Brownfield Redevelopment in the Age of the California Housing Crisis

June 4, 2025 8:00 am PDT The California Club | 538 Flower St, Los Angeles, CA 90071

Join Frost Brown Todd, ADR Services, Inc. and Murex Environmental, Inc. for a half-day technical and legal seminar as we present, “Brownfield Redevelopment in the Age of the California Housing Crisis” at the California Club. DTSC’s new director, Katherine Butler, and a panel of experts will discuss the challenges and possible solutions to redeveloping Brownfields in pursuit of addressing the shortage of housing in California.

Click here to register.

This program is pending approval for MCLE credits in California.

Panels & Topics

Registration and Networking Breakfast will begin at 8:00 a.m.

Welcome Remarks | 8:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.

Thierry Montoya, Environmental Partner, Frost Brown Todd LLP

Jeremy Squire, COO, Murex Environmental, Inc.

Panel | 8:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

Regulatory Challenges Associated with Building Affordable Housing in Urban Infill Areas

Moderator:

Gideon Kravoc, Mediator, ADR Services, Inc.

Panelists:

Mott Smith, Principal, Civic Enterprise

Zach Friend, Former Supervisor, Santa Cruz County

Jessica Law, Site Cleanup, Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board

Keynote Address: Katherine Butler | 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

DTSC’s Priorities for 2025 and Beyond

Introduction by Thierry Montoya & Jeremy Squire

Katherine M. Butler, MPH

Director
DTSC

Katherine M. Butler, MPH is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in public health and environmental justice. She upholds her commitment to strong enforcement, transparent government, and collaborative solutions for the department’s decision making to protect California’s environment and communities.

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Katherine M. Butler, MPH

Director
DTSC

Katherine M. Butler, MPH is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in public health and environmental justice. She upholds her commitment to strong enforcement, transparent government, and collaborative solutions for the department’s decision making to protect California’s environment and communities.

For nearly two years, Katherine served as Deputy Director of the Hazardous Waste Management Program. In that role, she fostered strong partnerships and created a solution-oriented culture that led to action on several of the most complex long-standing permitting decisions facing the department. She has been at the helm of planning activities to re-envision hazardous waste management practices that are more sustainable and health protective.

Prior to joining DTSC, Katherine was the Senior Health Deputy in the Office of County Supervisor Janice Hahn, where she established a groundbreaking environmental justice and climate health program to improve health outcomes in pollution-burdened areas of Los Angeles. During the most challenging years of the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as the Personal Protective Equipment Lead for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, where she demonstrated her commitment to public health and local communities.

Panel | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Opportunities and strategies for success Building Affordable Housing in Urban Infill Areas

Moderator:

Jay Tufano, Environmental Partner, Ring Bender

Panelists:

Vanessa Delgado, CEO, Azure Development / Chair, South Coast AQMD Governing Board

Jessica Law, Site Cleanup, Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board

Zach Friend, Former Supervisor, Santa Cruz County

Katherine M. Butler, MPH, Director, California Department of Toxic Substances Control

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