Schedule: Friday, October 17, 2025

Registration Desk Open
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Oceana Pre-Con

Light Continental Breakfast
8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Oceana Pre-Con

Breakfast with the Experts Session
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Coral DE

Enjoy a light continental breakfast at this flexible networking session. Breakout groups will focus on redevelopment hot topics such as affordable housing, ongoing maintenance in a CRA, and many more. This will be a great opportunity to network, share success stories, and learn from your peers.

Hot Legal Topics in Redevelopment
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Oceana C

Join us as we hold a session on hot legal topics regarding redevelopment. We will have our best CRA legal minds discuss the 2019 changes to Florida Statutes, Chapter 163, Part III, recent updates to Florida Statutes, Chapter 189, and legislation on topics impacting redevelopment and CRAs.

Moderator: Brenda Thrower, FRA-RA, CRA Development Manager, Community Redevelopment, City of Tampa

Speakers: Renee Jadusingh, Executive Director, CRA, City of Delray Beach; Ryan Matthews, Government Affairs and Lobbying Deputy Section Chair, Shareholder/FRA Lobbyist, GrayRobinson P.A.; Cliff Shepard, FRA General Counsel, Shepard, Smtih, Hand & Brackins, P.A.

Part 1: Unlocking Funding for Redevelopment: Grants, Incentives, and Creative Strategies
Part 2: Don’t Take Your Funding for Granted: Using Grants of All Sizes to Catalyze Redevelopment in Your CRA
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Oceana D

Explore the multifaceted world of funding redevelopment projects, focusing on securing grants, offering grants as incentives, and exploring other innovative funding strategies. Many CRAs have initiatives aimed at revitalizing the district and attracting new businesses to the community. These programs can take the shape of awarding grants for residences and businesses alike so that they can make improvements without facing major economic hardships. Some programs that will be discussed are a Home Preservation Program, Residential Improvement Matching Grant, Residential Paint Program, and Commercial Facade Program. This session will explore these residential and commercial grant options with advice on how to successfully implement or revamp your CRA grant programs.

Moderator: Sharon McCormick, Director of Business Attraction & Marketing, Redevelopment Management Associates (RMA)

Speakers: Xavier Colon, Redevelopment Manager, CRA, City of Fort Myers; Sharon McCormick, Director of Business Attraction & Marketing, Redevelopment Management Associates (RMA); Claudia McKenna, Esq., Municipal Law Consultant; Christopher Munyon, CRA Manager, City of Bradenton; Jessica Newman, Community Redevelopment Agency Director, Wauchula CRA and Main Street; Ryan Ruskay, President, RMPK Funding; Jenny Silverio, Compliance and Administrative Manager, CRA, City of Palmetto

Conference Adjourns
11:30 a.m.