Event Details
- April 16, 2026
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Georgia Power Headquarters building at 241 Ralph McGill Boulevard Atlanta, GA
View Map - View Map
- Continuing Education:GBA will once again apply for CLE credits from the State Bar of Georgia, and offer Certificates of Completion to professionals in other industries in need of CEs.
- For additional information contact Jennifer Lesnieski
On April 16, 2026, join more than 250 environmental industry leaders for the 12th annual Brownfield Seminar. This must-attend event is presented both in-person and virtually, providing quality education and networking opportunities with a wide range of participants, including leading development, legal, engineering, risk management, economic development, and other professionals throughout Georgia and beyond with a shared interest in cleaning and redeveloping contaminated properties, and revitalizing surrounding areas around the state.
Missed It?
The 2026 GBA Brownfield Seminar recording is available to registered attendees. If you were not able to attend and would like to access this valuable content, click below to register to receive access to the video. If you registered for Seminar and would like access to the video, contact Jennifer@HLStrategy.com.
Photo Gallery
Thank you Chelsea Patterson with RE-SITE for capturing this memorable event.
2026 GBA Brownfield Seminar Presentations
Session 1: Perspectives on Artificial Intelligences and Opportunities for Use in Brownfield Redevelopment
Session 2: Georgia’s Regional Commission + Decide DeKalb Panel
- Laura Schneider, River Valley Regional Commission
- Greg Boike, Middle Georgia Regional Commission
- Adam Hazell, Georgia Mountains Regional Commission
- Diana Pitcher-Williams, Decide DeKalb
- Amanda Herrit, Terracon – Moderator
- Stephanie Horwitz, EPD
- Jessica Turner, GEI Consultants
- GSU’s Turner Field Redevelopment as a Brownfield: A Creative Approach – Chuck Ferry, WSP
- The Stitch Project: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Reconnecting Atlanta’s Urban Core Through Innovative and Collaboration – Becky Steever, WSP + Mariah Butts, WSP
- Camilla Warren, Kleinfelder
- Lee Harrop, Westside Future Fund
- Dustin Heizer, Reliance Consulting
Session 6: Case Studies
- Bowen Choice Neighborhood Plan
- John Skach, Atlanta Housing
- Peggy Whitlow, Live Thrive
- Kimberly Sanders, STANTEC
- Jessica Lavendier, City of Atlanta
- Rural Brownfield Success from Coast to Coast: A Tale of Two Small Cities: Adrian, GA + Chiloquin, OR – Keith Ziobron, CHA + Mayor Sandra Bailes, City of Adrian, GA
Session 7: Lifecycle of a PFAS Project
- PFAS Visualization and Fingerprinting for PFAS Site Investigation and Source Identifications – Dora Chiang, Jacobs
- Overview of PFAS Gas Phase and Particulate Transport Pathways Relevant to Environmental Release and Remediation Sites – Dora Chiang, Jacobs
- Passive Flux Meters for High-Resolution Contaminant Characterization? – Christian Parke, Regenesis
- “Stay on Target!” (or the Importance of Defining the Appropriate Target Area when Demonstrating Community Need) – Jack DellaPenna, TRC Companies
- Post-Remediation Is Not the Finish Line: Designing Brownfields as Long-Term Community Assets – Jamie Rosenthal and Rob Pyecha, Roots Down
2026 GBA Brownfield Seminar Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors for your support of the 2026 GBA Brownfield Seminar! Your support ensures we are able to present one of the most high-value, informative events of the year in support of brownfield redevelopment.
Premier
Presenting
Reception
Lunch
Refreshments
Coffee
View Last Year's 2025 GBA Brownfield Seminar Program:
View the 2025 Presentations Here:
Session 1: Impacts of New Administration on Environmental Policy and Regulation
EPA Update: David Hayes
Session 2: Gas Station Remediation and Redevelopment in Historic South Atlanta
- Marvin Nesbitt, Jr:, Focused Communities Strategies
- Jessica Lavandier, City of Atlanta, Department of City Planning
Session 3: Local Government Leaders Panel
- Mayor Kelly Girtz, Athens-Clarke County
- City of Social Circle Downtown Development Authority Chairman Mike Owens
- Mayor Pro Tem Evitte Parrish, City of Chickamauga
Session 4: Case Study: We Bought What? Rome-Floyd County Development Authority’s EPA-Funded Accelerated Assessment of a 132-Acre Property
- Stefanie Gugolz, GEI Consultants
- Missy Kendrick, Rome Floyd County Development Authority
- Jessica Turner, GEI Consultants
- David Hayes, EPA
Session 5: Data valuation
- Applications of Environmental Forensics at Sites with Legacy and Emerging Contaminants – Emmie Chen, Geosyntec Consultants
- Using Geographic Information Systems to Rapidly Identify and Quantify Past and Present Sources of Potential Environmental Contamination – Michael Wild, P.E., NewFields
Darahyl Dennis Scholarship Presentation
Keynote Address: Georgia Senator Steve Gooch
Session 6: How Not to Lose: Tools for Managing Environmental Risk / Liabilities in Transactions for the Win
- Bill Nellen, Alliant Insurance Services
- Jason Lichtstein, Akerman
EPD Update:
Session 7: Innovative Approaches to Infrastructure for Brownfields
- The Growing Needs of Datacenters: How Can Brownfields Capitalize – Julie Byrd, Brown and Caldwell + Hank Evans, Vantage Data Center
- Solar on Brownfields – Douglas Latulippe + Neil Campbell, SCS Engineers
Session 8: PFAS Panel + Presentation
- PFAS in Georgia’s Brownfields: Navigating the Regulatory Blind Spot – Kimberley Hale, KMCL Law + Len Diprima, United Consulting + Shannon Ridley, Georgia EPD
- Volatile PFAS: A New Threat? – Stephen Ellingson, Shannon & Wilson
Session 9: DAMAR – From RCRA to Brownfield to Retirement
- Russell K. Fraze, CHMM, WSP + Gerald Pouncey, Morris, Manning & Martin
PSAs:
Community Leader Scholarships
GBA is pleased to offer a limited number of scholarships designed to assist community leaders that are interested in brownfield redevelopment, so that we can support and empower communities as they develop and implement solutions related to brownfields and redeveloping environmentally impacted properties.
Please submit your scholarship application no later than Friday, March 27, 2026 to Jennifer Lesnieski at jennifer@hlstrategy.com for consideration.
Abstracts
Share your perspective and expertise at the Georgia Brownfield Seminar. Submit an abstract for consideration and you may be selected to present at the next Seminar. Don’t have a “fully cooked” idea but would like to propose a speaker or topic? We’re accepting those suggestions as well – just drop us a quick email. Abstracts for the 2026 Brownfield Seminar are due Friday, Jan. 16, 2026 and can be submitted via email to Jennifer Lesnieski.
We welcome abstracts about topics including – but not limited to:
- Brownfield development case studies
- Building decontamination/abatement and demolition
- Climate change preparation
- Community engagement
- Community health
- Current issues -i.e., AI, data centers, alternative energy
- Development challenges and overcoming them
- Digital solutions and tools
- Economic development
- Emerging contaminants and how they could impact development
- Environmental due diligence
- Environmental investigation
- Environmental justice
- ESG considerations
- Innovative approaches to managing technical & non-technical risks
- Grants and lending opportunities
- Legal issues
- Legislative
- Regulations and planning
- Remediation – soil, groundwater, surface water, sediments, vapor intrusion
- Risk assessment
- Teaming with HSRA/VRP
- Technology
- Vapor intrusion