Annual Conference 2026

The 2026 Annual Conference will be held at the Desmond-Crowne Plaza Hotel in Albany on Wednesday, September 30- Friday, Oct. 2nd, 2026. To register for the conference either online with credit card or mail in form with check see below.

The room rate at the Desmond-Crowne Plaza Hotel is $159 a night and to reserve a room online go here. To call in a reservation, use Group Code RHQ and call the Hotel direct at 518-869-8100. The reservation cut off date is September 9th.

The online reservation booking link automatically defaults to a specified date. If you wish to change the dates of your stay, click on the “Nights Calendar” located next to “Destination”. This will allow you to change the duration of your stay.

If you would prefer to register by mail use the downloadable PDF registration form.

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Registration for:*
- Wednesday - Friday Sept. 30th-Oct. 2nd Annual Conference - Member $300, Non-Member is $425
- Thursday, Oct. 1st Property Management Track ONLY - Member $125, Non-Member $250
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Additional MEMBERS Attending Full Conference Quantity*
Price: $300.00
Additional NON-MEMBERS Attending Full Conference Quantity*
Price: $425.00
Additional MEMBERS Attending Property Management Track Quantity*
Price: $125.00
Additional NON-MEMBERS Attending Property Management Track Quantity*
Price: $250.00
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Conference Schedule

View PDF of Schedule

Wednesday, September 30,2026

6:00-8:00 pm – Welcome Reception

Thursday, October 1, 2026

9:15-10:15 am – Presentations

Track 1:

The Grant Lifecycle for State Funded Programs

Stephanie Galvin-Riley,
Director NYS HOME Program

Kate Merriman, Senior Program Manager HOME, RESTORE and MMHR

Lyla Zusman, HOME Project Manager

Track 2:

Duty of Care: Leveraging HOME, CDBG, and State Funding to Address Lead Hazards in Aging Rural Housing

Nicole Justice Green, President and CEO
North Country Rural Development Coalition

Dr. Katie Long, Deputy Director
North Country Rural Development Coalition

Michelle DeGarmo, President
Flatley Read

Track 3*:

Best Insurance Practices for Property Managers

James Dick, CPCU, AAI

Nonprofit and Affordable Housing Practices

Gallagher Insurance and Consulting

10:15-10:30 am – Break / Exhibit Time

10:30 am-11:30 am – Presentations

Track 1:

The Art of Managing Successful Programs and Projects

Charles Bailey, Housing Director,
Delaware Opportunities

Delia Yarrow,
Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services

Kelly Robertson, Chief Operating Officer,
Greater Opportunities for Broome and Chenango Counties

Track 2:

Latest Developments in Housing Counseling

Ellie Pepper, Deputy Director

National Housing Resource Center

Track 3*:

Fair Housing Fundamentals: Federal Law, New York State Requirements and Current Compliance

Sally Santangelo, Executive Director,
Central New York Fair Housing

11:30-noon – Break / Exhibit Time

Noon-1:30 pm – Awards Lunch and Annual Meeting – 6,8 King Street
Keynote: Joelle W. Scally, Economic Policy Advisor, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

1:30-1:45 pm – Break / Exhibit Time

1:45-2:45 pm – Presentations

Track 1:

Move-In NY: An Overview

Aron Chilewich, Program Manager for Manufactured Housing Initiatives HCR

Track 2:

De-Escalation in Housing & Human Services: Supporting Staff While Serving Communities

Katrina Huller Williams, LCSW-R, CASAC

Allison Burch, LCSW

Ulster County Department of Mental Health

Track 3*:

The Eviction Process with 2026 Legal Updates

Justin Grassi, Esq.
Jones Steves Grassi LLP Attorneys at Law

Stuart Kaufman, Managing Attorney
Legal Aid Society

2:45-3:00 pm – Break / Exhibit Time

3:00-4:00 pm – Presentations

Track 1:

Exploring Programs to Fund Home Repairs

Darrelle Forde, Sr. VP

SONYMA Single Family Programs and Financing

Track 2:

Underwriting Basics: Developing a Proforma for Small and Large Projects

Monica McCullough

MM Development Advisors, Inc.

Track 3*:

Property Policies, Violations, and Enforcement

Justin Grassi, Esq.

Jones Steves Grassi LLP

4:00-4:15 pm – Break / Exhibit Time

4:15-5:15 pm – Presentations

Track 1:

Housing Development Resources for Small and Mid-sized Projects

Madeline Fletcher, VP HCR Small and Mid-Size Projects

Kristin Diotte, Director Strategic Home Initiatives

Track 2:

Securing Foundation and Corporate Grants: Strategies for Rural Housing Organizations

Cherisse Young, Director of Foundation and Corporate Grants at Siena College

Track 3*:

Let’s Talk: Peer to Peer with Property Managers

Facilitators:

Kristi Dippel, Executive Director
North Jefferson Improvement Association

Crystal Turner, Executive Director, ROUSE

6:00-6:30 pm – Cash Bar

6:30-8:00 pm – Dinner with Dustin Dean, Mentalist – 6,8 King Street

Friday, October 2, 2026

9:15-10:15 am – Presentations

Track 1:

An Overview of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York’s Affordable Housing Program

Matthew Becker, Senior Affordable Housing Program Analyst

Mary Lawrence, Director of Operations, Rebuilding Together Saratoga

Joshua Fraass, Director of Real Estate Development, PathStone Development Corporation

Track 2:

How to Utilize AI in Operations

Dr. Beth Moeller, Owner, Interactive Media Consulting, LLC

Track 3:

NYSERDA: Affordable Multifamily Program Upstate (AMP Up)

Pamela Miller, Senior Project Manager, Multifamily Residential

Phil Dubuc, Certified Energy Manager, NYSERDA

10:15-10:30 am – Break

10:30 am-11:30 am – Presentations

Track 1:

How to Address Homelessness and Housing Stability through Development

Sarah Watson, Assistant Director, NYS OTDA

Linda Camoin, Assistant Director, OTDA

Mike Washburn, Assistant Director, OTDA

Track 2:

Big Impact, Small Budget: Grassroots Marketing for Rural Housing

Melissa Russom, Founder and Principal, Melissa Russom Strategic Communications

Track 3:

Multi type RPC Funding Sources for RPC’s Administration

Moderator: Mike Borges

Faith Moore, Senior VP of Housing Programs and Solutions, RUPCO

Corrie Phetteplace, Continuous Improvement Director, CCA

Reg Schweitzer, Executive Director, Neighbors of Watertown

Nicole Justice Green, ED and CEO, North Country Rural Development Coalition

Thriving rural communities in New York. It’s possible!

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