The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University’s Land Use Law Center hosted its 24th Annual Alfred B. DelBello Land Use and Sustainable Development Conference in December 2025. The event continued the tradition of bringing together experts in land use, environmental law, and public policy to discuss sustainable community development.
The conference began with two sessions focused on ethics and included welcome remarks from Dean Horace E. Anderson, Jr. of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. During his remarks, Dean Anderson acknowledged the retirement of Tom Bourgeois, Director for Policy and Research at the Land Use Law Center, after 25 years of service. “Tom’s contributions have been extraordinary,” said Dean Anderson. “His expertise in energy efficiency, distributed energy systems, microgrids, geothermal networks, and resilient infrastructure has positioned our Land Use Law Center as a national leader at the intersection of energy and land use policy. Tom leaves a legacy that has helped shaped cutting-edge research and informed sustainable development strategies across the Northeast and beyond, and we thank him for all he has done for the Law School.”
Arthur C. Nelson, Ph.D., FAcSS, FAICP, Emeritus Professor from the University of Arizona, delivered a keynote session addressing trends in housing demands over time.
Catherine F. Parker from Westchester County Board of Legislators received this year’s Groundbreaker’s Award for her efforts to strengthen environmental resilience in Westchester County and support sustainable growth initiatives inspired by programs like the Land Use Leadership Alliance (LULA).
Shelley Poticha, Managing Director for Regional Impact at NRDC, provided a keynote address titled “Taking Ambitious Action Now: Lessons from the American Sustainable Cities Initiative.” She discussed how this decade-long initiative helps local leaders test ambitious solutions to improve community sustainability.
The conference also featured breakout sessions on current topics in land use planning and concluded with a law update session followed by a wine and cheese reception.
A Founder’s Award Reception took place before the main event to honor three individuals:
– Thomas M. Roach, Mayor of White Plains, New York received the Founder’s Award.
– Maximillian R. Mahalek was given the Distinguished Young Attorney Award.
– Emily A. Petermann received the John R. Nolon Student Achievement Award.
This annual conference is supported by sponsors including DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr LLP; Collins Capital Partners LLC; Zarin & Steinmetz LLP; The Oram Foundation Inc.; Cuddy & Feder LLP; and Hocherman Tortorella & Wekstein LLP.
