Michigan Land Bank Association Presents State Senator Sarah Anthony with First Advocate of the Year Award
Left to Right: MLBA Board Chair Rachel Nelson, Ingham County Land Bank Authority Executive Director Roxanne Case, State Senator Sarah Anthony, and Ingham County Land Bank Authority Construction Manager Tony Olivarez
Note: This is a copy of an official MLBA press release sent on October 14, 2026. You may access a PDF of the release here.
The Michigan Land Bank Association (MLBA) has named State Senator Sarah Anthony its first-ever Advocate of the Year, recognizing her commitment to land banking and community revitalization.
Anthony, who represents Michigan’s 21st Senate District and chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, has supported investments that help communities address vacant and deteriorated properties. As a state representative, she sponsored budget legislation that included $75 million for blight elimination, helping provide resources for land banks and local communities to return properties to productive use. Before serving in the Legislature, Anthony served on the Ingham County Land Bank Board of Directors.
“Sen. Anthony understands that land banks give communities a practical way to address difficult properties, build partnerships and turn local priorities into opportunities,” said Rachel Nelson, MLBA Board Chair. “Her leadership has helped keep land banks at the table as Michigan considers investments in stronger communities. We’re pleased to recognize her with MLBA’s first Advocate of the Year award.”
Anthony also joined the 2026 MLBA Leadership Summit in Battle Creek as the keynote dinner speaker. In her remarks, she highlighted the role land banks play in creating opportunities for people to thrive.
“Sen. Anthony’s service on the Ingham County Land Bank board gave her a close view of the work involved in returning challenging properties to productive use,” said Roxanne Case, Executive Director of the Ingham County Land Bank. “That experience—and her continued support for land banks—reflects a commitment to helping communities create places where residents and businesses can succeed.”
The award follows the release of Game Changers: Rebuilding Michigan’s Cities, Rural Communities and Everywhere in Between, a report on the first 20 years of land banking in Michigan. The report found that local land banks handled more than 159,668 properties—about one of every 20 properties in the state—and prevented at least 45,000 vacancies. The report estimates that Michigan land banks generated more than $4.5 billion in community benefits, including $2 billion in investment in vacant properties and at least $719 million in increased property tax revenue for local schools and services. It also found that land banks generated more than $11 in community benefits for every $1 in direct funding. Today, Michigan land banks hold more than 80,000 properties statewide.
More than 125 attendees gathered at the October 7–9 summit to share ideas and advance land bank work across Michigan. In addition to Senator Anthony’s keynote and more than a dozen sessions, attendees heard initial results from projects supported by the State Land Bank Authority’s Blight Elimination Program, updates from MSHDA Director Amy Hovey, news from the State Land Bank Authority, and more. MLBA also presented awards to four members of the State Land Bank Authority in recognition of their efforts on the BEP program.
The Advocate of the Year award recognizes a public leader whose work advances the ability of Michigan land banks to serve their communities. Through partnerships with local governments and community organizations, land banks help address vacant and underused properties and support opportunities for housing, business and neighborhood investment. In a nod to the local impact of land banks, the award was made of materials saved from a land bank project in Ingham County.
