After 30 years in higher ed, Eileen Kennedy Byrne joined the development advisory and program management firm Brailsford & Dunlavey as Director where she focuses on assisting colleges and universities across the country in the development and implementation of public-private partnerships (P3s) and optimizing institutional operations. She has managed the university-related real estate development process from concept through long-term operations. Eileen brings a university perspective to forming innovative, multisector collaborations and understanding the complexities of navigating P3s. In her various roles, she managed over $250 million of financing through bond issuance, bank lending, and capital leasing and has developed $400 million of capital projects. Before joining B&D, Eileen was President & CEO of the University of New Orleans (UNO) Research and Technology Foundation, overseeing a portfolio of office, laboratory, and conference facilities in the UNO Research and Technology Park. Prior to that appointment, she served as Vice President & CFO of the UNO family of affiliated foundations. Eileen previously held several positions at UNO including Assistant Vice Chancellor for Property and Facilities Development and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs.
Eileen is a speaker on a wide range of topics including privatization, capital financing, strategic uses of university-related foundations, leadership, and disaster recovery for a variety of organizations including the National Association of College and University Business Officers, the Association of University Research Parks, and the International Economic Development Council. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and an MBA from UNO. Eileen is a graduate of CBMI and was awarded a Certificate for Site Planning Online from Massachusetts Institute of Technology edX.