About

Where you live impacts how you live

We're dedicated to making where you live the best it can be

The Lucas County Land Bank is a non-profit organization. We're a small team of hard-working, community-minded individuals passionate about helping others.

We partner with local governments to take control of vacant, abandoned, and tax overdue properties. Then, we transform those properties into green, healthy, occupied, and tax-paying ones. Every step of the process, we're dedicated to improving the economic future of our region. The quality of life of our residents is our top priority.

Mission

The Lucas County Land Bank strengthens neighborhoods and preserves property values by strategically returning vacant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties to productive use through an open and equitable process.

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History

The concept of a "land bank" has been around since the 1970s

The first land bank was created in St. Louis, MO in 1971. The City of Toledo's land bank was formed in 1989, though it lacked dedicated funding. For many years, our community needed a better approach to solve the problem of vacant and abandoned homes.

2002

In 2002, Genessee County (Flint), Michigan designed a new way of land banking. They used land banking to ensure tax abandoned properties were put into good hands, instead of the hands of speculators. Based on significant success, the Genesee County Land Bank began to serve as a model for other states.

2009

The Ohio Legislature first gave Cuyahoga County authority to create a county land bank, and the Cuyahoga Land Bank launched in July 2009. After the success of early land banks in Ohio, the Legislature extended land banking authority to all Ohio counties.

2010

Lucas County became Ohio's second county to create a County Land Bank in August 2010. Our Land Bank has been recognized by state and national leaders as one of the best in the country.

Staff

David Mann

President & CEO

Shantaé Brownlee

Vice President and Director of Community Engagement

Joshua Murnen

Vice President and General Counsel

Anne Wistow

Vice President for Projects and Planning

Stephanie Beebe

Projects Manager

Stephanie Shackelford

Projects Manager

Stuart Cline III

Field Technician

Ryan Rathburn

Field Technician

Benjamin Fletcher II

Projects Coordinator

Jim Gonzalez

Projects Coordinator

Kathleen Kovacs

Home Preservation Initiative Director

Lila Shousher

Deputy Treasurer

Leadership

Board of Directors

A nine-member Board of Directors oversees the Lucas County Land Bank. Members represent a diverse group of elected officials and neighborhood, planning, and economic development professionals.

Lindsay M. Webb
Lucas County Treasurer, Chair of the Board
Alternate: Guisselle McDonald, Chief of Operations

Wade Kapszukiewicz
Mayor, City of Toledo, Ohio, Vice Chair of the Board
Alternate: Karen Poore, Deputy Chief of Staff

Tina Skeldon Wozniak
Lucas County Commissioner
Alternate: Benjamin Pushka, Executive Assistant

Pete Gerken
Lucas County Commissioner
Alternate: Michael Hart, Executive Assistant

John Zeitler
Retired Administrator, Sylvania Township, Ohio

Amelia Gibbon
Co-Chair, Reinvest Toledo Coalition

Taylor Burciaga
Executive Director, Sofia Quintero Art & Cultural Center

Michael J. Beazley
City Administrator, City of Oregon, Ohio

Joshua Hughes
CEO and General Counsel, Associated General Contractors of Northwest Ohio