BOARD AND COMMITTEES

The Albany County Land Bank's Board of Directors oversees efforts to revitalize neighborhoods by addressing vacant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties. They ensure compliance with laws, uphold ethical standards, and guide policies that return underutilized properties to productive use. Through collaboration with local governments and stakeholders, the Board fosters community development, reduces blight, and supports economic growth in Albany County.

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors consists of nine (9) members who shall be residents or have their primary place of business in Albany County and be at least 18 years of age. Board members serve terms of four (4) years commensurate with the four-year terms of members of the County Legislature. Directors whose terms have expired are considered holdover members until reappointed or replaced. Directors serve at the pleasure of the County Legislature.

  • Charles Touhey has served as a member of the Land Bank’s Board since its founding in 2014.  He has a long background in both real estate and philanthropy and is a University at Albany alumnus. He has led the Board through several major initiatives, including the hiring of the current Executive Director and partnerships expanding affordable homeownership opportunities in Albany's South End.

    Term Ends: 12/31/2024 (holdover)

  • Samuel Wells has served since 2017 as the City of Albany's Neighborhood Stabilization Coordinator, overseeing all aspects of vacancy remediation for the city and working to improve the city's data management systems for vacant properties. He holds a Master of Urban Planning from the University at Buffalo and began his planning career as a planner with the Capital District Transit Authority in Albany, where he oversaw transportation demand management programs. As a member of the Land Bank’s Board, he serves as Vice Chair and Chair of its Real Estate Committee.

    Term Ends: 12/31/2024 (holdover)

  • Joseph Seman-Graves is the Senior Project Manager, Energy Storage for Carson PowerEarlier in his career he led a team at the South End Improvement Corporation that researched vacant and abandoned properties in Albany's South End, organized community meetings on whole-block development approaches, and conducted GIS analysis to guide disposition planning, giving him direct grounding in the neighborhood-level issues the Land Bank addresses.

    Term Ends: 12/31/2024 (holdover)

  • Natisha Alexander works in commercial real estate and is active in nonprofit service in the Albany area.  As a member of the Land Bank’s Board, she is Chair of its Finance Committee responsibilities, including budgeting, debt, and financial planning oversight for the Land Bank.

    Term Ends: 12/31/2024 (holdover)

  • Mark Bobb-Semple currently serves as Community Liaison for Global Partners in Albany and has more than 35 years of experience with community involvement in Albany, having held positions with the University at Albany, the YMCA, and the Urban League, and having served as a theater director, tennis instructor, and community organizer. He also serves as a commissioner on the Albany Housing Authority and chairs the Land Bank’s Community Engagement Committee.

    Term Ends: 12/31/2024 (holdover)

  • Caroline Brancatella is Of Counsel in the Health Care & FDA Practice of Greenberg Traurig LLP's Albany office, focusing on health care regulatory, contracting, transactional, and compliance matters, and government law and policy. Prior to joining the firm, she served as a clerk to the Honorable Cynthia Rufe in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and as counsel for the office of New York State Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky; she was named to City & State's 2024 "40 In Their 40s" list recognizing rising public- and private-sector leaders.

    Term Ends: 12/31/2028

  • Anthony Capece serves as Executive Director of the Central District Management Association (Central Business Improvement District) in Albany and has over 30 years of business experience spanning economic development, commercial real estate, negotiations, and government relations. He is currently spearheading the launch and operations of the STEAM Garden, a neighborhood-based business incubator and accelerator on Central Avenue in Albany.

    Term Ends: 12/31/2024 (holdover)

  • Michelle Dorsey is a licensed Realtor with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, working with buyers and sellers across Upstate New York on residential and mixed-use properties, and is also a working ranch owner and agricultural business owner. She brings extensive experience in property management, community engagement, and open-space preservation, along with a commitment to farmland preservation and smart, sustainable development to the Board, and is a member of the Land Bank’s Finance and Real Estate Committees.

    Term Ends: 12/31/2028

The Albany County Land Bank Corporation has established committees in accordance with New York State Public Authorities Law. Committees meet and conduct business in accordance with Open Meetings Law.

Committees of the Board

Executive Committee

Serves as the Land Bank’s leadership team. It meets monthly to discuss operations, finances, staffing, and other organizational matters, providing guidance and making necessary decisions between full Board meetings.

  • Charles Touhey, Chair; Samuel Wells, Vice Chair; Natisha Alexander, Treasurer; Jospeh Seman-Graves, Secretary

Committees of the Corporation

Audit Committee

Ensures financial transparency and accountability by overseeing the Land Bank’s audits, reviewing financial reports, and monitoring compliance with laws and ethical standards.

  • Anthony Capece, Committee Chair; Samuel Wells; Charles Touhey (Alternate)

Finance Committee

Oversees budgeting, debt, and financial planning to ensure the Land Bank’s funds are managed responsibly and sustainably.

  • Natisha Alexander, Committee Chair; Michelle Dorsey; Charles Touhey (Alternate)

Governance Committee

Monitors board practices, ethics, and policies, ensuring strong leadership, accountability, and alignment with governance best practices.

  • David Rowley, Committee Chair; Mark Bobb-Semple; Caroline Brancatella, Charles Touhey (Alternate)

Real Estate Committee

Reviews and advises on property acquisitions, sales, and compliance matters, ensuring all real estate actions support the Land Bank’s mission and community goals.

  • Samuel Wells, Committee Chair; Natisha M. Alexander, Michelle Dorsey; Charles Touhey (Alternate)

Other Committees

Community Engagement Committee

Established to support the Land Bank’s mission to foster equitable neighborhood revitalization and expand opportunities for residents throughout Albany County. It ensures that the Land Bank’s outreach, communication, and engagement activities are inclusive, accessible, and effective for all members of the community – especially those who have been disproportionately harmed by historic and ongoing public policies, private practices, and market dynamics that have contributed to disinvestment, discrimination, and distress.

  • Mark Bobb-Semple, Committee Chair; Natisha Alexander; Joseph Seman-Graves; Charles Touhey (Alternate)