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  • Public-Private Partnership Advisory

Where public mission meets private execution.

We structure public-private partnerships, reposition municipal assets, and design capital strategies that turn overlooked opportunities into durable, community-anchored assets.
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A Message from the Founder

Gaudet & Associates was born out of real experience — not theory.
My first major development deal was completed through a public-private partnership. What I saw firsthand was simple but powerful:
When public entities can lean on the creativity, flexibility, and strength of the private sector, real magic happens.
Cities often have the land, the mission, and the resources.
Private firms bring capital, execution, and problem-solving.
Too often, those two sides struggle to work together.
Gaudet & Associates brings that value.
We are a public and private sector consulting firm focused on public-private partnerships, municipal asset repositioning, and capital strategy. Our role is to help both sides understand each other, align incentives, and structure projects that actually get done — and last.
We don’t believe in forcing deals.
We believe in structuring them correctly.
Whether we’re advising a city on how to reposition underutilized assets, or supporting a private firm navigating public-sector complexity, our goal is the same:
To turn overlooked opportunities into durable, community-anchored assets.
This work requires trust, patience, and discipline. We take that responsibility seriously.

— Jay Gaudet

Founder, Gaudet & Associates

What We Do

Gaudet & Associates is a public and private sector consulting firm specializing in public-private partnerships (P3s), municipal asset repositioning, fiscal strategy, and capital strategy.

We advise cities, public agencies, and institutions, as well as private firms and investors, on structuring and executing complex real-asset initiatives that require public accountability, fiscal discipline, and private-sector execution.

Public-Private Partnership (P3) Consulting

We structure and execute public-private partnerships that align public objectives with private capital and operational expertise. Our work spans deal structuring, partner selection, risk allocation, and financial modeling—ensuring projects are bankable, transparent, and deliver long-term public value.

Municipal Asset Repositioning

We help cities and public agencies unlock the full value of underutilized or distressed assets. Through market analysis, community engagement, and redevelopment strategy, we reposition public land and facilities into revenue-generating, mission-aligned assets that catalyze investment and economic growth.

Strategic Fiscal Advisory

At Gaudet & Associates, our fiscal strategy goes beyond traditional financial analysis by incorporating a behavioral finance lens to evaluate how municipal decisions are made and executed. A city’s budget is not simply a reflection of revenues and expenditures—it is a direct output of leadership priorities, risk tolerance, and institutional decision-making patterns over time. We analyze these patterns to identify where inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and structural risks exist, particularly in areas such as underutilized assets, imbalanced spending, and overreliance on volatile revenue sources. By understanding the behavioral drivers behind financial outcomes, we are able to deliver strategies that are not only fiscally sound, but realistically executable within the complexities of a public environment. The result is improved financial discipline, more effective allocation of resources, and the activation of assets and opportunities that drive long-term revenue, economic growth, and sustained fiscal strength for the municipality.

A Message from the Founder

Gaudet & Associates brings a rare combination of public-sector fluency and private-sector rigor to every engagement. We navigate procurement processes, approvals, and political and fiscal constraints while applying institutional-grade underwriting, capital protection, and execution discipline. Our work is grounded in fiscal strategy—focused on budget impact, long-term cost containment, and financial sustainability—so projects remain viable beyond the transaction.
We operate with owner-level thinking, prioritizing durable outcomes and aligned incentives rather than intermediary-driven activity.

Meet The Team

Jay Gaudet - Principal

Jay specializes in helping cities transform underutilized assets into revenue-generating developments by aligning public priorities with private-sector execution.

Taryn Lewis - Assistant Director of Business Affairs

Taryn joined Gaudet & Associates in January 2026 as Assistant Director of Business Affairs, where she supports the firm’s operational execution, project coordination…….

Donna Halt - Urban Planning and Development Strategy Advisor

Donna Halt serves as Urban Planning and Development Strategy Advisor at Gaudet & Associates, where she provides guidance…..

Joel Embeed - Economist & Financial Strategy Advisor

Joel Embeed serves as Economist & Financial Strategy Advisor at Gaudet & Associates, where he provides economic analysis and strategic guidance to support fiscal….

Jay Gaudet - Principal

Jay specializes in helping cities transform underutilized assets into revenue-generating developments by aligning public priorities with private-sector execution. Jay holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and is certified in Behavioral Finance, bringing a distinct approach that combines financial strategy with an understanding of how institutional decisions are made and executed. With experience spanning public finance, economic development, and large-scale project advisory, he has advised government agencies, housing authorities, and institutional partners on initiatives ranging from affordable housing and mixed-use development to capital strategy and community-driven planning. His work positions him as a trusted advisor to leaders seeking practical, executable solutions for long-term economic growth.

Taryn Lewis - Assistant Director of Business Affairs

Taryn joined Gaudet & Associates in January 2026 as Assistant Director of Business Affairs, where she supports the firm’s operational execution, project coordination, and internal management systems. In her role, she maintains oversight of active engagements, manages workflow processes, and ensures alignment across consulting and development initiatives.
Prior to joining the firm, Taryn supported the Chief Investment Officer at the City of Baton Rouge Retirement System, where she gained exposure to institutional investment strategy, fund operations, and financial analysis. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Southern University, with a concentration in Finance and Investment. Taryn brings a strong foundation in organization, data management, and process efficiency, supporting the firm’s ability to deliver structured, timely, and well-coordinated outcomes across a range of municipal and advisory projects.

Donna Halt - Urban Planning and Development Strategy Advisor

Donna Halt serves as Urban Planning and Development Strategy Advisor at Gaudet & Associates, where she provides guidance on land use planning, development strategy, and the alignment of projects with broader community and economic development objectives. In her role, she supports the firm’s efforts to translate planning frameworks into practical, development-ready strategies that reflect both market realities and public priorities.
Donna brings experience in urban planning and development strategy, with a focus on community-centered planning, site evaluation, and long-term growth alignment. Her work emphasizes thoughtful integration of land use, infrastructure, and development opportunities to support sustainable and economically viable outcomes. She contributes to the firm’s ability to deliver well-informed, strategically grounded recommendations across a range of municipal and development initiatives.

Joel Embeed - Economist & Financial Strategy Advisor

Joel Embeed serves as Economist & Financial Strategy Advisor at Gaudet & Associates, where he provides economic analysis and strategic guidance to support fiscal planning, development initiatives, and investment decisions. In his role, he evaluates market conditions, economic trends, and financial feasibility to inform the firm’s approach to municipal advisory and capital strategy.
Joel brings expertise in economic modeling, financial analysis, and policy-informed strategy, with a focus on aligning data-driven insights with practical implementation. His work supports the assessment of development opportunities, revenue potential, and long-term economic impact, contributing to well-informed decision-making across a range of public and private sector engagements.

Public Sector Advisory

Gaudet & Associates partners with public and private entities to unlock the value of underutilized assets while strengthening long-term fiscal outcomes.
We understand the realities of politics, procurement, capital constraints, budget pressure, and public accountability. We design solutions that work within them.

Municipal Asset Strategy

Our municipal asset strategy begins with a comprehensive inventory and assessment of publicly owned assets to understand condition, constraints, and latent value. We conduct highest-and-best-use analyses informed by market demand, community priorities, and policy considerations, then develop feasibility studies grounded in political and fiscal reality. From there, we design clear repositioning strategies paired with identified financial investment paths, ensuring each asset is transformed into a viable, mission-aligned opportunity.

Fiscal Strategy & Budget Impact Analysis

Our fiscal strategy and budget impact analysis focuses on the full lifecycle cost of public assets, not just upfront investment. We evaluate long-term cost of ownership, identify maintenance and operating cost reduction strategies, and model budget impacts before and after asset repositioning. The result is asset strategies designed to reduce structural fiscal strain while improving financial sustainability and operational performance over time.

P3 Structuring & Advisory

Our P3 structuring and advisory services focus on creating partnerships that are balanced, bankable, and built to endure. We design public-private partnership structures with clear risk allocation and governance frameworks, support developer selection and evaluation, and plan for long-term stewardship—ensuring projects remain aligned with public objectives while delivering disciplined private-sector execution over their full lifecycle.

Capital & Funding Strategy

Our capital and funding strategy services are designed to align complex funding sources into cohesive, financeable structures. We develop blended capital strategies that integrate grants, subsidies, and incentives, explore off-balance-sheet solutions where appropriate, and plan for refinance-based sustainability—ensuring projects are capitalized for both near-term execution and long-term financial resilience.

Our Philosophy

We help cities:

  • Reduce long-term maintenance and fiscal burden
  • Convert liabilities into fiscally sustainable assets
  • Avoid speculative or short-term development outcomes
  • Preserve affordability and public mission
  • Partner with private capital without compromising fiscal control

Private Sector Advisory

Helping Private Firms Navigate Public-Sector and Fiscal Complexity

Gaudet & Associates advises private firms, developers, and investors pursuing opportunities involving municipal assets, public agencies, or P3 structures.
We help private partners understand how cities think, budget, approve, and sustain projects — so capital can be deployed efficiently and responsibly.
01   Services for the Private Sector
Our services include identifying and underwriting public-sector opportunities, structuring proposals aligned with public and fiscal priorities, and navigating procurement and approval processes. We apply conservative underwriting and disciplined capital stack design while accounting for public-sector budget cycles and constraints. Our approach emphasizes refinance-first exit planning, risk mitigation, and downside protection to ensure projects remain financeable and resilient.
Our capital, fiscal, and financial strategy work is grounded in conservative underwriting and disciplined capital stack design informed by public-sector budget cycles and fiscal constraints. We prioritize refinance-first exit planning, typically within a 60–70% stabilized loan-to-value framework, while embedding risk mitigation and downside protection measures to ensure projects remain resilient, financeable, and aligned with long-term public and private objectives.
We ensure private initiatives remain aligned with public objectives by integrating stakeholder and community considerations, establishing clear long-term governance and reporting expectations, and structuring partnerships for durability rather than extraction—supporting trust, accountability, and sustained public value over time.

Our P3 Capabilities

Our P3 capabilities include feasibility and readiness assessments, risk allocation and governance design, fiscal impact and budget sustainability analysis, public approval pathway strategy, capital partner alignment, and long-term ownership and stewardship modeling—ensuring partnerships that are executable, durable, and aligned with both public and private objectives.

Media, News & Perspectives

A curated look at our work, commentary, and the conversations shaping public-private collaboration.

Turning Public Assets Into Performance: Insights from Industry Experts

Across cities, public assets often carry more potential than performance. Buildings sit partially occupied, facilities operate below capacity, and land remains underleveraged.
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Structuring P3s That Actually Get Built — and Last

Lessons from balancing risk, capital stack design, and long-term stewardship.
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Jay Gaudet on Behavioral Finance in Municipal Budgeting

Featured discussion on why how cities decide matters as much as what they decide.
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