hope of renewing such companionship. Oh, these dogs. Well, they’re good home remodelers, having “demo-ed” the laundry room. And they’re certainly exuberant, having woken the kids frequently with their incessant barking. The relationship is in process.