Description

Join us for the 20th Annual Tampa Bay Fair Housing Symposium, a dynamic event dedicated to fostering awareness and promoting inclusivity in housing practices. This engaging symposium will feature insightful sessions and presentations from esteemed speakers and organizations dedicated to fair housing principles.

Event Highlights:

Breakfast and Networking (8:30-9:00 am):

Kick off the day with a delightful breakfast and an opportunity to network with fellow attendees, setting the stage for a day of collaboration.

Opening Remarks by Florida Commission (9:00-9:15 am):

Gain valuable insights into the symposium's objectives and goals as we begin the day with opening remarks from the Florida Commission.

Local Dignitaries and Proclamations (9:15-9:30 am):

Celebrate the presence of local dignitaries and witness special proclamations recognizing the importance of fair housing in our community.

Combating Appraisal Discrimination (9:30-10:30 am):

In a morning session, the Pinellas County Property Appraiser will address the critical topic of combating appraisal discrimination, shedding light on key issues and solutions.

Break (10:30-10:45 am):

Take a short break to recharge and mingle with fellow attendees.

Land Use and It’s Role in Fair Housing Over Time (10:45-11:30 am):

Presented by the Hillsborough County Planning Commission. 

Fair Housing 101 (11:30 am-12:30 pm):

The Florida Commission will provide a comprehensive overview of Fair Housing principles, ensuring a foundational understanding for all attendees.

Lunch Break, Networking, and Art Contest Voting (12:30-1:15 pm):

Enjoy a delicious lunch, engage in networking opportunities, and participate in voting for the Art Contest winners during this midday break.

Realtor's Perspective (1:15-2:30 pm):

Dylcia Cornelius, a seasoned Realtor, will share valuable insights and perspectives from the field, contributing to a deeper understanding of fair housing challenges.

Long Island Investigation (2:30-3:30 pm):

Join Bill Dedman, Investigative Reporter, as he presents findings from a compelling Long Island investigation, highlighting the importance of fair housing practices.

Closing Remarks and Art Contest Winners Announcement (3:30-3:45 pm):

Conclude the symposium with closing remarks and the exciting announcement of the winners of the Art Contest.

Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a transformative event advocating for fair and inclusive housing practices. Register now to secure your spot at the 20th Annual Tampa Bay Fair Housing Symposium!

Attendees will earn 3.5 continuing education credits valid for any NAAEI credentials, such as CAM, CAPS, CALP. 

Speakers

Melissa Zornitta, AICP is the Executive Director of the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission, serving in that role since January 2015. In this capacity, she manages the long range, comprehensive planning for unincorporated Hillsborough County, City of Tampa, City of Temple Terrace and Plant City. Ms. Zornitta has over 25 years of experience working in land use planning, comprehensive planning and community planning for local governments in Florida. Before becoming Executive Director, Ms. Zornitta held a number of progressively responsible planning positions with the Planning Commission, including serving as Assistant Director for three years. Prior to working at the Planning Commission, she worked for the City of St. Petersburg, Charlotte County and City of Tallahassee.  Ms. Zornitta holds a Bachelor's Degree in Government from the College of William and Mary and a Master's Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Florida State University.

Frank Gregoire is a second generation REALTOR®, Broker, Appraiser, and Appraisal Instructor. He is president of Gregoire & Gregoire, Inc., a Residential Real Estate Appraisal firm based in St. Petersburg, Florida. As member of the Board of Directors of Florida Association of REALTORS® and the National Association of REALTORS®, he has been involved in their Appraisal and Public Policy related committees since 1992, has twice served as Chairman of the NAR Appraisal Committee and three times served as Chairman of the Florida REALTORS® Appraisal Council. He was Chairman of the National Association of REALTORS® Real Property Valuation Committee in 2022. The National Association of REALTORS® appointed Frank to serve three year terms as their representative on The Appraisal Foundation Board of Trustees in 2020 and 2023. He was elected Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Trustees for 2024. Frank was appointed to the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board in February 2000 and served until February 2008. He was elected Chairman of the Board four times. Frank continues to serve the board as a member of the Probable Cause Panel several times a year. He represented Florida on the Appraisal Foundation State Regulator Advisory Group and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Appraiser Regulatory Officials. The AARO Board of Directors has since recognized Frank as an Honorary Member.

Cheyanne Costilla serves as Executive Director for the Florida Commission on Human Relations. Raised in Indiana, she completed her undergraduate studies at Purdue University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Sociology.  In 2000, Ms. Costilla moved to Florida to attend the Florida State University College of Law.  Ms. Costilla joined the Commission in 2005.  She has served in various capacities for the agency, most notably as Chief Legal Counsel from 2012 through 2021, when she was appointed as the Executive Director.  

Dylcia Cornelious is originally from the beautiful island of Jamaica but has resided in the United State for over 43 years and was excited to declare her citizenship in 1990. Since then she has resided in Crete, Illinois where she practiced real estate for 13 years. She has been a licensed Realtor for over 25 years. She is currently a Broker Associate with Miloff Aubuchon Realty in Cape Coral, Florida. She relocated to sunny Florida in 2011 where she obtained her Broker’s license and has been assisting clients to realize their dream of homeownership. Her goal has always been to educate people about the home buying process. Knowing that this process can be overwhelming for buyers she has conducted Home Buying Seminars for years to help further this goal. In addition to assisting both buyers and sellers with their real estate needs, Dylcia is passionate about educating real estate agents and the general public about the importance of Fair Housing. Her goal is to make Fair Housing classes mandatory in other states throughout the country as it is in Illinois to ensure that these laws are upheld. When she is not working, she spends time with her husband of 40 years, they have 3 beautiful children and 7 amazing grandchildren. She enjoys going to the beach, walking, reading, and enjoys singing on her church’s praise team.

Bill Dedman is a Pulitzer and Peabody award‐winning investigative reporter, and bestselling author. He has spoken on fair housing and fair lending issues for the National Association of Realtors, the Federal Reserve, HUD, and banking and real estate associations. 

Bill received the 1989 Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting for his work at The Atlanta Journal‐Constitution on The Color of Money, his series on racial discrimination by banks and savings and loan associations in middle‐income Black neighborhoods. The Color of Money led to expanded federal laws on disclosure of loan data, new financing for middle‐income homebuyers, and greater awareness of systemic discrimination. The articles in The Color of Money are online at http://powerreporting.com.

Thirty years later, Bill was one of four lead reporters on Newsday's undercover investigation of racial steering by real estate agents, Long Island Divided. The investigation, published in November 2019, revealed that Long Island’s largest residential real estate brokerages help reinforce racial segregation through illegal steering of customers. Long Island Divided led to a reckoning in the real estate industry, with new national training for agents, more testing of brokerages, and new state laws on fair housing. Newsday's team received several national awards for their work, including a Peabody Award. Long Island Divided and its 40‐minute documentary film, Testing the Divide, are online at http://newsday.com/divided.

Bill also uncovered the case of the reclusive copper heiress Huguette Clark in 2010, documenting her life in reports for NBC News. His nonfiction book, the No. 1 New York Times bestseller Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune, tells the true story of Clark and her father, the Gilded Age industrialist who founded Las Vegas. Bill is a frequent speaker for financial‐planning groups and charities on Empty Mansions and lessons learned from the Clark family's failures in charitable giving. 

Bill has reported for The Associated Press, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Boston Globe.

The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government.