Sunday, May 4 | 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
and
Monday, May 5 | 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Join us for the newly expanded Developers Seminar, designed specifically for builders and developers in the manufactured housing industry. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your expertise, this seminar will equip you with the knowledge and tools to navigate the entire development process.
What You Can Expect:
- Compelling Case Studies – Gain insights from real-world projects.
- Hands-On Experience – Explore the MHI Neighborhood with a tour of three manufactured homes provided by Champion: a 1,500 square-foot home, a 950 square-foot home, and a 500 square-foot accessory dwelling unit.
- Financing Insights – Learn about lending strategies to support your projects.
- Expert Guidance on Overcoming Opposition – With land-use approvals becoming increasingly difficult due to sophisticated opposition, hear how actionable strategies prevent delays, mitigate costs, and ensure your development plans move forward smoothly.
Sponsored by
| Registration | Early (By April 7) | Regular (April 8 - April 30) | Onsite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developer Seminar Add on Member (Must be purchased with C&E Registration) | $299 | $349 | $539 |
| Developer Seminar Add on Non-Member (Must be purchased with C&E Registration) | $349 | $389 | $539 |
This event is an add-on event to the 2025 MHI Congress & Expo and requires a separate registration fee. Seminar attendees must be also be registered for Congress & Expo to participate.
Schedule
Sunday, May 4
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM Meet and Greet
1:30 PM - 1:45 PM Welcome and Introductions
1:45 PM - 2:30 PM Industry Overview
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Site Selection
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM Networking Break
3:45 PM - 4:30 PM Overcoming Opposition: Proven Strategies for Securing Land-Use Approvals
Securing land-use approvals has become a growing challenge everywhere, with increasingly sophisticated opposition efforts dominating local civic discussions. These tactics often lead to heightened costs, significant project delays or outright denials. George Passantino, a renowned national expert in managing public opposition, will share his strategies for overcoming such hurdles. George will provide actionable guidance on steps that you should take to prevent local resistance from derailing your development plans
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM Q&A Session
Monday, May 5
8:30 AM - 10:30 AM Pre-Development Overview
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM Networking Break
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM Hands-on Experience in MHI Neighborhood
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Development Session
2:30 PM - 2:45 PM Networking Break
2:45 PM - 4:00 PM Case Study Analysis
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Q&A Sesson
Subject to change. All times are in Eastern Time and will not be recorded.
Meet the Instructors
Jennifer Blankenship, Principal - Nadi Group (formerly Donald C. Westphal Associates)
Jennifer Blankenship, Principal is a Landscape Architect and Site Planner who specializes in manufactured home communities, residential subdivisions, and RV resort design. Jennifer has over 20 years of experience in the industry, most of which was obtained as understudy to one of the industry’s living legends, Donald C. Westphal. Jennifer holds five degrees ranging from CAD Technology to Landscape Design and Horticulture, which ultimately lead to her professional licensure.
Roderick Knoll, Principal - Manufactured Housing Resources Group
Roderick Knoll has over 20 years of experience with manufactured housing projects, including both land-lease communities and subdivisions. His consulting work focuses on the following: Acquisition and pre-purchase due diligence; financing for new development, expansion, and/or turn-arounds; financing for home inventory, lease/option homes, rental homes, and seller-carried notes; accessing funds from affordable housing programs; pro-formas; market studies; and business plans.
Chris Nicely, President, Lane Associates, LLC
Chris Nicely brings nearly 30 years of expertise in factory-built housing and management. With a proven track record, he has collaborated with industry leaders, non-profits, developers, and municipalities to leverage factory-built housing for positive community development. A respected consultant in the factory-built housing sector, he has worked with major entities like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Formerly, he served as Clayton Homes’ VP of Marketing and as VP & General Manager for the Clayton Communities Group, overseeing 80 communities, 22,000 home sites, and sales exceeding 100 homes monthly.
Emeka Nnadi, Principal - Nadi Group (formerly Donald C. Westphal Associates)
Emeka Nnadi is a Landscape Architect, Urban Designer, and development consultant with a strong focus on driving innovation in community-focused mixed use, urban, and suburban development. Prior to the 2019 acquisition that brought his firm together with Don Westphal, Emeka ran Nadi Design – an internationally award-winning practice – for the last decade and has over 25 years in the industry.
George Passantino, Managing Partner, Passantino Andersen Communications
With nearly 25 years of experience in strategic communications and advocacy at the federal, state and local level, George Passantino knows what it takes to move public opinion, influence decision makers, build compelling brands and achieve victory for clients, whatever their challenges. He guides a diverse portfolio of clients that includes global retailers, automakers, homebuilders, school districts, government agencies, tech startups, nonprofits and trade associations. As a crisis manager, he has provided calm direction and media guidance for some of the largest companies and organizations in their respective industries as they faced the most challenging types of public crisis. Before founding Passantino Andersen, George served as Director of Government Reform at the Reason Foundation, a well-respected national public policy think tank. George led Reason’s efforts to effect meaningful policy change at the Federal and State level.
Dennis Smith, Senior Affordable Lending Manager, Duty to Serve Market Lead at Freddie Mac
Dennis Smith is an affordable-lending manager in Freddie Mac’s single-family affordable-lending and access to credit division. He manages the manufactured-housing initiatives that support Freddie Mac’s underserved-markets plan. He is a 20-year mortgage-industry veteran with experience in underwriting and process management, product development, and Community Reinvestment Act and bond-program management.