Former State Director for USDA Rural Development for North Carolina Bob Chandler joins WithersRavenel as a Business Development Representative. In this role, he will bring to bear nearly 40 years of experience with federal grant and loan programs to guide clients through even the most challenging funding situations.
USDA Rural Development in North Carolina is the largest rural development program in the country. As State Director, Mr. Chandler oversaw 130 employees in 22 offices, whose functions ranged from marketing and outreach to grant and loan production, and managed a budget in excess of $15 million per year.
Prior to becoming State Director, Mr. Chandler held several other positions within USDA, including Hearing Officer with the National Appeals Division responsible for adjudicating appeal cases in 26 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands involving complex administrative issues. In this capacity he conducted evidentiary hearings, made rulings, and issued determinations subject to judicial review.
His experience with USDA regulatory compliance and the adjudication process led him to join the North Carolina Agriculture Mediation Program (NCAMP) and Virginia Agricultural Mediation Program (FarmVA). As a member of these programs, he acted as a mediator and provided expert training and consultation to other mediators. Agricultural mediators work to resolve disputes among agricultural producers, lenders, and other entities affected by the actions of some USDA agencies; mediation helps parties avoid costly administrative appeals or litigation.
Mr. Chandler’s commitment to underserved individuals, non-profit organizations, and municipalities in rural areas will continue at WithersRavenel, where he will help clients identify opportunities to seek out federal and state funding assistance for their critical projects.
Please help us in warmly welcoming Mr. Chandler to the WithersRavenel team! If you have an affordable housing, water/sewer utility, broadband, or community facility project in need of funding guidance, do not hesitate to reach out to Bob Chandler by phone at (828) 337-2986 or by email here, or to Director Local Government Business Development Eddie Staley at (919) 535-5207 or here.