Land Bank Trainings
Gain insights from the experts in the land banking field—register for a National Land Bank Network (NLBN) Online Training!
Offered once per quarter, NLBN Online Trainings provide a hands-on experience in a virtual “classroom” setting, where—unlike traditional webinars—participants can interact with presenters in real-time, ask questions to unpack “in the weeds” topics, and network with fellow participants.
What do NLBN Trainings Include?
- A pre-training knowledge assessment, which helps faculty shape their presentations according to audience level.
- Curated supplemental materials, which help participants further understand training concepts.
- Office hours with faculty to ask additional questions following the training webinar.
Trainings are free for NLBN members and available to non-members at a fee.
July Training
Using What You Have: The “Kitchen Sink” Approach to Building a Data-Driven, Decision-Making Process for Land Banks
July 8, 2025 | 12 PM ET
Land banks are often asked to work with limited resources in challenged real estate markets, balancing their mission and local need with the available funding. Tri-COG Land Bank (TCLB) and Turtle Valley Creek COG strive to be smart, flexible, and responsible, exemplifying a balanced approach to land banking activities.
Join TCLB staff to hear about the various tools that inform its operations, from spatial analysis to show patterns of blighted properties to property selection and new growth strategies.
Participants in this training will learn about:
- The publicly available property datasets TCLB acquires from Allegheny County
- Strategies that TCLB has employed using a suite of data management and analysis tools from Tolemi
- Tools that TCLB built in-house using GIS and Microsoft Excel to make thoughtful balanced decisions
- TCLB’s custom code enforcement software application, CodeNforce
Presenters:
- Natalie Boydston, Director of Program Operations, Tri-COG Land Bank
- An Lewis, Executive Director, Tri-COG Land Bank
- Amanda Settelmaier, Executive Director, Turtle Creek Valley COG
Past Trainings
Past trainings are available to watch in the National Land Bank Network Member Portal.
March 2024 Training: Getting Land Banks' Commercial Projects to "Pencil Out"; Speakers: Jeffry Harris – Partner, Bricker Graydon; Adam Seeley – Attorney, Bricker Graydon
June 2024 Training: Strategic Board Governance: Building Equitable, Efficient, and Effective Board Practices; Speaker: Sara Toering – Senior Fellow, Center for Community Progress
September 2024 Training: Laying a Strong Foundation: Lessons for Recently Established Land Banks; Speaker: Brian Larkin – Director, National Land Bank Network
December 2024 Training: Capturing Data to Measure Land Bank Impact; Speaker: Natalie Pruett – Principal + Economist & Strategist, Pruett Analytics & Impact
April 2025 Training: Land Banks in Rehab and New Construction; Speaker: Kim Graziani – Senior Advisor, Center for Community Progress; Joe van Dyk, Executive Director of the South Suburban Land Bank and Development Authority
July 2025 Training: Using What You Have: The “Kitchen Sink” Approach to Building a Data-Driven, Decision-Making Process for Land Banks; Speakers: An Lewis – Executive Director, Tri-COG Land Bank; Natalie Boydston, Director of Program Operations – Tri-COG Land Bank; Amanda Settlemaier – Executive Director, Turtle Creek Valley COG
For questions about NLBN Online Trainings, please contact Christina Carter-Grant, Associate Director of the National Land Bank Network, at [email protected].