Final plans have been announced for the January 25-29 Urban Land Institute National Advisory Panel, to be led by former Orlando, Florida Mayor Glenda Hood, said Brian Jenest, Chair of the Lake Norman Transportation Commission.

The Panel’s mission is to become familiar with north Charlotte and the four Lake towns and assess the economic potentials of the area given the vital infrastructure needed to facilitate projected investment and resulting jobs.  The Panel also will suggest innovative funding ideas which might be utilized to underwrite capital needs.

The week’s activities will begin at a ‘by invitation’ kickoff dinner at the Peninsula Club on January 25, followed by a series of tours, input sessions and closed panel deliberations, all leading up to the final report at 8:30 am Friday, January 29 at CPCC-North Campus, which is open to the public.

The advisory panel will be led by former Orlando Mayor and Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood, who attended Queens College in Charlotte.  Ms. Hood will be joined by seven other panelists including John Eisen, StreetSense, Bethesda, Md; Allen Folks, AECOM Design, Sacramento, Ca; William Lashbrook, PNC Real Estate Finance, East Brunswick, NJ; Jim Ratkovich, James Ratkovich Assoc, Pasadena, Ca; Zane Segal, Zane Segal Projects, Houston, Tx; Jack Wierzenski, Dallas Rapid Transit, Dallas, Tx; and Tom Eitler, Urban Land Institute, Washington, DC.