Broome County Land Bank appoints Scarinzi as new executive director

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The Broome County Land Bank announced that its board of directors has appointed Margaret J. Scarinzi as the organization’s next executive director.

Scarinzi begins work on Wednesday, replacing Stacey Duncan, who departed to become the deputy director of communications and business development at The Agency, the recently rebranded Broome County IDA.

Scarinzi previously served as director for the Broome County Office of Energy Development, where she secured grants to pursue efforts to increase energy efficiency at Broome County facilities, according to a Broome County Land Bank news release.

In her new post, Scarinzi will manage and oversee the Land Bank’s recent grant awards including the redevelopment of 50 Front St. in Binghamton. The Land Bank received $3 million through the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council and will work with Newman Development Group to return the site to tax-paying use, according to the news release.

The Land Bank also secured more than $800,000 in funding in 2014 through the Office of the New York State Attorney General’s Land Bank Community Revitalization Initiative to demolish eight properties in Binghamton and to begin site assessments on the former Big Lot’s property on the city’s Northside, the release stated.

Scarinzi will work to develop the Land Bank’s first housing rehabilitation program through a $750,000 community development block grant (CDBG) award from the New York State Office of Homes and Community Renewal to renovate residential units in municipalities outside of the City of Binghamton and Town of Union, which already receive CDBG funds.

“We’re pleased to welcome Margaret Scarinzi as the new executive director of the Broome County Land Bank,” Aaron Martin, chairman of the Broome County Land Bank board, said in the release. “[Her] background in economic development, grant writing and administration as well as planning make her a great fit for our organization.”

Broome County Executive Debbie Preston said that Scarinzi saved the county “hundreds of thousands of dollars while head of the Energy Development Office and we believe her experience will help take the Land Bank to new heights, saving taxpayers money while cleaning up blight in our community.”

Scarinzi’s previous experience includes serving as the coordinator for the former Broome County Empire Zone Program and working at the Broome County Industrial Development Agency.

Contact Rombel at arombel@cnybj.com