Steven B. Nesmith is a Partner in the firm's Public Policy & Regulation Group. Mr. Nesmith served as Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He was a Sub–Cabinet member and principal advisor to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary and senior staff on legislative affairs, regulatory issues and policy matters affecting Federal, state and local governments, and public and private industry groups. As a senior Administration Official, he also served as a member of the President’s Leadership Team.
Nesmith also served on the White House Inter-Agency taskforce on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, that focused on reforming how these entities operate in the secondary mortgage market and meet their affordable housing goals. Mr. Nesmith's practice concentrates on affordable housing and housing finance issues; new market, low-income housing and historic preservation tax credits including working with for-profit and non-profit developers, tax syndicators and housing authorities. Mr. Nesmith represents state and local governments concerning economic development and federal appropriations matters. He also has extensive experience with housing/mortgage, banking, financial services and international trade issues before Congress and the Executive Branch.
Mr. Nesmith is also a former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration, where his responsibilities included the Offices of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Relations. While with the Department of Commerce, he helped to pass the President's Trade Promotion Authority legislation, which gives the President authority to enter into international trade agreements. In addition, Mr. Nesmith worked with Congress to extend the Trade Adjustment Act, which provides $1.1 billion for training and cash benefits for workers dislocated by outsourcing and increased foreign imports. At Holland & Knight, Mr. Nesmith focuses on international trade and economic development issues with foreign countries concerning free trade agreements and funding projects with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Mr. Nesmith previously served as Director of Operations at the Mayor's office of Community Services which included Philadelphia’s national Empowerment Zone. The national Empowerment Zone is regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development which promotes business tax breaks and other tax incentives for economic and business development in the Philadelphia region. These incentives encouraged businesses to locate or expand within the designated Empowerment Zone areas. Nesmith also supervised all of the Mayor's city-wide community-based organizations.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Nesmith was a Partner at one of Washington, D.C.'s premier lobbying firms, where he led the firm's Government Relations, Affordable Housing team. Mr. Nesmith was captain of American University's basketball team and was honored by the Washington D.C. Basketball Hall of Fame during his senior year.