Revitalize & Innovate SYMPOSIUM 2026
WELCOME MESSAGE FROM USC BUILDS PRESIDENT MELISSA SUCHODOLSKI
Thank you for joining us at the 2026 Revitalize & Innovate Symposium. We created this event because people working to strengthen communities need a place to share lessons, challenge ideas and build relationships that lead to action.
Today, that mission feels more important than ever. Around the country, communities are grappling with housing shortages, workforce challenges, economic inequality and disinvestment. While every city has its own story, one truth remains constant: meaningful progress happens when people work across sectors, think differently and invest in solutions bigger than any one organization can achieve alone.
Throughout today’s discussions, you'll hear lessons from transformative projects across our region and beyond. Though separated by geography, these communities share a common belief: revitalization is about more than buildings. It's about creating opportunity, strengthening neighborhoods and expanding pathways to long-term prosperity.
The leaders gathered here aren’t simply talking about what's possible. They’re doing the work testing new models, navigating real-world challenges and demonstrating what happens when vision meets execution.
My challenge to you is simple: don't be a spectat Share ideas. Build relationships. Explore partner started today could spark a new investment, wor development strategy or collaboration that creat far beyond this room.
The future belongs to those willing to come toge one another and move from conversation to acti
Thank you for being part of that work
Let's build what's next.
Yours in community,
Melissa
USC Builds is proud to present the 2026 Revitalize & Innovate Symposium to our region. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the sponsors whose generosity made our two-day national gathering possible.
VISIONARYCOMMUNITYCHAMPIONS
URBANRENEWALPARTNERS
NEIGHBORHOODADVOCATES
INDIVIDUALCHANGEMAKERS
COMMUNITYBUILDERS
TimPullis& USCBuildsExecutiveTeam
IndividualSupporters
PERSPECTIVES
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
A. Connected Communities Lab From Challenge to Roadmap
B. Workforce Case Study
Workforce That Works: Lessons From the Field
C. Brownfield Technical Workshop
Brownfields Without Fear: From Mega-Sites to Main Streets 3:15 PM
2026REVITALIZE&INNOVATESYMPOSIUMCOMMITTEE
SIBLEYSQUAREMAPS
To help you navigate the Symposium, the maps below highlight event spaces using colorcoded markers. Look for the matching color marker on your name badge to find the correct room for your breakout sessions and activities.
HISTORIC SIBLEY SQUARE
Originally opened as the flagship home of Sibley, Lindsay & Curr Company, Sibley Square served as a centerpiece of Downtown Rochester for more than a century. As retail trends shifted and urban centers evolved, the once-bustling department store faced many of the challenges confronting historic commercial properties across the country.
Today, the building has been reimagined as a vibrant mixed-use destination featuring residential, office, educational and community spaces. Its transformation has become a nationally recognized example of adaptive reuse and downtown revitalization.
2026REVITATLIZE&INNOVATESYMPOSIUM
SIBLEYSQUARESPOTLIGHT
This panel brings together leaders involved in the transformation of Sibley Square, one of Rochester's most significant adaptive reuse projects. Panelists will discuss the realities of moving a complex redevelopment from concept to completion, including unexpected challenges, critical decisions and lessons learned along the way.
Through a candid conversation about financing, stakeholder alignment, historic preservation and project execution, attendees will gain practical insights into what it takes to revitalize a landmark property and what future project teams should know before getting started.
PANEL1
MODERATOR PANELISTS
Meade Curtis WinnCompanies
Sandy Paben Renaissance Groups
Ken Greene WinnCompanies
Dave Ginsberg WinnCompanies
Melissa Suchodolski USC Builds
2026REVITATLIZE&INNOVATESYMPOSIUM
MODERATOR PANELISTS
PANEL2
This panel brings together leaders from organizations that have helped move major mixeduse and anchor-driven developments from idea to reality in cities including Memphis, Philadelphia, Erie and Rochester. Panelists will share lessons learned, along with practical tools and models for how institutions, anchors and impact investors deploy capital, balance mission with implementation and help position communities and projects for lasting benefit.
Florian Schalliol
Impact Investors
Anthony Perno
Josh Farrelman
University of Rochester
Voices of City Leadership: Leading Through Transformation
+ Recorded remarks from
2026REVITATLIZE&INNOVATESYMPOSIUM
MALIKD.EVANS
Mayor, City of Rochester
Mayoral Perspectives Fireside Chat
The Honorable Malik D. Evans is the 71st mayor of Rochester, New York, first inaugurated on Jan. 1, 2022, and sworn in for a second term in 2026. His administration has focused on advancing equity, economic mobility, youth development and violence prevention through initiatives such as the Office of Financial Empowerment, Office of Violence Prevention and Neighbors In Action Program.
Mayor Evans has also prioritized neighborhood investment, workforce development and collaborative partnerships aimed at creating safer,
stronger and more connected communities across Rochester. Prior to serving as mayor, Evans was an at-large member of Rochester City Council from 2017 to 2021 and spent 14 years on the Rochester Board of Education, including service as Board President from 2008 to 2013. Before entering executive office, he also held leadership roles at M&T Bank and ESL Federal Credit Union focused on community and economic development.
Born and raised in Rochester, Evans graduated from Wilson Magnet High School before earning degrees from the University of Rochester and Nazareth University. The son of parents deeply committed to civic activism and social justice, he has long viewed public service as a way to create greater opportunity and shared prosperity for Rochester residents. Mayor Evans remains active in several national and state municipal organizations, including serving as board chair of the National Civic League and participating in the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities and African American Mayors Association. Evans and his wife, Shawanda, are the proud parents of two sons.
2026REVITATLIZE&INNOVATESYMPOSIUM
SHARONF.OWENS
Mayor, City of Syracuse
Sharon F. Owens is the 55th Mayor of Syracuse and the first African American and second woman elected to lead the city. Elected in 2025 with an overwhelming majority, Mayor Owens has built her career around community development, neighborhood revitalization and public service.
A graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in economics, Owens attended the university as a track and field scholar-athlete, earning Orange Plus Hall of Fame recognition and Olympic qualifying status in the women’s long jump. Her time in Syracuse helped
shape her passion for mentorship, service and community impact. Owens’ leadership spans decades across nonprofit, housing and community development organizations, including P.E.A.C.E., Syracuse Community Connections, Home HeadQuarters, Inc., and Jubilee Homes of Syracuse. Throughout her career, she has led initiatives focused on affordable housing, youth and family services, workforce development, and strengthening neighborhoods across the city.
She previously served as Syracuse’s Deputy Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development, as well as Deputy Mayor and Chief of Staff, overseeing programs tied to quality of life, economic development, diversity and inclusion, and public safety. Mayor Owens also serves in leadership roles with organizations advancing equitable growth and regional investment throughout Central New York and resides on Syracuse’s East Side.
2026REVITATLIZE&INNOVATESYMPOSIUM
ANDREDICKENS
Mayor, City of Atlanta
Recorded Remarks
Andre Dickens is the 61st Mayor of Atlanta, bringing a lifelong connection to the city and a vision centered on opportunity, equity and inclusive growth. A native Atlantan and graduate of Atlanta Public Schools, Mayor Dickens has focused his administration on public safety, economic mobility, infrastructure investment, and affordable housing since taking office in 2022.
Under his leadership, Atlanta achieved its first-ever AAA bond rating and launched major initiatives tied to community safety and quality of life, including One
Safe City, the Mayor’s Office of Violence Reduction, Light Up the Night, and youthfocused programs such as Midnight Basketball League and Year of the Youth. His administration has also prioritized workforce investment, including annual pay increases for city employees and a raised minimum wage.
Mayor Dickens has advanced major housing and infrastructure initiatives, including the $58.7 million housing bond, the $60 million Homeless Opportunity Bond, and the Moving Atlanta Forward infrastructure package. Before becoming mayor, he served eight years on the Atlanta City Council, championing transportation, affordable housing, workforce development and public safety.
Mayor Dickens earned degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University, and has held leadership roles with numerous civic and regional organizations. Outside of public service, he enjoys spending time with his daughter, live music, sports, travel and cheering on Atlanta’s hometown teams.
COMMUNITYPOWERINMOTION: Ownership,Influence&Long-Term Stewardship
This panel brings together community leaders, practitioners and development partners to explore how residents can move from being consulted to becoming active participants in shaping, influencing and sustaining development outcomes. Panelists will share lessons learned from efforts to build authentic partnerships, strengthen community capacity and create pathways for meaningful participation throughout the development process.
Attendees will gain insights into the strategies, structures and relationships that help foster trust, support long-term stewardship, and ensure revitalization efforts remain responsive to community priorities while creating lasting impact.
MODERATOR PANELISTS
Kate Brodock
9Fresh
Kyra Taylor
Erie’s Black Wall Street
Dr.LaShundaLeslie-Smith
Connected Communities
John Majors
Oughtness Group
R E A K O U T S E S S I
A. Connected Communities Lab From Challenge to Roadmap
Drawing from Connected Communities' experience as a community quarterback, this workshop demonstrates how resident engagement can influence development decisions and drive equitable neighborhood change. Participants will engage in a hands-on exercise to identify a challenge in their own community and develop actionable next steps rooted in resident leadership and shared ownership.
CO-PRESENTERS
B. Workforce Case Study
Workforce That Works: Lessons From the Field
This workshop takes a candid look at why workforce pipelines break down and what it takes to build ones that deliver. Grounded in Ascend Workforce Solutions’ proven model, it explores employer realities, common pitfalls and strategies that drive real hiring, retention and long-term opportunity.
MODERATOR PANELISTS
MelissaSuchodolski USC Builds
JohannaAnderson Ascend Workforce Solutions
DarrenYehl
MichelleSchleherAAC Contracting
CharlieRowe USC Builds
Cornerstone Training Institute
Dr.LaShundaLeslie-Smith Connected Communities
JanielleCrocker Connected Communities
C. Brownfield Technical Workshop
This working session features SouthWorks [Ithaca] and Beechwood [Rochester] reframing brownfield redevelopment from barrier to opportunity. Through real projects at multiple scales, participants will see how environmental constraints can be understood, managed and leveraged as part of a viable development strategy. Brownfields Without Fear: From Mega-Sites to Main Streets
MODERATOR
POST-EVENTSURVEY
We want to hear from you! Your voice matters and your feedback will help shape future events that inform, inspire and connect. To complete our postevent survey, click here.
JenniferGillen LaBella Associates
Thank You
