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About the Summit
Join us for the 10th Anniversary RASCL Summit to explore innovative strategies, advancements in land use planning, tools for addressing emerging challenges, and inspiring local success stories. The event will also feature a happy hour after the meeting concludes to celebrate all we've accomplished in our first 10 years.
Registration & Location
$15 fee includes light breakfast, coffee, tea, and lunch and parking. Water will be available all day and attendees are encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle.
Del-One Conference Center
Charles L. Terry Campus
Delaware Technical and Community College
100 Campus Drive, Building 700
Dover, DE 19904
Summit Agenda
8:30 AM
Registration Opens
9:00 AM
Opening Remarks
Danielle Swallow, Delaware Sea Grant, RASCL Co-Chair
9:15 AM
RASCL 10th Anniversary Commemoration
Invited Guests
9:25 AM
RASCL Community Champion Awards Presentation
Open Space Alliance
9:35 AM
Featured Speaker
Mark Teschauer, US Climate Alliance
10:00 AM
Break
10:10 AM
Land Use Planning for Sustainable Communities
Building affordable housing, bike lanes, and compact communities all help meet climate goals. This session provides a deeper dive on strategies to build thriving sustainable communities, while reducing emissions and meeting climate resiliency goals. Speakers will highlight community success in zoning modernization, tiny homes and ADUs and transportation best practices.
Caitlin DelCollo, Delaware State Housing Authority
Jeremy Rothwell, Planner
Mike Fortner, City of Newark
Paul Moser, Delaware Department of Transportation
Moderated by: Susan Love, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, RASCL Co-Chair
11:45 AM
Lunch
12:50 PM
Featured Speaker
Katharine Burgess, Smart Growth America
1:25 PM
Land Use Planning for Resilience to Weather and Climate Hazards
What happens when a major weather event displaces fellow Delawareans from their homes for weeks or months? This session features a roundtable discussion with four local experts on planning and best practices for emergency housing when disaster strikes.
Disaster Housing Strategy Roundtable with
Vanessa Cullen, Delaware State Housing Authority
Lee Revis-Plank, Town of Milton
Brian J. Olszak, Town of Georgetown
Janet Reeves, City of Lewes
Moderated by: Lynne Pusey, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, RASCL Outreach Committee
2:30 PM
Break
2:40 PM
Local Success Stories
Becoming more resilient and sustainable at the local level doesn’t happen overnight. It takes vision, perseverance, and patience. This session features three panelists who will discuss their local successes in land preservation and greening urban spaces. Speakers will share strategies for overcoming barriers and building partnerships to secure a successful outcome.
Jill Hicks, Sussex County Land Use Working Group
Jamila Davey, Green for the Greater Good
Sara Bluhm, Sussex County Land Trust
Moderated by: Lisa Swanger, Delaware Center for the Inland Bays
3:50 PM
Closing Remarks
4:00 PM
Happy Hour
Speakers & Moderators
Sara Bluhm
Sussex County
Land Trust
Jamila Davey
Green for the
Greater Good
Jill Hicks
Susex County
Land Use
Working Group
Brian Olszak
Town of
Georgetown
Jeremy Rothwell
Planner
Mark Teschauer
US Climate Alliance
Katharine Burgess
Smart Growth
America
Caitlin DelCollo
Delaware State Housing Authority
Susan Love
DNREC,
RASCL Co-Chair
Lynne Pusey
DNREC, RASCL Outreach Committee
Danielle Swallow
Delaware Sea Grant, RASCL Co-Chair
Vanessa Cullen
Delaware State Housing Authority, RASCL Outreach Committee
Mike Fortner
City of Newark
Paul Moser
DelDOT
Janet Reeves
City of Lewes
Lisa Swanger
Delaware Center
for the Inland Bays
Presentations
Thank you to the 2026 RASCL Summit Sponsors!
10th Anniversary
Silver
Bronze
Green
Delaware Chapter of the American Planning Association
Envirotech Environmental Consulting Inc.
Environmental Finance Center - University of Maryland
GMB Architects/Engineers
LeafFilter Gutter Protection
The Nature Conservancy
* Special thanks to the Delaware Department of Transportation for making the 2026 RASCL Summit possible.
