Date: Jan 24, 2013

Hofstra Hosts Conference on Real Estate, Transportation Development After Hurricane Sandy

Panel to Include LIRR President and State DOT Commissioner

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – The Wilbur F. Breslin Center for Real Estate Studies at Hofstra University is hosting a free conference February 7 about development and transportation, with a particular focus on post-Hurricane Sandy restoration.

The conference, Real Estate, Restoration and Transportation on Long Island, will feature a panel of regional and state leaders, including Helena Williams, president of the Long Island Rail Road, and Joan McDonald, New York State Transportation Commissioner.

The program, which includes a luncheon, will be held at the Hofstra University Club, David S. Mack Hall, North Campus from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free, but registration is required. To register, call 516-463-7214 or email breslin@hofstra.edu by January 31, 2013.

Originally, the conference was scheduled for early November, with a focus on transit-oriented development on Long Island. But after Hurricane Sandy, the scope of the event was changed to address the new challenges facing Long Island after the storm, said Richard Guardino, vice president of business development and executive dean of the Wilbur F. Breslin Center for Real Estate Studies.

“We had to reschedule the conference because of the storm, and when we did, we knew restoration and resiliency would be a big part of the conversation,” Guardino said. “It was clear that any discussion of development and transportation in our region inevitably had to include those issues.”

The panelists also include:  Marianne Garvin, president and chief executive officer of the Community Development Corporation of Long Island; Marc Herbst, executive direction of the Long Island Contractors Association; David Pennetta, principal, Oxford & Simpson Realty, Inc.; and Matthew Whalen, senior vice president, Avalon Bay Communities. The discussion will be moderated by Gary Lewi, senior executive vice president of Rubenstein Associates, Inc.

About the Wilbur F. Breslin Center for Real Estate Studies
The Wilbur F. Breslin Center for Real Estate Studies aims to promote professionalism and to be a trusted, authoritative source for real estate education, mentoring and networking for the Long Island real estate industry. The center will host additional conferences and seminars throughout the year, analyzing critical issues in real estate and bringing together leading scholars and practitioners.

About Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from about 140 undergraduate and more than 150 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services; and honors studies, as well as the Maurice A. Deane School of Law and the Hofstra-North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 22 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis.  The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.


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