NADO’s 2026 Annual Training Conference (ATC) is your opportunity to connect with Regional Development Organization (RDO) leaders and staff, elected officials, and policymakers from across the country for four days of learning, inspiration, and collaboration! The conference includes a mix of plenaries, hands-on training sessions, peer-led best practice presentations, small-group conversation cafés, and networking events.
The Center for Creative Land Recycling will represent the EPA Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) program at the Conference, with information on TAB programs across the nation.
Where to find CCLR:
TOUR: Downtown Reno Revitalization
From Brownfields to Economic Engines
Monday, October 19 – 12:30 to 3 PM
Start Location: City Plaza / Believe Sign – Downtown Reno
Join the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) conference mobile tour for an in-depth look at how the City of Reno is transforming underutilized, vacant, and legacy sites into vibrant economic and community assets.
This guided walking tour highlights a coordinated approach to revitalization that blends brownfields redevelopment, adaptive reuse, placemaking, and strategic public-private partnerships. Participants will explore how targeted investments—supported in part by programs aligned with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Program—are helping reposition downtown Reno as a hub for business activity, housing, and cultural vibrancy.
Through a series of curated stops, attendees will learn about:
– Navigating complex redevelopment sites, including former casino properties
– Leveraging facade improvement and tenant programs to activate vacant corridors
– Overcoming financing and ownership challenges
– Using placemaking and programming to shift perception and increase foot traffic
– Aligning regional economic development goals with site-specific revitalization strategies
Why this matters for NADO members:
This tour provides replicable strategies for regional development organizations working to turn legacy properties and brownfield sites into catalysts for economic growth, community identity, and long-term investment.
Fear Not – Peers to the Rescue: RDO’s KO Brownfields
Learn from the best brownfield resources – your peers! In this session, we will highlight the essential elements necessary for RDOs to maximize the use of brownfield resources – grants and free technical assistance – to advance your economic development efforts.
The experts from your Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB), Kansas State University TAB and the Center for Creative Land Recycling (CCLR), will provide a broad overview of Federal and state brownfield programs, and currently available grants, and representatives from highly successful RDO brownfield programs will provide stories you won’t want to miss!
Bring your questions and ideas – we’ll have answers and inspiration!
Featuring Speakers:
- Blase Leven, PG Director of KSU TAB Program
- Ignacio Dayrit Programs Lead, CCLR
- Sara Strissel Director of Community Planning and Brownfields, Bear Paw Development
- Luis Nieves-Ruiz Director of Economic Development, East Central Florida Regional Planning Council
- Stephanie Heidt. Deputy Executive Director, Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council
