Karanja

Charity is a member of Butler Snow’s Public Finance, Tax Incentives and Credit Markets Group and has the distinction of being one of six women in the nation named to the 2024 Class of the Caren S. Franzini Fellowship, a merit-based program by the Council for Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) Foundation, recognizing outstanding women in development finance for their leadership and dedication to the advancement of the industry. Charity has also been featured in a Member Spotlight by the National Association of Bond Lawyers, celebrating her career and accomplishments in public finance.

• Economic Development
• Government Relations
• Governmental Finance
• Public Finance
• Public-Private Partnerships & Public Facilities
• Tax Credits

Charity focuses her practice on public finance, economic development incentives, and government relations and has served in multiple roles on public, private, and public-private finance transactions, and economic development matters, including Special Tax Counsel, Bond Counsel, Underwriter's Counsel, Issuer's Counsel, Lender's Counsel, Disclosure Counsel, Trustee's Counsel, and Developer's Counsel. She has represented both governmental and private organizations in a variety of financing structures, including installment financings (direct bank placements and public market offerings), general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, grant and loan anticipation notes, special assessment revenue bonds, tax increment financing bonds, USDA financings, and refunding of prior financings. Below are some representative transactions:

• Underwriter's Counsel
  • $37,805,000 Development Authority of Fulton County, Georgia, Revenue Bonds (Spelman College), Series 2025
  • $20,940,000 Greater Ouachita Water Company, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, Waterworks and Sewer System Revenue Bonds, Series 2024
  • $86,770,000 County Board of Education of Richmond County, Georgia, General Obligation Sales Tax Bonds, Series 2023
  • $548,775,000 Southeast Energy Authority, a Cooperative District, Commodity Supply Revenue Bonds (Project No. 6), Series 2023B
• Special Tax Counsel
  • $4,000,000 City of Atlanta Various Purpose General Obligation Bonds, Series 2025
  • $10,650,000 Parishwide School District of Caddo Parish, Louisiana General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2025
  • $88,000,000 City of Shreveport, State of Louisiana General Obligation Bonds, Series 2024
  • $18,500,000 Louisiana Local Government Environmental Facilities and Community Development Authority Revenue Bonds (City of Slidell Project), Series 2024
• Bond Counsel
  • $2,340,000 Mississippi Development Bank Special Obligation Bonds, Series 2025 (Leflore County, Mississippi Capital Improvements General Obligation Bond Project)
  • $14,960,430 Hancock County Utility Authority, Hancock County, Mississippi Taxable Grant Anticipation Notes (Non-Revolving Line of Credit), Series 2024
  • $130,000,000 Mississippi Business Finance Corporation Taxable Revenue Bond, Series 2023 (Cane Creek Solar, LLC Project)
  • $3,500,000 Pine Belt Regional Solid Waste Management Authority, Solid Waste Revenue Bonds, Series 2023
  • $72,355,000 Mississippi Home Corporation Single Family Mortgage Revenue Bonds, Series 2022C (Non-AMT) (Social Bonds) and $15,000,000 Single Family Mortgage Revenue Bonds, Series 2022D (Federally Taxable)
  • $11,673,000 City of Greenville, Mississippi Taxable General Obligation Airport Bonds (Kearns Aerospace Project), Series 2022
  • $7,000,000 Tunica County, Mississippi Urban Renewal Revenue Bonds, Series 2022 (Infrastructure Improvement Project)
  • $5,750,000 Mississippi Development Bank Special Obligation Bonds, Series 2022 (Booneville School District Capital Improvements General Obligation Bond Project)
  • $1,135,000 Town of Como, Mississippi Taxable Water System Revenue Bond, Series 2022 (USDA Financing Project)
  • $3,024,000 Pearl River County, Mississippi Taxable (Convertible to Tax-Exempt) Limited Obligation Hospital Refunding Bonds, Series 2021
  • $2,872,000 Colony Park Public Improvement District Special Assessment Refunding Bonds, Series 2021 (Renaissance Improvement Project)
• Economic Development and Incentives Counsel
  • $35,175,197 Topgolf International, Inc., Tourism Tax Rebate Incentive Project (Ridgeland, Mississippi)
  • $31,300,000 City of Monroe, Louisiana, Cooperative Endeavor Agreement Incentive (Monroe Riverfront Development Project)
  • NTE $25,000,000 Harrison County, Mississippi, Tax Increment Financing Project (Buc-ee’s Construction Project)
  • NTE $8,000,000 City of Pass Christian, Harrison County, Mississippi, Tax Increment Financing Project (West Pass Station Project)
  • NTE $6,500,000 City of Pascagoula, Jackson County, Mississippi, Tax Increment Financing Project (Denny Avenue Shopping Center Project)
  • NTE $5,000,000, City of Pascagoula, Jackson County, Mississippi, Tax Increment Financing Project (Ice and Freezer House Project)
  • NTE $2,500,000 Town of Seminary, Covington County, Mississippi Tax Increment Financing Project (Woolwine Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram Project)
  • NTE $2,000,000 City of Brandon, Rankin County, Mississippi Tax Increment Financing Project (Crossgates Crossing Development Project)
  • NTE $1,300,000 City of Greenwood, Leflore County, Mississippi Tax Increment Financing Project (Ramada Inn Redevelopment Project)
  • NTE $1,000,000 City of Diamondhead, Hancock County, Mississippi Tax Increment Financing Project (Diamondhead Medical Center Project)
  • NTE $1,000,000 City of Ocean Springs, Jackson County, Mississippi Tax Increment Financing Project (1515 Government Street Mixed-Use Development Project)
  • NTE $900,000 City of Laurel, Jones County, Mississippi, Tax Increment Financing Project (Cannery Row Project)
  • $1,500,000 New Orleans Women & Children’s Shelter, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana Qualified Low Income Community Investment Loan, and $740,000 Term Loan (NOWCS NMTC Project)
  • $10,000,000 YWCA Quad Cities Title Holding Company NFP, Rock Island, Illinois Qualified Low Income Community Investment Loan (YWCA NMTC Project)
• Lease Purchase Counsel
  • $20,000,000 Canton Public School District, Madison County, Mississippi, Certificates of Participation (School Facilities Lease Purchase Project), Series 2025
  • $1,550,000 Leflore County, Mississippi, Equipment Lease Purchase Financing
  • $49,735,000 Hinds County, Mississippi Certificates of Participation (Correctional Facility Lease Purchase Project), Series 2024
  • $72,000,000 Warren County, Mississippi Certificates of Participation (Correctional Facility Lease Purchase Project), Series 2023
  • $7,000,000 City of Picayune, Mississippi Certificates of Participation (Police Station Lease Purchase Project), Series 2023
• Legislative and Other Experience
  • Represented a public school district in connection with an IRS Audit of its outstanding bonds.
  • Successfully represented a city in connection with both an unofficial and official inquiry and investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
  • Prepared and drafted, or collaborated in the drafting of, various matters of legislation presented to and passed by the Mississippi Legislature, including local and private legislation.
  • Assisted in drafting regulations and documents related to various financing programs administered by state agencies in Mississippi.
  • Drafted various economic development plans for cities and counties throughout Mississippi and the Southeast, including tax increment financing plans, redevelopment plans, urban renewal plans, and solid waste management plans.

• Caren S. Franzini Fellowship, CDFA Foundation, 2024
• Mississippi Bar Association
  • Bar Admissions Ceremony Committee, 2024
• Madison County Business League & Foundation, Firm Delegate, 2024 – present

• Mississippi, 2021
• U.S. District Courts
• Mississippi: Northern, Southern

• University of Mississippi, J.D., magna cum laude, 2021
  • Dean’s Leadership Council
  • Business Law Fellowship
  • Phi Alpha Delta Honor Society
  • Bessie Young Scholar
  • Dean’s Scholar
  • Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
  • Moot Court Board
• Cornell University, Charles H. Dyson School, B.S., Applied Economics and Management with concentrations in Accounting and Finance, cum laude, 2018
  • Dean’s List
  • Dyson Leadership Fellows Program
  • Cornell Honor Society
  • Intercultural and International Management Certificate Program
  • Research Honors Program
  • Peer Review Board
  • Student Assembly Financial Aid Review Committee

• National Bond Lawyers Association
  • NABL Mentorship Program, 2024
• Government Finance Officers Association
• Women in Public Finance
  • WPF Mentorship Program, 2025
• Council of Development Finance Agencies
• Mississippi Bar Association
• American Bar Association
  • Young Lawyers Division
  • Section of State and Local Government Law
  • Government & Public Sector Lawyers Division
  • Law Practice Division
• National Bar Association
• Magnolia Bar Association
• Capital Area Bar Association
• Jackson Young Lawyers

• Publications
  • Feature, February Member Spotlight, National Association of Bond Lawyers, February 21, 2025.
  • Co-Author, “Financing Tools and Incentives for Developers in Missing Middle Housing.” 
  • Co-Author, “Green Small Business Development Center: Building the Entrepreneurial Ramp from 1:1 to 360:12.” 
  • Co-Author, “Balancing Tradition and Innovation in Hotel Ezra Cornell: Incorporating Technology Initiatives.” 
• Presentations
  • Presenter, "The Partners Involved: Bond Counsel," Council for Development Finance Agencies, 2025 Intro to Bond Finance Course, March 10, 2025.
  • Presenter, "Intro to Municipal Finance," Spelman College, Municipal Finance Symposium, March 4, 2025.
  • Presenter, "Basic Municipal Finance," Mississippi Municipal League, 2025 Mid-Winter Legislative Conference, January 14, 2025.
  • Presenter, "Addressing Barriers to Financing Medium-Density Affordable Housing," Council of Development Finance Agencies, National Development Finance Summit, November 14, 2024.
  • Presenter/Instructor, "Legal Structures and Compliance Requirements for Small Businesses," The Center for Social Entrepreneurship, 2024 iPath Business Bootcamp, June 27, 2024
  • Circular, “Use of American Rescue Plan Funds,” Mississippi Economic Development Council, Economic Leaders Forum, February & April 2022
  • Circular, “The Impact of Recent Federal and State Court Decisions on Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice in Mississippi,” Mississippi Association of County Board Attorneys CLE, 2022 & 2023

• Junior League of Jackson
• Money Box Academy Inc.
  • Advisory Board, 2024 - present
• Wills for Magnolia State First Responders Clinic
• WarHorses for Heroes
• MacArthur Justice Clinic
• National Center for Access to Justice
• Lenox Hill Neighborhood House