Brownfield Redevelopment Strategy: Connecting with the

The local economic developer has a working relationship with all the existing industries and is typically the first person a site selection consultant calls (even before the mayor) on behalf of an industry that is interested in bringing a business to a community. Healthy relationships with these key local stakeholders will give you an idea who's coming and who's leaving.  A good start would be connecting with the State representative of the Southern Economic Development Council (http://www.sedc.org).  Also, each State has its own Economic Development Council, representing the economic development organizations within the State.  The Southern organizations are:

• Economic Development Association of Alabama (EDAA)


• Arkansas Economic Development Commission


• Florida Economic Development Council


• Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA)


• Kentucky Association for Economic Development (KAED)


• Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association (LIDEA)


• Mississippi Economic Development Council (MEDC)


• Missouri Economic Development Council


• North Carolina Economic Developers Association (NCEDA)


• Oklahoma Professional Economic Development Council (OEDC)


• South Carolina Economic Developers Association (SCEDA)


• Tennessee Economic Development Council (TEDC)


• Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC

USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grants - Due August 6th

The USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) is open; applications are due August 6. The primary objective of the RBOG program is to promote sustainable economic development in rural communities with exceptional needs. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Though grant awards are limited to $50,000 increments out of a total pool of $2.37 million, that amount can still go far and have a large impact for a rural community. Eligible entities include: public entities; nonprofit corporations; Indian tribes; institutions of higher education; and rural cooperatives.  More information and instruction on applying is available HERE.

DOT Tiger Grants Released

DOT released $500 million in funding for the FY12 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants.  TIGER grants aim to spur a national competition for innovative road, rail, transit and port projects that promise significant economic and environmental benefits to an entire metropolitan area, a region, or the nation.  Each project is multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional or otherwise challenging to fund through existing programs.  In the latest round of grants, 43% of the awarded projects are in the NEMW region, equaling 39% of the total funding.  DOT's release is available here

TEXAS - Urban Renewal: Why Toxic ‘Brownfields’ Are Tough to Redevelop

Source: Stateimpact, Fehling

Former MDI Superfund Site in Houston

6/18/12

For developers of housing or commercial projects in Texas, bringing what had been contaminated, blighted lots back to life can be full of challenges, both legal and economic. But sometimes it works.
“Once you own the site, you have repercussions to that and potential liabilities,” says John Slavich, a Dallas lawyer.

Listen to the story’There’s just no trace of it"

[MORE]

City of Knoxville seeks brownfield input

Source: Knoxvillebiz.com, J. Flory
6/18/12

Thanks to some cash grants from Uncle Sam, the city of Knoxville is aiming to diagnose the environmental problems of certain industrial sites near downtown.  The city will host a public meeting at 6 p.m. tonight in connection with $400,000 worth of grants from the Environmental Protection Agency. The grants are to be used for petroleum site assessments and hazardous material site assessments.  Under the city's initiative, willing property owners in the Downtown North I-275 Redevelopment area will have the opportunity for such assessments to be performed on their sites.

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Brownfields 2013 - Submit a Presentation Idea

Don't Miss Your Chance to Submit a Session Idea Each year the National #Brownfields Conference's educational program is a direct result of your presentation ideas. Don't miss your chance to be part of the most engaging and powerful event of its kind - the Call for Ideas is open and will close on August 3rd. Become an Endorser of Brownfields 2013 Show your organization's support for the conference by signing up as an official Brownfields 2013 endorser! It's a free and easy way to demonstrate your support for brownfields redevelopment. Last Chance to Register for the Northwest Brownfields Conference Presented by the Washington Department of Ecology's Toxic Cleanup Program, U.S. EPA and the Northwest Environmental Business Council, this conference will provide a technical program with the most up-to-date policy information for environmental professionals.

Questions? Email gsparks@icma.org (do not reply to this newsletter). The National Brownfields Conference is the largest event in the nation that focuses on environmental revitalization and economic redevelopment. Whether you're a newcomer or a seasoned professional, Brownfields 2013 will offer something for you! www.brownfieldsconference.org

EPA Announces Job Training Grant Selections

On Thursday June 21, 2012, in New Orleans, EPA announced selection of the FY 2012 Environmental Workforce and Job Training (EWD&JT) grants. There will be 15 grants awarded this year. Each grant is $200K each for a total of $3 Million. Region 4 will receive one grant, Durham NC. Durham is a previous recipient of two EPA Brownfields Job Training grants and two Brownfields Assessment grants. Region 4 received 12 grant proposals in this year’s EWD&JT competition.
 
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/pilot_grants.htm

New Partners for Smart Growth Conference - Call for Session Proposals (June 30 Deadline)

New Partners for Smart Growth Conference
February 7-9, 2013 – Kansas City, MO
Proposals accepted through June 30 

The Call for Session Proposals for the February 2013 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in Kansas City, Missouri runs through June 30, 2012. If you are interested in submitting a proposal for a breakout, workshop or focused training for this event, go to www.newpartners.org/program/cfsp/.

GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Community Health Projects Related to Contamination at Land Reuse and Brownfield Sites

Community Health Projects Related to Contamination at Land Reuse and #Brownfield Sites at grants.gov

Grants.Gov: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=QRsYPg2bTVYtWh1QD7ss4zfFcbTzQJLpTn3v42S1DNrb8dQwRjwX!2145627009?oppId=177833&mode=VIEW
Federal Agency Name: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Funding Opportunity Title: Community Health Projects Related to Contamination at Land Reuse and Brownfield Sites
Agency Funding Opportunity Number: CDC-RFA-TS12-1202
Posted Date: June 18, 2012
Closing Date: July 19, 2012
Approximate Number of Awards: 2
Approximate Average Award: $ 150,000
Budget Period Length: 12 months
Project Period Length: 2 years
 
Eligible Applicants
ATSDR’s request for limited completion is based on the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986. Section 104 (i)(15), 42 U.S.C. 9604 (i)(15). The CERCLA limits the eligible applicants that can apply to the following:
a. State Governments
b. Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
c. County Governments
d. City or Township Governments
e. Special District Governments
f. Governments of U.S. Territories or Possessions
g. Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)   

At the time of submission the organizations provide documentation proving that they are Bona Fide Agent of a federally recognized or state-recognized American Indian/Alaska Native tribal governments; state, county, and local governments, and their political subdivisions; or political subdivisions of States (in consultation with States).
A Bona Fide Agent is an agency/organization identified by the state as eligible to submit an application under the state eligibility in lieu of a state application. If applying as a bona fide agent of a state or local government, a legal, binding agreement from the state or local government as documentation of the status is required. Attach with “Other Attachment Forms” when submitting via www.grants.gov.
 
Purpose: The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to provide an opportunity for eligible applicants to assess exposure to contaminants and to advance public health actions to protect people at Land Reuse/Brownfield Sites. Land Reuse sites are any site formally utilized for commercial and industrial purposes complicated by real or perceived contamination. Brownfield sites are a subset of land reuse sites that have been designated by EPA as such. This is an applied public health project focused on implementing public health actions to protect the health of vulnerable or susceptible subpopulations which have exposure or potentially exposure risk to environmental contaminants associated with the Land Reuse/Brownfield sites.
 
Recipient Activities

Develop a mechanism to characterize potential environmental exposures, reduces or eliminates environmental exposures for each Brownfield/land reuse site that may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant in the redevelopment project area before redevelopment occurs.

Collaborate with community stakeholders (including residents who live in communities adjacent to or within two miles of the target areas, health agencies, city officials, developers, planners, environmental agencies, ATSDR, or any other stakeholders in the redevelopment area) to determine how community health will potentially be improved by the Brownfield/land reuse redevelopment project

Develop new or enhance existing community public health initiatives related to redevelopment of Brownfield or land reuse sites.

Characterize the community/communities (e.g., by gathering community/neighborhood information from key stakeholders, reviewing existing documents and plans, and by direct observation or “windshield surveillance” activities).

Involve stakeholders in proposed strategies, including residents who live in communities adjacent to or within two miles of the target areas, state or local health, city officials, developers, planners, or any other stakeholders in the redevelopment.

Collaborate with community stakeholders to develop a model of measuring improvement of community health related to Brownfield/land reuse redevelopment project (i.e., ATSDR Action Model, Health Impact Assessment, PACE EH, etc.)

Incorporate community health status (environmental data, community health concerns, and public health data) or issues assessment in the city/county master plan or another means of sustainability.

Incorporate a means for measuring project success and evaluating strategies related to ATSDR performance goals (See Part 2. Section I. Purpose).

Incorporate quantitative process and outcome measures.

Collaborate with the community stakeholders to develop recommendations for sustainability once funding period has ended.

Collaborate with ATSDR in the collection and assessment of environmental data, public health data, and other relevant community health information.

Collaborate with ATSDR in reporting the success story of the project, including project results, health impact, and lessons learned.
In a cooperative agreement, ATSDR staff is substantially involved in the program activities, above and beyond routine grant monitoring.
ATSDR Activities

Collaborating with and assisting the recipient in the collection and assessment of environmental data, public health data, and other relevant community health information.

Providing technical assistance and expertise to assist the recipient in implementing project activities to be most protective of human health and the environment.

Providing expertise to assist the recipient in structuring project activities to meet program objectives.

Evaluating recommendations prepared by the recipient and providing timely advice and assistance to further the objectives of this program.

#Brownfield Business Development Strategy - Early WARNing for Plant Closures

Knowing that a plant is closing, a strategically placed service call to the environmental officer can lead to a discussion of how the company plans to sell the plant. Knowing that the best brownfield is the one that was recently closed (not left idle for years), a savvy business development director for an environmental consulting firm could work to get State and Federal Liability Protection provisions in place for the company.

Under the Federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), an employer must give notice if an employment site (or one or more facilities or operating units within an employment site) will be shut down, and the shutdown will result in an employment loss (as defined later) for 50 or more employees during any 30-day period. This does not count employees who have worked less than 6 months in the last 12 months or employees who work an average of less than 20 hours a week for that employer. These latter groups, however, are entitled to notice (discussed later).

Mass Layoff: A covered employer must give notice if there is to be a mass layoff which does not result from a plant closing, but which will result in an employment loss at the employment site during any 30-day period for 500 or more employees, or for 50-499 employees if they make up at least 33% of the employer's active workforce. Again, this does not count employees who have worked less than 6 months in the last 12 months or employees who work an average of less than 20 hours a week for that employer. These latter groups, however, are entitled to notice (discussed later).

The notice goes to the State Department of Employment Security. For the Southeastern States, WARN Notices can be found at the following links:

AL - http://bit.ly/Alabama-WARN-Notices

FL - http://bit.ly/Florida-WARN-Notices

LA - http://www.laworks.net/WorkforceDev/WFD_warnfacts.asp

MS - http://bit.ly/Mississippi-WARN-Notices 

TN - http://www.state.tn.us/labor-wfd/et_dw_services.html

SC - Sustainable Housing and Stormwater Infrastructure n a Former Gas Station #brownfield and Supermarket

In 2008, EPA provided the City of Greenville, South Carolina with technical assistance for the sustainable redevelopment of a one acre property with a former service station and adjacent supermarket. EPA helped analyze the redevelopment plans to incorporate green and sustainable features into a conceptual site plan. More
specifically, the technical assistance looked closely at stormwater management strategies for the site that will promote sustainable redevelopment opportunities elsewhere in the community.

MORE

Green Avenue Sites: Technical Memorandum - Conceptual Design for Sustainable Redevelopment (PDF)

Florence, AL Brownfield Grant Application Denied

Source: TimesDaily.com, R.Corey
6/5/12

Steve Stanley is disappointed the city’s application for a brownfields grant was not approved, but he and others associated with the grant bid will try again. The Environmental Protection Agency’s brownfield grant program provides money to identify, assess, and in some cases, clean up old industrial sites so they can once again be productive. A task force identified numerous locations in the city and included them in the grant application. “We thought we had a pretty strong application,” said Stanley, a member of the Sheffield City Council. He said the city has requested the EPA send the documentation they use to “grade” the application, which will identify the shortfalls. That information can be used to beef up this year’s application, Stanley said.

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Brownfield Sessions at Mississippi Municipal League Annual Conference (June 25-27)

There will be several opportunities to learn more about brownfield redevelopment at the Mississippi Municipal League (MML) Conference (June 25-27) at the Gulf Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi.  A full schedule can be found here (OPEN AS ADOBE ACROBAT DOCUMENT) for the conference and the sessions dealing with redevelopment are as follows:

June 25 1PM-4PM
Roundtable Discussion (Room D11-D12) - Learn More About Tools, Grants, and Incentives for Redeveloping Sites in Your Community - Trey Hess, MDEQ and Nicole Bates, EPA

June 26 1PM-2PM
SESSION I-8 Redevelopment Strategies and Incentives: EPA Brownfield Grants (Room D8)
Presenters: Willie McKercher, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and Tyson Hackenberg, Shaw Group
Moderators: Mayor Eddie Fulton, Quitman; Mayor Larry Murray, Enterprise

June 26 2:15PM-3:15PM
SESSION II-5 Statutory Requirements for Cleaning Private Property (Room D5)
Presenters Troy Johnston, Phelps Dunbar; Alan Hart, City of Ridgeland
Moderators Mayor Dale Fortenberry, Farmington; Quincy Mukoro, MML Staff

June 27 9:15PM-10:15PM
SESSION I-3 Superfund - Working Together to Clean Up Mississippi (Room D3)
Presenters Franklin Hill, Director, EPA Superfund Division;
Melissa McGee-Collier, Director, EPA Office of Community Engagement
Moderators Alderman Frank E. Williams, Ellisville; Karen Jackson, City Clerk , Pickens

June 27 11:30AM
AWARDS LUNCHEON
Special Presentations - Trudy Fisher

Alabama League of Municipalities Training on Brownfields - June 22, Montgomery

USING ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DRIVER
Friday, June 22, 2012 • Faulkner University, Montgomery, AL
CMO Credit: 5 credit hours in the Basic, Advanced, and Continuing Programs • Cost: $100

The Alabama League of Municipalities is partnering with the SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GROUP from Washington, D.C. and FAULKNER UNIVERSITY to present this CMO session. SCDG is a not for-profit corporation at the forefront of working with the public, private and community sectors to advance environmental sustainability, equitable development and global smart growth.

Registration forms are online at http://www.alalm.org/CMOUpcomingTraining.html

South Omaha hits Jackpot on Brownfields Grants

Now that the EPA has announced their latest round of #Brownfield Grant recipients, many "non-recipients" (there are no losers out there) have a big decision to make.  Should we try again, taking the debrief from EPA and tweaking our proposal; or should we scrap the idea and look to other avenues.  Let's face it.  Putting a proposal together takes resources and with the competitive nature behind brownfield grants, the bar rises each year.  So what is one to do?

One idea is to look at what the successful recipients have been doing.  We're not talking about the one time recipient who may have lucked up.  No, we're talking about the multiple grant recipient; one that has received assessment grants and cleanup grants.  South Omaha is one of those entities.  In 1998 and 2002, South Omaha received a $200,000 “pilot” grant and $150,000 in supplemental funds for assessments of contaminated properties along the riverfront and in north downtown, including the former Asarco lead refinery. An EPA document said that that helped leverage more than $140 million toward restoration of the riverfront, which now includes the Lewis & Clark Landing, a restaurant, National Park Service offices, the Gallup campus and the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge.  Another $150,000 brownfields grant in 2007 helped clean up the former Moreco Plating company site at 16th and Webster Streets, making way for expansion of the Creighton University campus.  Finally, the Omaha Brownfields Coalition, consisting of MAPA, Metro Community College, and the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (P-MRNRD), has been awarded an $835,000 Brownfields assessment grant by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address risks and development needs in a portion of the South Omaha Redevelopment Area (SORA). The grant will allow coalition partners, along with the Omaha Chamber’s South Omaha Development Project and numerous community organizations, to take significant steps to address South Omaha brownfields, which are parcels where known or suspected hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants are present. The parcels often become blighted as real or perceived contamination prevents investment and redevelopment.

Look into researching how South Omaha "made it rain."  For more information, check out the following web site - http://www.mapacog.org/current-projects

Small businesses protest proposed Sam's Club #brownfields tax break

Source: Tampa Bay Times, M. Van Sickler
6/7/12

ST. PETERSBURG — Despite mounting criticism of a proposed tax break for a Sam's Club that is nearing completion along 34th Street, there is strong support for the perk among City Council members and Mayor Bill Foster. The eight-member board will vote during an 8:30 a.m. meeting today at City Hall on whether Sam's Club's corporate parent, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., is eligible for the $240,000 tax credit. "There's no reason to deny them," said Foster. "This is a good project." Council members would need to classify the 14-acre site on 34th Street as a "brownfield" area, an official designation that means the land is so contaminated — or is at least perceived that way — that tax incentives are needed to entice development. This particular incentive would provide developers up to a $2,500 tax refund for each job created.

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Cleanup continues on contaminated land across from Northgate Mall, but is it enough?

Source: Independent Weekly, V. Coleman
6/6/12

DURHAM, NC - The former dry cleaners at 1103 W. Club Blvd. in Durham is gone, demolished after years of false starts in cleaning up the chemical contamination there. But that doesn't mean the fight over it has ended.
"I would like the remedial action plan to be as thorough as possible, as thorough as it possibly can be," says Laura Drey, a one-time resident of the neighborhood. Problem is, says Drey, it won't be.

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EPA Releases NEPAssist web application

NEPAssist

NEPAssist
NEPAssist is a tool that facilitates the environmental review process and project planning in relation to environmental considerations. The web-based application draws environmental data dynamically from EPA Geographic Information System databases and web services and provides immediate screening of environmental assessment indicators for a user-defined area of interest. These features contribute to a streamlined review process that potentially raises important environmental issues at the earliest stages of project development.

Find help resources for NEPAssist in the Help section.
Go to NEPAssist

Texas Property Tax Incentives for Brownfields Redevelopment (Ad Valorem Property Tax Abatements)

Local governments can offer additional ad valorem property tax abatements to attract cleanup and redevelopment of #brownfields. Senate Bill 1596 and House Bill 1239 of the 75th Texas Legislative Session added Section 312.211 to the Texas Tax Code, allowing municipal or county taxing authorities to grant property-tax relief for the development or redevelopment of certain brownfields in a reinvestment zone that have been cleaned up through the VCP.
To be eligible, the real property must:

1. be located in a reinvestment zone created under Tax Code 311; 
2. not be in an improvement project financed by tax increment bonds; and
3. have received a voluntary-cleanup certificate of completion from the VCP.

The governing body must enter into a tax-abatement agreement with the owner of the brownfield property as set forth in Tax Code 312.002.  The governing body is allowed to exempt from taxation:

1. up to 100 percent of the value of the property in the first year covered by the agreement;
2. up to 75 percent in the second year;
3. up to 50 percent in the third year; and
4. up to 25 percent in the fourth year.

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EPA grant to fund Hernando cleanup estimate

Source:  Commercial Appeal, H. Bailey
6/3/12

Aiming to be proactive for development, Hernando will use a federal $400,000 "brownfield" grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to do a community assessment of blighted but potentially viable sites, city officials said.  "Places that even have the perception of being polluted are part of this," said Community Development director Shelly Johnstone. "By identifying such locations now with the help of environmental experts, we can target cleanup money more effectively, and this helps planning and the developers."
"This is the first step that will help us get cleanup funds later on," Mayor Chip Johnson said.
The grant requires a formal bid process under which city aldermen will hire the "best engineers" to conduct the study, he said. The EPA last week announced the grant for Hernando along with $400,000 awards each to Columbus in east-central Mississippi and McComb in the state's southwestern corner. The grants are part of $69.3 million released nationwide by the agency to provide communities with funding necessary to clean and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and create jobs while protecting public health.

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Oklahoma City's Devon Energy goes for 'green' gold on former # brownfield site

Source: NewsOK.com, R. Mize

Devon Energy Center, when complete, won't be “green” just because of what went into it, but also because of what came out of the ground under it.  Part of the parcel of land now with the address 333 W Sheridan Ave. has a dirty history, one that reflects the changes in the city around it. But most recently, since Devon Energy Corp. Larry Nichols acquired it, it's a story of colors: brown, green and gold., executive chairman, told some of the tale as the closing speaker at the Oklahoma Brownfields Conference Wednesday at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel. Part of the city block was “brown” — in need of environmental remediation — because of former uses as a trolley barn, then a kind of “motor hotel,” both of which left contaminated soil and water from fuel leakage.

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Brownfields 2013 - Call for Ideas

Each year the #brownfield conference's educational program is a direct result of your presentation ideas. Don't miss your chance to be part of the most engaging and powerful event of its kind - the Call for Ideas will close on August 3rd.

IMPORTANT:  

In an effort to make the National Brownfields Conference experience enjoyable for all participants, conference organizers are requesting that the majority of educational sessions are tailored to encourage conversations and participation from attendees.  We want the Brownfields 2013 educational program to motivate brownfields stakeholders to share knowledge and expertise and learn from each others’ experiences.  Therefore, when evaluating the responses to this Call for Ideas, conference organizers will favor sessions that encourage discussion and stakeholder participation.

REQUIRED INFORMATION:

To submit an abstract for Brownfields 2013 you must complete our online submission form. Follow these steps to successfully complete the form:

Step 1:	Determine a general topic that best describes your session idea
Step 2:	Choose a session format
Step 3:	Propose a title
Step 4:	Briefly describe the session and include key takeaways for the audience
Step 5:	Choose a knowledge level
Step 6:	List confirmed speakers and their contact information

STEP 1: GENERAL TOPIC AREA (CHOOSE ONE)

• Technical Assistance – Includes engineering solutions such as: assessment methods; cleanup technologies; and green cleanup.
  
• Financing Redevelopment Opportunities- Includes financial strategies and solutions such as: economic development; investment issues; leveraging public/private financing; tax incentives; banks; and insurance issues.
• Real Estate and Development- Includes site selection approaches; site preparation and marketing; redevelopment readiness; working with developers; vertical construction; and commercial issues.
• Planning for a Better Environment – Includes environmental issues such as: area-wide planning; zoning; smart growth; transportation; air; water and toxic issues; community development priorities; and economic market assessment.
• Community – Includes people solutions such as: workforce development; community gardens; local involvement; historical and cultural issues; environmental justice; gentrification and displacement; public health; and faith-based and art issues.
• Redevelopment and Revitalization – Includes development solutions such as: innovative federal, state and local programs; renewable energy; case studies; legislation and codes; targeting of specific economic sectors such as auto, mine-scarred lands, ports, mills, tanks, etc.; RCRA facilities; Superfund sites; and federal facilities.
• Liability and Enforcement – Includes legal solutions such as: CERCLA and RCRA liability; BFPP; and liability transfer.
• Data, Research and Public Health – Includes current research results and innovative solutions for addressing public health issues involving the environmental impacts associated with contaminated lands.

STEP 2: SESSION FORMAT (CHOOSE ONE)

• Town Hall Meeting - Informal meeting led by one or two leaders or experts in a specific topic or area of interest, where stakeholders are given an opportunity to discuss emerging issues and voice concerns and preferences with other participants, as well as the session leader(s).  Proposed Town Hall Meeting sessions should include a session title, a summary of the proposed topic and explanation of why it will be of interest to the proposed audience, and a summary of the credentials of no more than two session leaders.
• Round Table Discussion - Discussion on a specific topic led by one or two topic experts.  The room is set to allow for table groups of 10-12 participants. Attendees are encouraged to engage in discussion through a series of topic-related questions posed by the topic expert or session facilitator. Proposed Round Table Discussions must include a session title, a summary of the topic to be covered, an explanation of the targeted audience, and a summary of the credentials of the topic experts who will lead the session.  No more than two facilitators or topic experts should be identified.
• Panel Discussions -  Group of no more than three speakers who are recognized experts in a specific topic, who generally have different viewpoints or experiences within the specific topic.  A moderator will lead the panel discussion and follow on question and answers.  Proposed panel sessions must include a concise and comprehensive summary of the specific topic to be covered by the panelists, an explanation of why the topic is important to Conference stakeholders, and a summary of the targeted audience.  Proposed panel sessions can include no more than three speakers, including the session moderator.  Sessions must be tailored to encourage and allow for audience interaction.

STEP 3: PROPOSED TITLE

Conference organizers read hundreds of abstracts each year. Proposing a catchy title will create a good first impression and will make your abstract easy to remember. Be creative!

STEP 4: DESCRIPTION (1,200 CHARACTER LIMIT)

There will be a character limit on descriptions this year, so please focus on why the topic is important and include any key takeaways for participants. Make sure that your description reflects the session format.

STEP 5: KNOWLEDGE LEVEL (CHOOSE ONE)

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Advanced

STEP 6: PROPOSED SPEAKERS

List the speakers you have confirmed to participate in this session. Make sure to include each speaker's name, title, organization, phone number, email address, and a very brief bio that identifies why they should be considered for the session. The number of speakers reflects the session format.

speaker's name, title, organization, phone number, email address, and a very brief bio that identifies  why they should be considered for the session. The number of speakers reflects the session format.