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WOOTEN EPES
Principal
Professional Experience
Wooten Epes joined Doug Gurkin in 2003 to form Edgewater Affordable Housing‚
L.P. (EAH). The company seeks to acquire and rehabilitate low
income housing tax credit (LIHTC) eligible multifamily properties using
tax-exempt bond financing with 4% tax credits and conventional financing
with competitive 9% LIHTCs. The primary objective of EAH is to
acquire and operate repositioned‚ at times by substantial rehabilitation‚
property as affordable housing. EAH is also focused on providing
tenant services through alliances with local non-profits and government
sponsored service organizations. EAH has purchased and repositioned
seven properties with over 1‚240 units of affordable housing in Texas‚ Arkansas
and Michigan‚ and plans expansion of this model into other states in the
southeastern United States.
Wooten has served since 1997 as counsel to developers of multifamily housing
rental projects receiving LIHTC allocations in Arkansas. Earlier in
1989 he joined Kutak Rock LLP as a partner and opened the firm’s Little
Rock office. There he practiced in the area of municipal revenue bond
financings‚ and in particular‚ private activity single family and multifamily
housing financings. Wooten provided legal services in numerous financings
for the Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA) and for several city and
county Public Facilities Boards as bond counsel for the issuance of multifamily
housing revenue bonds. He also performed legal services in the role
of underwriter’s counsel for numerous local‚ regional and national investment
banking firms. In addition to housing finance‚ Wooten provided legal
services in connection with municipal bond financings for airports‚ communication
systems‚ governmental facilities‚ wastewater systems and other capital improvements.
From 1985 to 1989‚ Wooten served as President of ADFA. He was Executive
Director of ADFA’s predecessor‚ the Arkansas Housing Development Agency
(AHDA) from 1983 to 1985. During his tenure at ADFA the agency initiated
several new programs funded by the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System‚ ADFA’s
Industrial Development Bond Guarantee Program‚ ADFA’s Pooled Capital Asset
Loan Program for state and local government participants‚ and a $215‚000‚000
financing that purchased approximately 85 GNMA BMIR multifamily mortgages on
behalf of 13 housing finance agencies to preserve low income housing units in
38 states. While serving as President of ADFA and Executive Director
of AHDA‚ the agencies collectively issued more than $1.8 billion in revenue bonds. Wooten
also played a key role in drafting legislation to establish ADFA and in testifying
for its passage.
Prior to his involvement with Arkansas’ state agencies‚ Wooten was Director
of the Local Government Institute‚ a public policy research unit at the University
of Arkansas at Little Rock. Before that he was in private law practice
with the firm of Roscopf & Epes‚ P.A. in Helena‚ Arkansas and served as part-time
City Attorney.
Education
Bachelor of Arts in History‚ University of Arkansas‚ Fayetteville‚
Arkansas‚ 1969
Doctor of Jurisprudence‚ University of Arkansas‚ Fayetteville‚ Arkansas‚
1972
Professional License & Affiliations
American Bar Association
National Association of Bond Lawyers
Arkansas Bar Association
Former Board Member of NCSHA
Former Board Member of Council of Development Finance Agencies
Community Service
Chair, City of Little Rock Housing Authority
Board of Directors, Professional Counseling Associates
Board of Directors, The Centers for Families and Youth Foundation
Southern Growth Policies Board (1981-1985)