Congratulations to Barry F. Hersh, clinical professor and academic coordinator of the MS in Real Estate Development program at the NYU SPS Schack Institute of Real Estate, on his recent appointment to the US Environmental Protection Agency Financial Advisory Board (EFAB)! This prestigious board, which originated in 1991, provides advice on funding and financing for a range of environmental programs, including construction and maintenance of water and wastewater infrastructure, stormwater management, brownfields redevelopment, energy efficiency, and waste management.
Hersh is one of 30+ highly qualified individuals from around the country with extensive expertise and experience in the environmental, brownfield, redevelopment, infrastructure, and real estate space who were invited by EPA Administrator Michael Regan to become members of EFAB. They include officials from state and local governments; finance and business community leaders; members of major academic institutions; and federal employees.
“This is a significant federal appointment that I am really proud and pleased to accept,” said Hersh, noting that EFAB is actively assisting in the allocation of the substantial funding that has become available through the passage in November 2021 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“By guiding leaders on how to more effectively use government funding and tap the private markets, we have a real chance to help the environment,” he added.
At the Schack Institute, Hersh teaches real estate development courses on land use and environmental regulation, and the development process. For several years, he taught the “real estate for regulators” course for EPA, and several now high-ranking officials have taken one of his classes, Hersh recalled. His research focuses on sustainable urban redevelopment; specifically, brownfields, waterfronts, and resilience. His latest published research for the New York City Brownfield Partnership involved analyzing the effectiveness of the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program.
Hersh is a core member of the NYU SPS Schack Center for the Sustainable Built Environment and NYU SPS Schack Urban Lab. He consults on complex real estate projects, area-wide planning, neighborhood revitalization, and corporate real estate strategy. As an active board-level participant in non-profits, including the Center for Creative Land Recycling, Waterfront Alliance, and Redevelopment Institute, he works with developers and communities on resilient development, housing, and urban amenities.
He is looking forward to working with the EFAB board to address the multiple environmental challenges facing communities throughout the country. “In the near term, I want to make sure that the first major federal infrastructure funding in 20 years is used effectively, and in the long-term I want to help support sustainability and effective remediation,” Hersh said.