Flora Moderates Key Panels on Legislative Policy, Housing Equity at 2025 Ohio Land Bank Conference

Pictured above: Debora Flora speaks at the recent Land Bank state conference on the importance of understanding legislative policy and establishing government relationships for the effectiveness of land banks at the local level. Flora serves as vice president on the association’s board of directors. 

Debora Flora, executive director of the Mahoning County Land Bank and vice president on the board of directors with the Ohio Land Bank Association, recently moderated two panel discussions as part of the association’s 2025 state conference in Columbus. 

More than 400 land bank leaders, community development professionals and community partners attended the three-day event. Flora moderated one session focused on the latest policy and legislative changes impacting land banks. The other addressed protecting property owner equity, improving Ohio’s housing stock and enhancing land banks’ relationships with governmental partners. 

“State government activity can have a substantial impact on our work to redevelop vacant land and abandoned properties,” Flora said, “so it’s important for us to understand what’s going on in the Legislature and to determine how these changes affect community revitalization efforts, funding opportunities and compliance requirements.”

The Mahoning County Land Bank was among the sponsors of the event. 

A Youngstown resident, Flora has served as executive director of the Land Bank since July 2012 and vice president of the state association since 2022.

About the Land Bank

The Mahoning County Land Bank is a nonprofit community improvement corporation dedicated to acquiring vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent properties and making them productive again. The land bank assists local governments in assembling land for future projects and collaborates with civic, religious and nonprofit organizations to create new green spaces and community gardens.