The Rochester Land Bank Corporation will return underutilized property to productive use, preserve and create quality housing, enhance the quality of life within neighborhoods, and encourage economic opportunities.
Current Board of Directors
Ex Officio Members
- City Treasurer: John Fornof, Board Treasurer - Appointed February 2022
- Prior to City Treasurer, John Fornof held positions with the
City such as Deputy City Treasurer and Senior Analyst, Office of Management and
Budget. Mr. Fornof holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the Maxwell
School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
- Director of Development Services: Erik Frisch, Board Chair - Appointed February 2022
- Erik Frisch is Deputy Commissioner of the City of Rochester’s Department
of Neighborhood & Business Development. In this role since January 2022, he
oversees the Bureau of Business & Housing Development. Mr. Frisch has been with the City of
Rochester since 2007, also serving as Manager of Special Projects in the
Department of Environmental Services (2018-2021), overseeing coordination of the
ROC the Riverway initiative and the Inner Loop North Transformation, and as the
City’s Transportation Specialist (2007-2018), where he managed the City’s
transportation planning, traffic calming, and traffic control functions. He
holds a Bachelors Degree in Geography from Clark University in Worcester, MA
and a Masters Degree in Urban Planning from the University at Buffalo (NY).
- Manager of Housing: Carol Wheeler, Board Vice-Chair - Appointed October 2013
- Employed the City for
over 30 years, Mrs. Wheeler has worked as a
Neighborhood Coordinator, Senior Community Housing Planner and since 2006, the
Manager of Housing which involves the planning and implementation of housing
programs and projects, oversight of entitlement grants, CDBG, HOPWA, HOME and
ESG, Homeownership Assistance programs and the development of both rental and
ownership housing. Prior employment
included working at the Urban League as their Coordinator for a
community-based, staffed housing program and a Community Planning
Specialist. Mrs. Wheeler attended Shaw University for
undergraduate study and graduate study at Pratt Institute where she
concentrated in Community Economic Development.
- Director of Buildings and Zoning: Kurt Martin - Appointed November 2019
- Kurt Martin is the Director of Buildings and Compliance for the City of Rochester. Prior to that he served the City in positions including Director of Buildings and Zoning and as Manager of Code Enforcement where, during his tenure, the City of Rochester adopted and implemented proactive code enforcement programs including the Renewable Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) Program and the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Ordinance for which it received the Healthy Homes Award from the U.S. Department of Homes and Urban Development (HUD).
- City Council Chief of Staff: Jim Smith - Appointed February 2022
- James Patrick Smith is the current Chief of Staff
to Rochester City Council. He has served in City Government since 2015 in a
number of roles prior to becoming Council Chief of Staff – including Deputy
Mayor and Director of Communications. Most notably, Mr. Smith served as Mayor
of Rochester, albeit briefly, which made him the City’s first openly LGBTQ+
chief executive. His public service also includes stints as the Deputy Monroe
County Executive; Executive Director of the Monroe County Water Authority; and
Seneca County Manager. Mr. Smith is a graduate of SUNY Oswego with a Bachelor’s
Degree in Political Science.
Appointed Members (serve three-year terms):
- Mayor's Appointee: Eric Van Dusen - Appointed March 2022
- Eric Van Dusen is ESL
Federal Credit Union Manager for Community Impact with oversight over Community
Impact team members, their grant making activities, as well as strengthening
internal and external partnerships. Eric brings over 30 years’ experience in
the Housing and Community Development field, including working with the Group
14621 Neighborhood Association, NeighborWorks Rochester, Grace Urban
Ministries, The Housing Council and the City of Rochester as a Senior Economic
Development Specialist. His community
involvement includes having served on the Rochester Zoning Board, Teen
Empowerment’s Advisory Board and NeighborWorks America’s Community Initiatives
National Advisory Board.
- City Council President's Appointee: Lashay Harris, Board Secretary - Appointed September 2020
- LaShay Harris has served on the City Council since 2019. She serves as chair of Council's Recreation
and Human Services Committee, and has marked her time in office by advocating
for youth services and more investment in public safety. In 2023, Ms. Harris was elected to a second term as regional director
of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO). Ms. Harris works as the coordinator of the
Career Pathways to Public Safety Program at the Rochester City School District
and is a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson.
Executive Management
Executive Director: Paul Scuderi
Paul Scuderi, Director of Real Estate for the City of Rochester since 2016, has served as ex-officio Executive Director of Rochester Land Bank Corporation during that time. Mr. Scuderi served as Assistant Director of Real Estate for ten years prior to his appointment as Director and for several years as Town Assessor in surrounding communities. He has been a Certified Real Estate Appraiser since 1998 and is a gradtate of the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Committees
The committees of the Rochester Land Bank Corporation Board meet on an as needed basis. An annual meeting of the Audit Committee occurs each September prior to the Land Banks's Annual Board Meeting as required by Public Authority Law. Meetings of Land Bank committees that can be defined as public bodies are noticed in accordance with Article 7, Section 104 of Public Officers law.
Acquisition Committee
- Carol Wheeler
- LaShay Harris
- Kurt Martin
- Eric Van Dusen
Acquisition Committee Meetings
Audit Committee
- John Fornof
- Erik Frisch
- Jim Smith
Audit Committee Meetings
Finance Committee (Currently Inactive; RLBC does not issue debt.)
Governance Committee
- John Fornof
- Erik Frisch
- Kurt Martin