Willdan Group, Inc., is pleased to welcome Molly McKay as a principal consultant in the Washington, D.C., office of Willdan Financial Services (WFS).
Ms. McKay has 20 years of fiscal, economic, and planning experience. She has conducted infrastructure finance evaluations to inform public-private investment in virtually every type of land use, serving as an economic advisor to investors and developers; governments; international finance institutions; planning, design, and engineering firms; and other stakeholders. In this capacity, Ms. McKay analyzes site plan characteristics, market and business conditions, required capital, and public cost/benefit metrics related to proposed annexations, urban service provision, tax-increment financing, economic development strategies, capital improvement plans, corridor development plans, and comprehensive long-range plans.
Ms. McKay has consulted on a variety of studies related to community revitalization and expansion. She has also evaluated markets for residential, retail, entertainment, office, industrial, research and development, hotel/resort, parks and recreation, and mixed-use projects.
Molly has completed market and feasibility studies in 21 states and 15 countries, triggering more than $5 billion in private real estate and economic development investment. Ms. McKay is adept at finding innovative ways to measure and promote the public support required to fund the capital and operating costs of public facilities—often through strategic partnerships supported by private investment and development. Her professional accomplishments reflect her educational background in applied economic analysis, commercial financing structures, urban planning, sustainable environmental management, and cutting-edge public policy tools. In addition to conducting postgraduate studies in planning, finance, and development at Johns Hopkins University’s Carey Business School in Washington, D.C., Ms. McKay holds an M.A. (honors) in politics and economics from the University of Exeter, Devon, UK, where she studied as a Fulbright/Direct Exchange Scholar, focusing her graduate research on sustainable development policy. Ms. McKay’s undergraduate work was at the University of Kansas, where she received a B.A. (with honors) after completing a year abroad at the University of Law, Economics & Political Science of Aix-Marseille, France.
Mark Risco, president and CEO of Willdan Financial Services, said "We are delighted that Ms. McKay accepted this position at Willdan. Her knowledge of land-use planning, fiscal and economic impact analysis, and green infrastructure finance will enhance our sustainable economics expertise, strengthening the relationship between our financial services and energy solutions business lines.
