Schedule: Thursday, October 28, 2021

Registration Desk Open
7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Galleria

Exhibit Hall Open
7:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Salon C

Light Continental Breakfast in the Exhibit Hall
7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Salon C

Session: Unanswered Questions Make Incentive Plans Look Suspicious
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Salon A

To many who follow local government, “incentive” has become a dirty word. The use of tax credits, relaxed regulations, infrastructure funding or other benefits flowing to private enterprises raises their suspicions and their blood pressure. One of the best ways to counter that suspicion is with information, including a frank, upfront discussion of how a proposed incentive would be funded and what benefits the community could expect. This session will walk through a cost-benefit analysis done per project to show that the incentive is the right decision.

Speakers: Michele Hylton-Terry, MPA, FRA-RA, Executive Director, Fort Myers CRA;
John Jones, AICP, FRA-RP, Project Manager, S&ME

Affordable Housing Challenges and Solutions
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Salon B

With a strong Florida economy, the lack of availability of affordable housing for low- and middle-income households has become a top issue for many communities. This session will feature a panel of experts discussing the causes, trends and current efforts to address the need for affordable housing.

Moderator: Ken Thomas, Director, Housing & Redevelopment, City of Leesburg
Speakers: Christine Tibbs, Assistant Director, Delray Beach CRA

Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall
9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Salon C

Funding CRA Projects – Economic ROI
9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Salon A

Successful redevelopment requires a solid plan that can pave the way for attracting the private investment that can best support the plan goals and provide long-term benefits to a city’s quality of life. Learn methods and means to achieve the funding required to implement your most ambitious plan elements.

Moderator: Evan Johnson, AICP, Planning Division Manager, Housing and Community Development Dept., Pinellas County Government
Speakers: Peter Altman, City Councilman, City of New Port Richey
Jon Kessler, Director of Investment Banking, FMS Bonds, Inc.
Jeff Burton, Executive Director, CIty of Palmetto, CRA

Giving Your CRA a Voice
9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Salon B

This session will explore ways to up your social media presence and tips on how to better communicate the great work that your CRA is doing to improve your redevelopment area.

Moderator: Renée Jadusingh, Esq., FRA-RA, Executive Director, Delay Beach CRA
Speakers: Grace Gdaniec, CRA Manager, Delray Beach CRA
Ann Marie Sorrell, President and CEO, The Mosaic Group
Natalie S. Dunham, Advertising and Promotions Manager, Fort Myers CRA

Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall
10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Salon C

Using Fiscal and Economic Analysis to Make Your Case
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Salon A

In order to convince a county of the economic and fiscal benefits of creating a CRA, one needs to think outside the box. This session will explore the history of two CRA areas, provide an overview of the approach to the analysis and its results as well as discuss the outreach strategy developed for stakeholders that ultimately can lead to a county approving a city’s proposal.

Moderator: Kimberly Glas-Castro, Assistant Village Manager, Village of Palm Springs
Speakers: Carson Bise, President, TischlerBise, Inc.
Kim Delaney, Ph.D., Director of Strategic Development & Policy, Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council

Annual Reporting Template Update and Best Practices
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Salon B

Have you been using the FRA Annual Report spreadsheet? Do you have questions or possible improvements that you would like to discuss? Here is your opportunity! Meet to review the application and discuss its use and possible improvements with your fellow redevelopment users. We will be collecting user improvement requests at this meeting.

Moderator: Jeff Burton, Executive Director, City of Palmetto, CRA
Speakers: Zachary Schwartz, Senior GIS Analyst, City of Palmetto

Networking Luncheon in the Exhibit Hall
11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Salon C

Sponsored by Peebles, Smith & Matthews, Inc. and Wade Trim, Inc.

Closing Keynote Address: Prepare for the Future: The Generational Trends Transforming the Next Era
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.

Salon D, E

Sponsored by Comcast Business

Our communities and our workplaces are in the midst of transformational change. Between the pandemic, social unrest, new technologies and demographic shifts, leaders find themselves in a sea of once-in-a-generation moments. The decisions made today will shape the next era. In this presentation, we’ll explore the monumental changes of our time through a generational lens. Through this lens, we can ground ourselves in where we’ve been, understand how we got to where we are today and uncover where we’ll go from here. Supported with cutting-edge research and category-leading case studies, this program will help leaders prepare for – and create – a better future.

Keynote Speaker: Kim Lear, writer, researcher (Learn more about Kim Lear)
Moderator: Jeff Burton, Executive Director, City of Palmetto, CRA

Annual Membership Meeting
2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Salon D, E

Brownfields Speed Dating
2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

Salon A

This session will provide an opportunity to hear from seasoned CRA Directors, Brownfields Developers, Brownfields Consultants and a former President of the Florida Brownfields Association on a broad range of Brownfields topics. These include Brownfields grant funding and incentives, leveraging private sector capital and tax increment financing through Brownfields Redevelopment as well as multiple innovative Brownfields projects within CRAs.

Moderator: Miles Ballogg, Senior Principal Brownfields Practice Leader, Cardno
Speakers: Roxanne Amoroso, Principal, Mosaic Development
Ed Johnson, Former CRA Director, East Tampa CRA
Jason Lichtstein, Partner, Akerman Law Firm
Nadia G. Locke, P.E., Esciences, Inc.
Marc Mariano, Partner, Mosaic Development

Innovations and Healthy Mixed-Use Opportunities
2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

Salon B

Mixed-use development is the key to downtown revitalization. Guiding successful development is our public realm, which has always been central to that elusive thing we call placemaking. Case studies that relied heavily on incentives and have proven to be the catalyst of a redevelopment transformation will be highlighted.

Moderator:  Lynn Dehlinger, Director of Economic Development, RMA
Speakers: Brian R. Prince, J.D., Principal/Vice President of Development, Flaherty Collins
Paul Rutledge, Senior Vice President, JLL

Academy Awards and Graduation Dinner
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Salon C

Sponsored by Burkhardt Construction, Inc.

Help us congratulate our Academy Graduates, Award Winners and the 2020-2021 Board of Directors.