Mission

Create the network that provides the best information, educational programs and events for Brownfield professionals.

Vision

The National Brownfield Association, is the leading non-profit, member-based organization dedicated to promoting the redevelopment of Brownfields in a sustainable manner. The NBA has created a network of public and private sector professionals involved with brownfield redevelopment in the US and Canada, including property owners, developers, investors, service professionals, government representatives and elected officials. Its mission is carried out through three primary conduits: information, education and events. The NBA is the go-to organization, keeping its members up to date on market trends, redevelopment opportunities, and changes in policy and legislation.

The Big Deal - It was a big deal!

Those who attended the Big Deal at the Jenner & Block Conference Center in Chicago on October 3 and 4 walked away upbeat and optimistic that the Brownfield industry has bottomed out and is entering the next phase. The reset button has been hit and the landscape of the Brownfield industry has changed, driven by an experienced and savvy mix of private sector specialists with less federal government involvement.

The Keynote speaker, Mark Lautman, an economic architect and author of the book When the Boomers Bail, set the stage for the six panel presentations to follow. Mark provided a thought-provoking and provocative look at the changing demographics in the USA, and gave his predication of the challenges and opportunities that face US cities as the “Baby Boomer” generation exits the work force.

As one attendee said to me “if you’re lucky, you usually walk away with one good nugget of information from a presentation, I walked away with a list of good nuggets from Mark’s presentation.” A key take-away for the Brownfield industry is that budget cuts to control the federal budget deficit will eventually result in less spending by the federal government on programs. The speaker pool at the Big Deal represented this point, as only two speakers were from government.

The highlight of the Big Deal conference was the property owner panel, moderated by Steve Armstrong Jenner & Block. The panel of Companies that five years ago would never have been seen at a Brownfield conference (GE, Exxon Mobil, Case New Holland and BP) provided a candid and open discussion on how they manage and sell their surplus properties. The attendees swarmed the panel at the conclusion of the session, with questions and business cards flying.