Harvey Hilderbran, Executive Director of the Texas Facilities Commission (TFC), has announced the establishment of the Center for Alternative Finance and Procurement as provided in House Bill 2475 passed by the 84th Texas Legislature.

The Legislature directed TFC to establish the center to consult with governmental entities regarding the best practices for procurement and the financing of qualifying public-private partnership projects (P3) and to assist governmental entities in the review of proposals, negotiation of interim and comprehensive agreements, and management of qualifying projects under Government Code Chapters 2267 and 2268.

The center will ensure value for taxpayer dollars by establishing best practices and providing assistance in all aspects of planning, procurement, financing, as well as negotiations of contracts and ultimately construction of the projects.

Samuel Franco has been named the Director of the center and will be responsible for consulting with stakeholders in both public and private sectors. Mr. Franco completed both his B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso. His previous experience includes management of construction projects and procurement of large scale infrastructure contracts for Ferrovial-Argoman US Corp. Mr. Franco is excited to be working with the amazing staff at TFC and looks forward to facilitating the growth of one of the largest P3 markets in the country.

Hilderbran stated:

“The center will be a valuable resource to local governments and other public entities that need assistance with P3 projects. We are thrilled to announce Samuel as the head of this new public-private partnership program in Texas. He is well qualified and is ready to get this program up and running.”