Land Bank Leadership and Committees

Current Board of Directors  

Ex Officio Members

• City Treasurer:  John Fornof, Board Treasurer - Appointed February 2022
  • Prior to City Treasurer, John Fornof held positions with the City such as Deputy City Treasurer and Senior Analyst, Office of Management and Budget.  Mr. Fornof holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.  
     
• Director of Development Services: Erik Frisch, Board Chair - Appointed February 2022
  • Erik Frisch is Deputy Commissioner of the City of Rochester’s Department of Neighborhood & Business Development. In this role since January 2022, he oversees the Bureau of Business & Housing Development.  Mr. Frisch has been with the City of Rochester since 2007, also serving as Manager of Special Projects in the Department of Environmental Services (2018-2021), overseeing coordination of the ROC the Riverway initiative and the Inner Loop North Transformation, and as the City’s Transportation Specialist (2007-2018), where he managed the City’s transportation planning, traffic calming, and traffic control functions. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Geography from Clark University in Worcester, MA and a Masters Degree in Urban Planning from the University at Buffalo (NY).
• Manager of Housing:  Carol Wheeler, Board Vice-Chair - Appointed October 2013
  • Employed with the City for over 30 years, Mrs. Wheeler has worked as a Neighborhood Coordinator, Senior Community Housing Planner and since 2006, the Manager of Housing which involves the planning and implementation of housing programs and projects, oversight of entitlement grants, CDBG, HOPWA, HOME and ESG, Homeownership Assistance programs and the development of both rental and ownership housing.  Prior employment included working at the Urban League as their Coordinator for a community-based, staffed housing program and a Community Planning Specialist.  Mrs. Wheeler attended Shaw University for undergraduate study and graduate study at Pratt Institute where she concentrated in Community Economic Development.
• Director of Buildings and Zoning:  Kurt Martin - Appointed November 2019
  •  Kurt Martin is the Director of Buildings and Compliance for the City of Rochester.  Prior to that he served the City in positions including Director of Buildings and Zoning and as Manager of Code Enforcement where, during his tenure, the City of Rochester adopted and implemented proactive code enforcement programs including the Renewable Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) Program and the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Ordinance for which it received the Healthy Homes Award from the U.S. Department of Homes and Urban Development (HUD).
• City Council Chief of Staff:  Jim Smith - Appointed February 2022
  •   James Patrick Smith is the current Chief of Staff to Rochester City Council. He has served in City Government since 2015 in a number of roles prior to becoming Council Chief of Staff – including Deputy Mayor and Director of Communications. Most notably, Mr. Smith served as Mayor of Rochester, albeit briefly, which made him the City’s first openly LGBTQ+ chief executive. His public service also includes stints as the Deputy Monroe County Executive; Executive Director of the Monroe County Water Authority; and Seneca County Manager. Mr. Smith is a graduate of SUNY Oswego with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.  
     

 Appointed Members (serve three-year terms):  

• Mayor's Appointee: Eric Van Dusen - Appointed March 2022
  • Eric Van Dusen is ESL Federal Credit Union Manager for Community Impact with oversight over Community Impact team members, their grant making activities, as well as strengthening internal and external partnerships. Eric brings over 30 years’ experience in the Housing and Community Development field, including working with the Group 14621 Neighborhood Association, NeighborWorks Rochester, Grace Urban Ministries, The Housing Council and the City of Rochester as a Senior Economic Development Specialist.  His community involvement includes having served on the Rochester Zoning Board, Teen Empowerment’s Advisory Board and NeighborWorks America’s Community Initiatives National Advisory Board.
• City Council President's Appointee: Lashay Harris, Board Secretary - Appointed September 2020
  • LaShay Harris has served on the City Council since 2019.  She serves as chair of Council's Recreation and Human Services Committee, and has marked her time in office by advocating for youth services and more investment in public safety. In 2023, Ms. Harris was elected to a second term as regional director of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO).  Ms. Harris works as the coordinator of the Career Pathways to Public Safety Program at the Rochester City School District and is a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson. 

• Executive Director: Paul Scuderi
  • Paul Scuderi, Director of Real Estate for the City of Rochester since 2016, has served as ex-officio Executive Director of Rochester Land Bank Corporation during that time.  Mr. Scuderi served as Assistant Director of Real Estate for ten years prior to his appointment as Director and for several years as Town Assessor in surrounding communities.  He has been a Certified Real Estate Appraiser since 1998 and is a gradtate of the State University of New York at Buffalo.