2024 NJ Brownfields Summit
June 12, 2024 | 8:00AM - 12:30PM
Calling all changemakers involved in transforming contaminated or potentially contaminated properties into community assets! Join us at the New Jersey Brownfield Summit: Building Resilient Futures from Brownfield Pasts, sponsored by the NJIT Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities Program (NJIT TAB) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). Learn how to view the redevelopment of your brownfield sites through the lens of resilience to climate change impacts. Don't miss out on this opportunity to meet with federal and state experts on climate resilience and brownfield redevelopment.
For the full agenda click here!
Read more about the event highlights.
For panelist bios and presentations see below:
Dr. Colette Santasieri, Executive Director, NJIT TAB
Dr. Santasieri has successfully secured and managed hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for projects, programs, and research studies in the fields of environmental, infrastructure, and land use planning, and community development. She has extensive experience and expertise in the planning and design of sustainable and resilient properties, communities, and civil infrastructure systems; strategic planning; brownfields redevelopment; capital programming; community visioning for redevelopment; transit oriented development; port-city relationships; identifying and analyzing a project’s impacts on socio-economic, natural, and man-made settings; and educating elected officials, government staff, nonprofits, communities, and students on various urban, infrastructure, environmental, and regulatory topics. She has a proven record of exceptional program and project management experience, and has led multidisciplinary project teams of planners, engineers, scientists, architects, economists, cultural resource experts, and students.
Colette holds a PhD in Urban Systems, an MS in Civil Engineering, and a BS in Environmental Planning and Design. These diverse, yet complimentary degrees, plus her extensive and diverse professional experience provide her with a well-rounded perspective in addressing the challenges and opportunities facing governments, regions, and communities in their efforts to be sustainable and resilient.
Colette Santasieri was the recipient of the NJIT Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017, and the 2019 Commerce and Industry Association of NJ Environmental Leader Award. She was named as one of ROI-NJ's first "ROI Influencers: Environment".
Panelist: Dr. Anthony Broccoli, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science, Rutgers
Topic: The State of Climate Change in New Jersey
Tony Broccoli is Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science. He currently serves as Co-Director of the Rutgers Climate Institute and he has recently served as Co-Chief Editor of the Journal of Climate. His primary research interest is climate dynamics, especially the simulation of past climates and climate change. He is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Prior to coming to Rutgers, Tony spent 21 years at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, one of the world’s leading climate modeling centers.
Panelist: Carrie Martin, AICP, Environmental Sustainability Planner, Center for Community Systems, NJIT TAB
Topic: Redeveloping Brownfields to Create Resilient Communities
Ms. Martin strives to create safe, vibrant, and resilient communities as an environmental planning professional. She currently serves as the subject matter expert on climate resiliency and sustainability at NJIT TAB, which provides free technical assistance to government entities and nonprofit organizations in EPA Regions 2 & 4. Ms. Martin has four years of experience in private consulting where she helped state, regional, and local government entities assess and reduce their risks to natural hazards and climate threats. Ms. Martin holds a Master of City and Regional Planning (M.C.R.P.) and a graduate certificate in Coastal Climate Risk & Resilience from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She received her bachelor’s degree in public policy and environmental policy from William & Mary. Ms. Martin is licensed as a certified professional planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
Moderator: Dr. Colette Santasieri, Executive Director, NJIT TAB
Panelists:
Terry Wesley, Manager, Region 2 Brownfields Program, EPA
Gwen Zervas, Director, Remediation Management of the Contaminated Site Remediation and Redevelopment Program, NJDEP
Topic: EPA/NJDEP Roundtable
Terry Wesley:
Since 2014, Terry Wesley has served as the Manager of EPA Region 2’s Brownfields Program. In his role, he oversees the implementation of the 2018 Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development (BUILD) Act. His team of Brownfields Project Managers, based in the New York and Puerto Rico offices, are responsible for the management of Brownfield program grant awards as well as technical assistance contracts. Grants awarded cover a range of activities including area-wide planning, brownfield inventory, site assessments, remediation, revolving loan funding and environmental workforce development. In addition to these grant programs which are highly competitive, annual funding is provided to states and tribal governments to establish/maintain their response programs (aka brownfield programs). The Section also provides free technical assistance/resources through EPA’s Technical Assistance to Brownfields communities (TAB) program (with NJIT), Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) program (offering free environmental site assessments) and Land Revitalization Technical Assistance contract programs (to support services that range from site reuse designing to market feasibility).
Further, his office collaborates on brownfields redevelopment activities, through an interagency platform, with a variety of federal and state agencies, including HUD, Interior, Army Corps of Engineers, Agriculture, ATSDR, Small Business Administration (SBA), DOT, as well as state environmental and economic development agencies. In November 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (aka Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) provided an historic infusion of funding ($1.5 Billion) to continue and build off EPA’s work to transform countless lives and spur life-changing revitalization in communities large and small, urban, and rural. The BIL funds when combined with current annual appropriations allows EPA to award more grant projects at even higher individual funding levels!
Prior to joining the Brownfields Program, Terry worked in other EPA Region 2 programs including: wastewater management, pesticides program, hazardous waste, and coordinating its regional environmental justice program.
He has a Chemical Engineering degree from The City College of New York - CUNY.
Panelist:
Jessica Jahre, AICP, CFM, Project Manager, Michael Baker International
Topic: Understanding the Climate Vulnerability of Your Brownfield Community
About Michael Baker International (via their website):
Michael Baker International, a leading provider of engineering and consulting services, including design, planning, architectural, environmental, construction and program management, has been solving some of the world’s most complex infrastructure challenges for more than 80 years with a legacy of expertise, experience, innovation and integrity.
Based in Pittsburgh and with more than 85 offices nationwide, we partner with clients on everything from roads, bridges, tunnels, mass transit, and airports, to water treatment plants, arctic oil pipelines, environmental restoration and specialized overseas construction. We serve as a trusted adviser to the communities we serve, making them safer, more accessible, more sustainable and more prosperous.
We provide visionary leadership in facilitating transformational change for our clients. Our work delivers differentiating innovations and dedicated experts who challenge the status quo and share a world of diverse experience and an impassioned entrepreneurial spirit. We deliver quality of life.
We Make a Difference.
Panelist: Pritpal Bamhrah, AICP, Senior Research Specialist, NJ Climate Change Resource Center
Topic: Understanding the Climate Vulnerability of Your Brownfield Community
Pritpal Bamhrah, AICP a skilled Planning professional, specializes in coastal vulnerability analysis, hazard mitigation, and resiliency projects. With a strong grasp of GIS and a passion for graphic design, she creates decision support tools to help policymakers, planners, communities, and students comprehend and navigate the effects of climate change. In her role as a Senior Research Specialist at the NJ Climate Change Resource Center, Pritpal leads Climate Corps projects, aiding municipalities in conducting vital climate-related vulnerability studies. In the past she has worked as a Planner and GIS Specialist with AECOM’s Water Resources group where she worked on various coastal risk reduction and management studies for the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Panelist: Ed Confair, Vice President, Landscape & Resiliency, AKRF, Inc.
Topic: Success Stories: Hoboken Northwest Resiliency Park
With over fifteen (15) years of experience in landscape architecture, civil site engineering, and site planning. Mr. Confair has managed urban, civic, residential, and commercial projects from the initial research and design through construction.
As a dual licensed professional, Mr. Confair contributes to the design and construction process through master plans, hand drawings, 3D modeling, rendered plans, and perspectives, all the way through construction documents and construction administration.
Mr. Confair assures that an integrated approach is taken on all of his projects so that seamless designs can be delivered to clients. His dual professional licenses make him uniquely qualified to design multi-layered and faceted solutions to projects.
Panelist: William Kurzenberger, AICP, Planner III, Topology
Topic: Success Stories: Perth Amboy BDA
William Kurzenberger has a breadth of experience with parks and open space development, city-wide public health initiatives as well as sustainability and resiliency projects. He enjoys cultivating and maintaining collaborative ventures between the public, for-profit, and non-profit entities. In his work, William has a special focus on working to unite the realms of urban planning and social welfare policy by keeping livability as a top priority in land use planning and design. Will is always looking for well-loved community spaces (and delicious finds!) throughout our neighborhood in the Ironbound!
Panelist: John Evangelista, Deputy Director, Groundwork Elizabeth
Topic: Success Stories: City of Elizabeth Microforests
John Evangelista spends a majority of his time following his long time passion of creating and sustaining a positive environmental legacy for our children and for future generations. He is committed to reducing our impact on the environment by using a hands on approach to educate communities to become aware of the environmental injustices that affect them and how to correct them.
With over thirty years of experience in farming, construction and agricultural practices, John is currently employed in the nonprofit sector where he works closely with local, state and federal partners to study current urban agricultural practices and introduce them back into underserved areas through educational programs and activities for seniors, adults and children.
Through both his day job in Elizabeth and his time spent volunteering closer to his hometown of Bloomfield, NJ, John enjoys working collaboratively with governmental partners, the private sector, faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, local educators, and the community at large to undertake a variety of projects that result in better access to healthy foods, strategies to build sustainable agricultural systems, development of green-career opportunities, and quality-of-life improvements in underserved areas throughout New Jersey.
Panelists:
Ashita Patel, Brownfields Project Manager, U.S. EPA Region 2
Griztko Erickson, Brownfields Project Officer & GIS Lead, U.S. EPA Region 2
Topic: Funding Your Brownfield Redevelopment Projects
Panelist: Emily Perez, Environmental Specialist, NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Topic: Funding Your Brownfield Redevelopment Projects
Do you have questions about FEMA Hazard Mitigation funding?
Do you need assistance with applying for a FEMA grant?
After the summit, join us for a special Lunch & Learn hosted by NJIT Technical Assistance for Resiliency Program (NJIT TARP) where our experts Carrie Martin AICP, Environmental Sustainability Planner, NJIT TARP and Sean Vroom, Director, NJIT Center for Community Systems will outline FEMA grants as well as answer any questions that you may have.