About Us

Who We Are

Our Mission: The mission of the Broome County Land Bank is to foster economic and community development by acquiring, holding, managing, developing and marketing distressed, vacant, abandoned and under-utilized properties.

The Broome County Land Bank Corporation (BCLBC), a nonprofit corporation, was established by Broome County in 2013 under the New York Land Bank Act. The BCLBC was created to target distressed, vacant, abandoned and foreclosed properties with the goal of fostering community and economic development by eliminating blight and stabilizing neighborhoods. The intention is to transform nuisance properties into productive use.

The BCLBC utilizes various forms of grant funding to support their Capital and Non-Capital Initiatives throughout the Broome County community. Working in partnership with local and state government, nonprofit organizations, community groups, responsible developers and contractors, the BCLBC has a long track record of returning tax foreclosed properties to productive use and stabilizing neighborhoods.

Members of Broome County Land Bank

Broome County Land Bank Corporation Organizational Chart

Board of Directors

Aaron Martin

Chairman

(Term expires 12/31/26)

Aaron has served as Chairman of the Land Bank Board of Directors since its inception and also serves as the Clerk of the Broome County Legislature. With over 25 years of experience with the New York State Senate and Broome County Legislature, Aaron also serves as President of the New York State Association of Clerks of County Legislative Boards and is a member of the Broome County Municipal Clerks Association. In his civic endeavors, Aaron serves as President of the Vestal Rotary Club, is a Board Member of the Vestal Historical Society and is a Member of the Vestal Elks Lodge.

Tom Augostini

Vice-Chairman

(Term expires 12/31/26)

Tom was first appointed to the Land Bank Board in 2017. He is also a Town of Union Councilman and a Benefits Consultant with Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc. Tom also served as the Clerk/Treasurer for the Village of Johnson City and Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Elmira after earning his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Binghamton University.

Chris Dziedzic

Secretary

(Term expires 12/31/26)

Chris was first appointed to the Land Bank Board in 2018. Chris currently serves as the Executive Deputy Clerk for Broome County. He has also worked in other capacities for the Broome County Clerk’s Office and the Broome County Legislature. Chris is also a member of the City of Binghamton Planning Commission, and a Trustee for St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church in Binghamton.

Mike Sopchak

Treasurer

(Term expires 12/31/26)

Mike was first appointed to the Land Bank Board in late 2019. Mike was a realtor for over 30 years in the Binghamton area, served as a Broome County Legislator from 2011-2018, and built homes for over 20 years. He is also a current Board member for the Broome County Industrial Development Agency and a long time Endicott Rotarian.

Tarik Abdelazim

Board Member

(Term expires 12/31/26)

Tarik was first appointed to the Land Bank Board in 2019. Tarik joined the Center for Community Progress in 2014, and currently holds the position of Director of National Technical Assistance. Prior to that he served eight years in leadership positions within Binghamton City government, during which he was a strong advocate for the creation of the Broome County Land Bank, equitable community development, and housing justice.

Rich David

Board Member

(Term expires 12/31/26)

Rich was first appointed to the Land Bank Board in 2022 and is the former Mayor of the City of Binghamton, where he served as President of the New York State Conference of Mayors. He began his career in broadcast media and previously worked within Binghamton City Government and at SUNY Broome Community College.

Kyle Davis

Board Member

(Term expires 12/31/26)

Kyle was first appointed to the Land Bank Board in late 2020. He currently serves as the Director of Public Affairs for the Empire Center and previously worked for the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce as the Government Relations and Public Policy Manager.

Wendy Hughes

Board Member

(Term expires 12/31/26)

Wendy was appointed to the Land Bank Board in 2023 and is currently the Broome County Director of Real Property Tax Services. She has over 25 years of experience working in Broome County Government and private sector finance combined. Wendy holds dual-degrees in Business Administration and Paralegal from Tompkins Cortland Community College, and also serves as an officer for the Lisle Fire Company.

Christine Marchuska

Board Member

(Term expires 12/31/26)

Christine was appointed to the Land Bank Board in 2019. She has a strong financial background, having served most recently as Vice President, Head of Investor Relations at Diebold Nixdorf. Christine’s career has also included roles at Quotient Technology Inc., Miller Marchuska Door & Associates, Binghamton University, Morgan Stanley, and Nuance Communications.

Staff

Jessica Haas

Executive Director

Jessica has served as the Executive Director of the Broome County Land Bank since her appointment in early 2020. Before the Land Bank, Jessica previously worked in the City of Binghamton Clerk’s Office. She earned an MPA from Binghamton University and is a graduate of Vestal Central School.

Robert O’Donnell

Assistant Director

Robert joined the Land Bank in early 2023, and prior to that worked for the Broome County Legislature for 12 years. He also has worked for the New York State Senate and Assembly. Robert is a graduate of the University at Albany, SUNY and Harpursville Central School.