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LULC Events

Conference Awards

The Annual Alfred B. DelBello Land Use and Sustainable Development Conference is the setting for the Land Use Law Center to recognize several outstanding individuals for their contributions to the practice of Land Use Law or to the broader community. The Founder’s Award Reception, hosted the evening before the conference, honors an individual each year in the name of Theodore W. Kheel, the great American attorney and labor mediator, renowned for his ability to build consensus and resolve conflicts. The Center also bestows its Distinguished Young Attorney Award and John R. Nolon Student Achievement Award at this event. Additionally, the Groundbreaker’s Award is presented at the conference to graduate or a group of graduates of the Center’s Land Use Leadership Alliance (LULA) Training Program who have demonstrated exemplary work in a community or a region using the types of land use and decision-making tools and techniques taught in the LULA program.

Founder’s Award

The Founder’s Award was created in the name of Theodore W. Kheel, the great American attorney and labor mediator—renowned for his ability to build consensus and resolve conflicts—who was a major supporter of the Land Use Law Center. The Center bestows this annual award upon an individual or municipality that has worked collaboratively with a community and reinvented democracy to make change happen.

  • 2024 – Geraldine N. Tortorella, Esq., Partner, Hocherman Tortorella & Wekstein, LLP
  • 2023 – Michael D. Zarin, Esq., Co-Founder and Partner, Zarin & Steinmetz, LLP
  • 2022 – John R. Nolon, Esq., Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus and Co-Counsel, Land Use Law Center
  • 2019 – Lester D. Steinman, McCarthy Fingar, LLP
  • 2018 – Richard L. O’Rourke, Keane & Beane P.C.
  • 2017 – Frank S. McCullough, Jr., McCullough, Goldberger & Staudt, LLP
  • 2016 – Robert Feder, Cuddy & Feder, LLP
  • 2015 – Alfred B. DelBello, DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP
  • 2014 – John Saccardi, VHB
  • 2013 – Rose Noonan, Housing Action Council
  • 2012 – City of Newburgh – Land Bank/Revitalization Effort Team
  • 2011 – Town of Clarkstown – Comprehensive Plan team
  • 2010 – Andy Revkin, NY Times
  • 2009 – Pamela R. Esterman, Sive, Paget & Riesel P.C. and Rachel E. Deming, Barry University School of Law

Distinguished Young Attorney Award

The Distinguished Young Attorney Award is presented to a graduate of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University who worked closely with the Land Use Law Center and has, since graduation, demonstrated excellent service and commitment to land use law. The award was created on the Center’s 25th anniversary in 2018.

  • 2024 – Anne E. Kline, Esq., Associate, DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr LLP
  • 2023 – Michael J. Goonan, Esq., Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
  • 2022 – Taylor M. Palmer, Esq., Partner, Cuddy & Feder LLP
  • 2019 – Victoria L. Polidoro, Rodenhausen Chale & Polidoro LLP
  • 2018 – Noelle C. Wolfson, Hocherman Tortorella & Wekstein, LLP

Prof. John R. Nolon Student Achievement Award

The Student Achievement Award was created in the name of Professor John R. Nolon and is presented to a Haub Law graduating student who has excelled in contributing to the mission of the Land Use Law Center.

  • 2024 – Sophie Coassin, JD and LLM Candidate, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Pace University
  • 2023 – Gabriella Mickel, JD and LLM Candidate, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Pace University
  • 2022 – Bailey Andree, JD Candidate, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Pace University