WCA - Real Estate Conference

Norma Drummond is the Commissioner of Planning for Westchester County where she is responsible for orderly growth of the County with a current population of just over 1 million people. She has over 37 years of extensive community and economic development experience including managing a number of the County’s federal grants and affordable housing programs. She also oversees the County Planning Land Use, Transportation and Environmental planning functions.

Ms. Drummond is a Past President of the National Association for County Community and Economic Development and a former member of the National Association of Counties Community and Economic Development Steering Committee and the NYS Association of Redevelopment and Housing Officials as well as having served as on the boards of several nonprofit agencies. She is a former Adjunct Professor with Mercy College. She has served on her local Planning and Zoning boards for over twenty years, including currently serving as Chair of her local Zoning Board of Appeals.

Ms. Drummond has a Masters in Public Administration from Pace University and an undergraduate degree in Economics, History & Political Science from the College of Mount Saint Vincent. She is married and has four adult children.

Joseph Graziose serves as Executive Vice President, Development Services at RXR. RXR is an innovative investor, developer and place-maker committed to applying a customer and community-centered approach to building properties, services, and products that create enduring value for all stakeholders. Headquartered in New York, NY with a national platform strategy, RXR is a 500+ person, vertically integrated operating, and development company with expertise in a wide array of value creation activities, including ground up real estate, infrastructure, and industrial development, uncovering value in underperforming properties, repurposing well-located iconic properties, incorporating cutting edge technologies and value-added lending.

In his role, Joseph is responsible for day-to-day management, execution, and strategy for RXR’s development company. During his tenure at RXR, Joseph has been responsible for managing and oversight of ground up development with a focus on multi-family, mixed-use and master planning in the New York metro, along with spearheading RXR’s national expansion including new development opportunities throughout the country.

Since joining RXR in 2011, Joseph has been responsible for building out RXR’s multi-family platform across Westchester County including serving as Project Executive for RXR’s master development partnership with the City of New Rochelle, NY. Through the master development partnership, Joseph is responsible for the creation and implementation of a revitalization plan to transform downtown New Rochelle into a center for job generation, market rate and affordable housing, dining, retail, and arts & culture. The mix of uses now entitled across the downtown, including sites controlled by RXR include over 10 million SF of commercial, retail, institutional and hotel space as well as over 7,000 residential units.

Joseph currently serves on the Board of the Westchester Parks Foundation, New Rochelle Business Improvement District and Stamford Downtown Special Service District.

Joseph is a native of Glen Cove, NY and received a degree in finance from Boston College where he was a member of the BC Football Team. Joseph and his wife, Anastasia have two children, Joseph, and Avelina.

Tom Murphy Senior Resident Fellow, ULI/Canizaro/Klingbeil Families Chair for Urban Development ULI – the Urban Land Institute Washington, DC

Tom Murphy is a senior resident fellow, ULI/Canizaro/Klingbeil Families Chair for urban development. Murphy, former mayor of Pittsburgh, joins other ULI senior resident fellows who specialize in public policy, retail/urban entertainment, transportation/infrastructure, housing, real estate finance and environmental issues.

His extensive experience in urban revitalization-what drives investment, what ensures long-lasting commitment-is a key addition to the senior resident fellows’ areas of expertise.  He continues to work with and speak in cities around the world.  He has served on over 30 ULI Advisory Services Panels in such diverse cities as Erie, Pa Los Angeles, Calif, Hong Kong, Foshan, China, Wolfsburg, Germany and Galveston, Texas to name a few.

Prior to his appointment as senior resident fellow, Murphy had served as ULI’s Gulf Coast liaison after Hurricane Katrina, helping to coordinate with the leadership of New Orleans and the public to advance the implementation of rebuilding recommendations made by ULI’s advisory services panel. In addition, he worked with the Louisiana state leadership, as well as with leadership in hurricane-impacted areas in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida to identify areas appropriate for ULI involvement.

Prior to his service as the ULI Gulf Coast liaison, Murphy served three terms as the mayor of Pittsburgh, from January 1994 through January 2006. During that time, he initiated a public-private partnership strategy that leveraged more than $4.5 billion in economic development in Pittsburgh. Murphy led efforts to secure and oversee $1 billion in funding for the development of two professional sports facilities, and a new convention center that is the largest certified green building in the United States. He developed strategic partnerships to transform more than 1,000 acres of blighted, abandoned industrial properties into new commercial, residential, retail and public uses; and he oversaw the development of more than 25 miles of new riverfront trails and urban green space.   Also, he served as the Chair of the Housing Authority of Pittsburgh for six years.  The Authority controls over 17,000 units.

From 1979 through 1993, Murphy served seven terms in the Pennsylvania State General Assembly House of Representatives. He focused legislative activities on changing Western Pennsylvania’s economy from industrial to entrepreneurial, and authored legislation requiring the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania pension fund to invest in venture capital. In addition, he authored legislation created the Ben Franklin Technology Partnership, which is dedicated to advancing Pennsylvania’s focus on technology in the economy; and he authored legislation to encourage industrial land reuse and to transform abandoned rail right-of-ways into trails and green space.

Murphy served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay from 1970 through 1972. He is a 1993 graduate of the New Mayors Program offered by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He holds a Master of Science degree in Urban Studies from Hunter College, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Chemistry from John Carroll University.

He is an honorary member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, a former board member of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities and of the National Rails to Trails Conservancy. He received the 2002 Outstanding Achievement of City Livability Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.  Presently, he is Chair of Wild Waterways Conservancy, on the Board of Advisors of Lotus (a homeless housing organization), the Tulsa Innovation Center, and Rails to Trails Conservancy.

Noam grew up here in New Rochelle and is a product of our public schools.  After college and graduate school at Harvard, he returned to New Rochelle to raise his own family and make a positive difference for his hometown.  Noam is more than just a public official, he is an active, engaged neighbor, father, and supporter of community organizations and programs, who is always working to strengthen and celebrate our city.

Through his dedicated public service, Noam Bramson has acquired a reputation for effective, responsive, and visionary leadership.

The Journal News says Bramson is “a man of intelligence, drive, and ideas.” WVOX Radio calls Bramson “extraordinarily bright and very thoughtful … an absolute standout.” The Westchester County Business Journal lauds Bramson for “his intelligence, grace, vision and ability to grasp the whole picture and meaning of governance.” And the New York Times recognizes Bramson for his “skills and vision.”

Bramson has served as the Mayor of New Rochelle since January 2006 and has been reelected four times by landslide margins, most recently in November 2019.  Prior to becoming Mayor, Bramson served for ten years on the New Rochelle City Council.

Bramson has been at the forefront of efforts to strengthen New Rochelle’s economy, environment, safety, and quality of life. He has worked successfully to forge public-private partnerships aimed at job creation and economic growth, culminating in the most ambitious downtown development initiative in New Rochelle’s history. He has been a strong advocate for thoughtful community planning, including the creation of New Rochelle’s award-winning Sustainability Plan, efforts to establish new public access to the Long Island Sound shore, approval of new land use policies to preserve open space, and adoption of the City’s largest-ever capital and infrastructure investment. In addition, Bramson has worked in concert with public safety professionals to bring New Rochelle’s crime rate down to a fifty-year low.

A strong and effective advocate for his city, Bramson has secured grants for the enhancement of major transportation corridors and the rehabilitation of New Rochelle’s playing fields.  In 2018, under Bramson’s leadership, New Rochelle was awarded the coveted $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative by New York State, and was also chosen by Bloomberg Philanthropies as one of just nine cities nation-wide to receive a $1 million grant for innovation.

In 2013, Bramson won the Democratic nomination for Westchester County Executive, but lost the general election to Republican incumbent Rob Astorino. During his campaign, Bramson advocated a regional strategy for economic growth and shared services, while emphasizing his support for reproductive rights and sensible gun safety laws.

From 1992 to 2012, Bramson maintained a professional relationship with Congresswoman Nita Lowey, with whom he worked on both governmental and political challenges.

Bramson is a life-long Westchester resident and a product of the New Rochelle public schools. Bramson went on to Harvard University, where he completed his undergraduate degree in three years, and then received a Masters degree in Public Policy.

Bramson has served in leadership roles in numerous civic organizations. He is a member of the Government & Finance Working Group for the Regional Plan Association, a member of the founding Board of Directors of Sustainable Westchester, and a past Board Member of the Westchester Jewish Council. Locally, he has served on the Boards of the New Rochelle Campership Fund, the Castle Gallery, the Fund for Educational Excellence, the New Rochelle Council of Community Services, and the United Way of New Rochelle.

Bramson is married to Catherine (“Catie”) Stern, Ph.D., a clinical pediatric neuropsychologist, affiliated with Family Health Associates of White Plains and Manhattan. Their sons, Jeremy and Owen, are both pupils in the New Rochelle public schools.

Rachel Fee is Executive Director of the New York Housing Conference. With 20 years of experience in the areas of affordable housing, public policy and nonprofit management and a deep commitment to creating housing opportunity for her fellow New Yorkers, she oversees operations, policy and program initiatives for the statewide coalition.

Ms. Fee established the New York Housing Conference as an influential policy and advocacy organization. Under her leadership, the organization has built coalitions around expanded investment in housing; elevated the issue of affordable housing in the media; and produced important analysis leading to policy improvements at the city, state and federal level.

Ms. Fee’s career in affordable housing is grounded by eight years of experience at New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development in the offices of development, strategic planning and intergovernmental relations.

Before entering public service, Ms. Fee worked for non-profits specializing in academic-industrial partnerships in Dublin, Ireland and Washington, D.C.

Ms. Fee graduated from Colgate University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and received her master’s in economic science from University College Dublin, Ireland. She is also certified economic development finance professional from the National Development Council.

Michael Schiliro is a Senior Vice President at PCSB Bank and serves as a Commercial and Business Banking Team Leader. Michael also serves as the North Castle Town Supervisor, a role he has held since 2014.

Michael joined PCSB Bank (f/k/a Putnam County Savings Bank) in 2014 after an acquisition of his prior bank, CMS Bank, where he started in 2007. He has worked in the Westchester Banking community for 26 years, including First Union/Wachovia Bank. In his current role, he works closely with commercial real estate investors in Westchester and surrounding counties, helping them buy, build, or refinance commercial and multifamily developments. In addition, he helps private sector businesses along with public sector and non-profit organizations, helping them with all of their banking, lending, and cash management needs. Michael also serves on the Board of the Business Council of Westchester.

In Michael’s public service life, he has served on the North Castle Town Board for the last 16 years, elected as Councilman twice serving from 2008-2013, and elected Supervisor five times starting in 2014. He previously served on the Town’s Middle-Income Housing Board, was a co-founder of NC4 – the Town’s Red Cross Affiliate emergency sheltering group, coached his three daughters in various sports in their youth, and is very involved in St. Patrick’s Parish of Armonk. Since serving, Michael has voted for zoning changes on multiple housing developments totaling more than 300 units, which all require a 10% affordable component. Combining pending zoning applications, new residential units total almost 500, which is a 12% increase in the town’s residential units. He also helped shepherd the Town’s centerpiece retail development Armonk Square, which also required a zoning change, and is current home of DeCicco’s Market and Fortina Restaurant. His governing style is strictly bipartisan, transparent, and conducive to public input.

Michael graduated SUNY Albany with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Business Marketing. He was born and raised in Baldwin, Long Island, and was active in civic affairs at a young age. He has lived in Armonk for 24 years with his wife and three daughters.