Community Progress Webinars
Register for our free lunch-and-learn webinar series and stay up to date on the latest trends in community development. Webinars typically take place from 12:00–1:00 PM ET on the fourth Thursday of each month and offer a range of topics, from land banks and land banking to vacant land stewardship, strategic code enforcement, delinquent property tax enforcement, and more.
Thanks to generous support from Bank of America, webinars are offered free of charge. If you have any questions or topic suggestions for webinars, we want to hear them! Please contact Julia Zimmerman, Program Officer for National Leadership and Education, at [email protected] with any questions.
Upcoming Webinars
The Role of Land Banks in Brownfield Revitalization
Brownfield properties—or brownfields—are properties where the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants makes redevelopment challenging and costly. Many communities with brownfields know about their negative impacts but lack the capacity, knowledge, and resources to address them.
Land banks have unique abilities to tackle brownfield sites and help reuse these properties. With support from the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Center for Community Progress has developed a suite of resources highlighting diverse land bank approaches to brownfield remediation and reuse.
This webinar will provide insight into how land banks across the country are engaging in brownfield remediation and redevelopment. Speakers will also share information about Community Progress’ technical assistance scholarship to increase the number of land banks working on brownfields.
Join this webinar to:
- Learn about the resources and supports available from Community Progress for land banks engaged in or considering brownfield redevelopment
- Hear specific examples of how land banks have led or supported assessment, remediation, and reuse efforts at brownfield sites
- Understand the barriers and misconceptions that often prevent land banks from accessing federal EPA brownfields funding
Speakers:
- Nora Daly — Associate Director of Technical Assistance, Center for Community Progress
- Christina Carter-Grant — Associate Director, National Land Bank Network, Center for Community Progress
- Cailyn Bruno — Director of Environmental Services, New Jersey Institute of Technology Center for Community Systems
Past Webinar Recordings
Available on YouTube.
July 2025: Shifting from Punitive to Proactive Code Enforcement: Lessons from Illinois
Presenters: Sharon Legenza – Executive Director, Housing Action Illinois; Emma Walters – PhD Candidate, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Tarik Abdelazim – Vice President, Technical Assistance, Center for Community Progress
June 2025: Land Banks and Commercial Property Revitalization: Examples from Youngstown
Presenter: Debora Flora – Executive Director, Mahoning County Land Bank
April 2025: Engaging the Whole Neighborhood: Innovative Creative Placemaking and Historic Preservation
Presenters: Christopher R. Rogers – Co-Coordinator, Friends of the Tanner House; Kevin Upshur – Founder & President, Strawberry Mansion Learning Center
March 2025: Safer Rentals, Stronger Communities: Lessons in Policy and Compliance from Detroit
Presenters: Matt Kreis – General Counsel, Center for Community Progress; Alan Mallach – Senior Fellow, Center for Community Progress; Andrea Taverna – Deputy Chief Operating Officer, City of Detroit
February 2025: Building Coalitions for State Legislative Reforms
Presenters: Waterman — Attorney, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri; Charlie Hinderliter — Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, St. Louis REALTORS; Kevin Windham — former Representative, Missouri House of Representatives; Sara Toering — Senior Fellow, Center for Community Progress
November 2024: The Road Ahead for Land Banks
Presenters: Brian Larkin — Director, National Land Bank Network, Center for Community Progress; Michelle Thompson — Executive Director, Michigan Land Bank Association
August 2024: Planting the Seeds: How Land Banks in Small Communities Can Grow Trust and Impact
Presenters: Bekki Fox — Community Development Director, City of Rome; Amanda Carter — Land Bank Authority Manager, Rome-Floyd County Land Bank Authority
May 2024: Vacant Land Collaborations and Data: Lessons from CLEVLOT
Presenters: Tim Dehm – Planning and Design Specialist, Western Reserve Land Conservancy; Alyssa Hernandez – Director of Community Development, City of Cleveland
April 2024: Partnering with Public Schools: Metro Atlanta Land Bank’s Creative Neighborhood Beautification Pilot Program
Presenters: Terica Black Bashir — Program Director, Metro Atlanta Land Bank; Christopher Norman — Executive Director, Metro Atlanta Land Bank; Sarah Erickson — Director of Fine and Performing Arts, Atlanta Public Schools
February 2024: Reevaluating Code Enforcement: A New Approach to Addressing Problem Properties »
Presenters: Erica Faaborg – Deputy City Solicitor, City of Cincinnati; Libby Benton – Senior Counsel, Center for Community Progress; Tarik Abdelazim – Vice President, Technical Assistance, Center for Community Progress
December 2023: Policy Reform Post-Tyler v. Hennepin County: Preserving Homeownership, Preventing Vacancy, and Reducing Legal Risk »
Presenters: Libby Benton, Senior Counsel – Center for Community Progress, Andrea Bopp Stark, Senior Attorney – National Consumer Law Center, Matt Kreis, General Counsel – Center for Community Progress, John Rao, Senior Attorney – National Consumer Law Center, Nketiah (“Ink”) Berko – Equal Justice Works Fellow
November 2023: Dealing with Vacant Buildings and Lots as a Resident »
Presenters: Christina Carter-Grant, Associate Director – National Land Bank Network; Joe Dulin, Director of Community Development – City of Peoria
October 2023: Contracts and Codes: What Land Banks Should Know About Community Gardens »
Presenters: LaTosha Okoiron, General Counsel and Compliance Manager – Houston Land Bank; Brian Larkin, Director, National Land Bank Network
July 2023: Resident-First Revitalization in a Rapidly Gentrifying Atlanta Neighborhood: Lessons in Creating Economic Groundcover at 918 Dill Ave »
Presenters: Odetta MacLeish-White, Director, Georgia Initiatives – Center for Community Progress; Zach Murray, Organizing and Movement Building Director – The Guild
May 2023: Utilizing Partnerships and Collaboration in Vacant Land Stewardship »
Presenters: Liz Kozub, Associate Director, National Technical Assistance – Center for Community Progress; Laura Ginn, Vacancy Strategist – City of St. Louis; Torrey Park, Director, St. Louis Vacancy Collaborative
February 2023: Reimagine Delinquent Property Tax Enforcement »
Presenters: Kim Graziani, Technical Assistance Senior Advisor – Center for Community Progress; Nneka N'namdi, Founder and Chief Operation Office – Flight Blight Bmore
November 2022: Leaders of Color in Land Banking »
Presenters: Terica Black Bashir – Program Director, Metro Atlanta Land Bank; Christa D. Stoneham – Chief Executive Officer/President, Houston Land Bank; Stephanie Quick – Chief Operating Officer, Intend Indiana
October 2022: Land Banking 101 en Español »
Presenters: Luis Gallardo – Executive Director, Center for Habitat Reconstruction, Inc.; Ricardo León – Chief Operating Officer, Cuyahoga Land Bank
August 2022: Incorporating Green Building Into Your Equitable Community Development Plan »
Presenters: Odetta MacLeish-White – Director of Georgia Initiatives, Center for Community Progress; Cheneé Joseph – President and CEO, Historic District Development Corporation
July 2022: How to Use Property Condition Data for Vacant Land Stewardship »
Presenters: Janell O’Keefe - Senior Program Officer for Michigan Initiatives, Center for Community Progress; Melissa Hertlein - Genesee County Land Bank; Austin Harrison - Rhodes College
May 2022: State Policy and Equitable Revitalization: A Conversation with Alan Mallach »
Presenters: Alan Mallach - Senior Fellow, Center for Community Progress; Alison Goebel - Executive Director, Greater Ohio Policy Center
April 2022: Strengthening Community Relationships to Achieve Equitable Code Enforcement »
Presenters: Liz Kozub - Associate Director of National Technical Assistance, Center for Community Progress; Joe Dulin - Community Development Director; Community Development Department; City of Peoria
March 2022: Understanding The Final Rule: Leveraging ARPA To Address Vacancy and Strengthen Communities »
Presenters: Rob Finn - Director of Policy and Research, Center for Community Progress; Cordaryl Patrick - Director of Economic and Community Development, City of Decatur, Illinois; and Katelyn Wright - Executive Director, Greater Syracuse Land Bank
February 2022: Land Banks and Community Land Trusts: Partnering to Provide Equitable Housing Opportunities for Generations to Come »
Presenters: Kim Graziani - Senior Technical Assistance Advisor, Center for Community Progress; Christopher Norman - Executive Director, Metro Atlanta Land Bank; and Amanda Rhein - Executive Director, Atlanta Land Trust
November 2021: Creative Placemaking: New Tools for Empowering Community-Led Revitalization »
Presenters: Liz Kozub - Associate Director of National Leadership and Education, Center for Community Progress; Daniel Egusquiza - Executive Director, Barrio Alegria
October 2021: Vacant Land Stewardship – New Online Resource Center from Community Progress »
Presenters: Janell O'Keefe – Senior Program Officer for Michigan Initiatives, Center for Community Progress; Evaine Sing, RLA, LEED AP - Community and Organizational Consultant, EKS Solutions, LLC.
August 2021: The Cost of a 2×4 is What?! Overview of Lumber Costs and the Opportunity for Deconstruction »
Speakers: Dr. George H. Berghorn - Assistant Professor of Construction Management and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Forestry, Michigan State University; Mae Bowley, Executive Director, Re:Purpose Savannah; Danielle Lewinski - Vice President of Technical Assistance, Center for Community Progress for Community Progress
June 2021: Land Banks in America: Today’s Movement and What We’ve Learned »
Speaker: Brian Larkin – Director of the National Land Bank Network, Center for Community Progress
April 2021: Prioritizing Repair Support for Financially Struggling Property Owners »
Presenter: Payton Heins – Director of Michigan Initiatives, Center for Community Progress
March 2021: Land Banks 101: The Fundamentals of Land Banking and Equitable Development »
Presenter: Tarik Abdelazim – Director of National Technical Assistance, Center for Community Progress
“Most informative webinar I have experienced in some time. Great content, great presentation. Thank you”
Anonymous Survey Respondent, 2020