Patti Cale-Finnegan, coordinator of the State Revolving Fund for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources since 2004, will be retiring as of January 31, 2018.
"It's been a great honor and opportunity to work on a program as flexible and open to innovation as the SRF in conjunction with our partners, the Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship," Cale-Finnegan said. "That flexibility and those partnerships have allowed us to target the specific needs of our state and to develop new program and financial tools when needed."
The core work of the SRF programs is to help communities address water and wastewater needs through government subsidized loans.
"Our focus has been on making this funding accessible and affordable to Iowa communities to help them meet their infrastructure challenges," she said. This includes services such as environmental review, SRF training, American Iron and Steel compliance assistance, year-round project approval, and use of loan forgiveness to help disadvantaged communities and solve public health issues.
From the primary focus on water and wastewater, under Cale-Finnegan's direction the SRF has branched out to cover a wide variety of water quality and community needs. SRF programs now allow farmers, livestock producers, landowners, and communities to finance practices that address nonpoint source pollution. Other practices now funded include green stormwater infrastructure, onsite septic systems, landfills and brownfields, wetland restoration, and habitat protection.
In 2013 sponsored projects were added to the SRF portfolio, with Cale-Finnegan guiding the development of rules, procedures, staffing, and technical assistance. This program has gained state and national recognition as an innovative way to address water quality, promote watershed-based planning, and increase technical and design expertise.
During her tenure, the average dollar amount loaned grew from $68 million to $229 million per year, for a total amount funded of $3 billion. "Each of those dollars is an investment in Iowa's water resources, in our public health, and in the future of our state," Cale-Finnegan said.
"I would like to express my thanks to all that have contributed to the success of the SRF and wish everyone the best moving forward with the program," Cale-Finnegan said.
For more information about the State Revolving Fund, read the most recent annual report or the quarterly Intended Use Plan on the SRF website.