2022 NYSEDC Economic Development Conference
Hotel Information
Renaissance Hotel Albany - SOLD OUT
Agenda
Monday, February 28
Registration (Level 1) - Sponsored by Phillips Lytle
Breakfast (Level 2) - Sponsored by Clarkson University
Headshot Station (Level 1) - Sponsored by National Grid, opens at 10:30 am
Welcome, Opening Remarks, and Keynote Speaker - Level Two
Introduction: Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan
Opening remarks: Ryan Silva, Executive Director, New York State Economic Development
Keynote speaker: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Morning Keynote Session - Level Two
Sponsored by REMI
- Hope Knight, President and CEO, Empire State Development
Refreshment Break - Level One, Exhibition Space
Sponsored by Utica IDA
Breakout Sessions - Level One
Sponsored by LaBella Associates
Prevailing Wage - Room 2B/2C
As part of the final 2020 budget passed in New York, a prevailing wage mandate would be applied to private funded projects that received 30% of the total construction project costs from public funding. The new law was set to take affect January 1, 2022. Hear from industry experts and state leaders updates on the implementation of the new law and the impact it will have on economic development efforts across New York State.
Moderator: Ryan Silva, Executive Director, NYSEDC
- Jim Loewke, CEO, Loewke Brill
- Shawn Griffin, Partner, Harris Beach
Marketing Session - How to Tell Your Story to Attract Talent, Visitors, and New Investment - Room 2A
Having a marketing and digital communications strategy for your community, with the goal of showcasing the quality of place, helps to attract talent, investment, and encourages visitors (and locals) to share their experiences on social media channels. Panelists will explore unique campaigns and strategies for telling the story of your community, as well as deeper strategies to focus on entrepreneurship development and placemaking.
Moderator: Shelby Schneider, Deputy Director, NYSEDC
- Jesse Tyree, Principal, BLK DOG
- Kristen Reynolds, President & CEO, Discover Long Island
- Katherine Saunders, Senior Vice President, Client Strategy, DCI
Models for Inclusive Growth - Room 1A/1B
Achieving economic, employment, and tax base growth, while at the same time addressing inequities, is necessary for communities to be competitive on a national and global scale. Economic Development has evolved to ensure that economic opportunity and growth is inclusive and leaves no one behind. This panel will discuss models for inclusive growth that impact our workforce, telecommunications, community revitalization and programs that help aspiring and existing small business owners - primarily those from disadvantaged or historically marginalized backgrounds - to start and grow successful businesses.
Moderator: Honora Spillane, Senior Director of Business and Economic Development, CenterState CEO
- Stephen Tucker, President & CEO, Northland Workforce Training Center
- Margaret Käufer, President, The STEM Alliance
- Andrew Obernesser, Director of Community Investment, CenterState CEO
Lunch, Keynote Speaker, and Keynote Session - Level Two
Sponsored by Hodgson Russ
Keynote Speaker - Governor Kathy Hochul - Link to Keynote Address and FAST New York Announcement
Keynote Session
Legislative Update: Economic Development and Market Ready/Shovel Ready
Economic Development and how we quantify success is evolving beyond the number of jobs retained and created to building sustainable communities, focusing on investing in people, investing in sites, and investing in infrastructure and strategic partnerships that increase the quality of life in New York State. Communities across the state are dealing with unique challenges that provide opportunities to create regional assets. Hear from members of the NYS Senate and Assembly on the importance of investing in economic strategies and policies to move our state‘s economy forward.
Moderator: Diana Ostroff, Managing Director, Ostroff Associates
Assemblymember Billy Jones, Assembly District 115, Subcommittee on Agriculture Economic Development and Farmland Protection
Assemblymember Carrie Woerner, Assembly District 113, Chair of Commission on Skills Development and Career Education
Senator Jeremy A. Cooney, 56th Senate District, Chair of the Cites II Committee
Senator Anna Kaplan, 7th Senate District, Chair of Committee on Commerce, Economic Development, and Small Business
Breakout Sessions - Level One
Sponsored by The Agency – Broome County IDA/LDC
Strategic Communications for Economic Developers - Room 2A
Your organization's public relations strategy is vital to getting the word out about your community to your target market(s). What story are you telling about your community and how are you telling it? In this session, participants will learn about how to create a diverse public relations strategy that supports your economic development initiatives, including best practices for creating and distributing press releases, pursuing, and capitalizing on speaking opportunities, pitching co-eds, gaining earned media, and more.
Moderator: Sarah Lee, Executive Director, Dutchess County IDA
- Stephen Janack, Principal, The Janack Group
- Liz Benjamin, Managing Director - Albany, Marathon Communications
- Julie Mosley, Managing Partner & CEO, J Strategies
Human Capital: Overcoming Employment Barriers and Supporting the Workforce - Room 2B/2C
The labor shortage is disrupting production and supply networks, hampering economic growth, and causing product and service shortages for consumers throughout New York State and the world. Increasing the workforce participation rate and helping our workforce overcome barriers to securing and retaining employment requires collaboration between economic developers, workforce development, community leaders, and service organizations to ensure that the needs of individuals and businesses are being met. This panel will provide valuable insights into how our system is tackling the challenges of childcare, transportation, programs to improve employment opportunities for people with criminal records, and a host of other barriers to employment.
Moderator: Brian Williams, Executive Director, Capital Region Workforce Development Board
- Dede Hill, Director of Policy, Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy Inc.
- Carm Basile, CEO, CDTA
- Liza Ochsendorf, Director, Warren County Employment & Training Administration
Timothy McNutt, Director, Criminal Justice and Employment Initiative, The ILR School at Cornell University
The State of Broadband in NYS - Room 1A/1B
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of New Yorkers to work and learn from the safety of their homes, broadband provided a critical lifeline that kept our economy moving, students engaged, and families connected. Reliable and affordable connectivity is more important than ever and public-private stakeholders throughout the state are working to provide the resilient infrastructure that New Yorkers can rely on. This panel will explore the current State of Broadband in New York State and what is being done to help close the digital divide in rural and urban areas statewide.
Moderator: Bill Farber, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Hamilton County
- Derek Werthmuller, Director of Technology Innovation and Services, University at Albany
- Bob Cacace, COO/CIO - City of Yonkers and leader of the NYS City CIO Workgroup, City of Yonkers
- Ana Rua, Crown Castle, Government Affairs, NY City & State
Refreshment Break - Level One, Exhibition Space
Sponsored by Utica IDA
Breakout Sessions - Level One
Sponsored by The Agency – Broome County IDA/LDC
Recovery & Resilience - Room 2B/2C
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP), passed by congress in March 2001, provided county and local municipalities with funds needed to aid economic recovery and build economies resilient to future economic shocks. These funds were intended to support bottom-up economic development focused on advancing equity, creating good-paying jobs, helping workers to develop in-demand skills, building economic resilience, and accelerating the economic recovery. This panel will discuss their local strategies for investing ARP and Cares Act funds and how these investments align with a broader economic development strategy to accelerate economic recovery.
Moderator: Stacey Duncan, Executive Director and CEO, The Agency and Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce
- Ryan McMahon, County Executive, Onondaga County
Matt McDonough, McDonough PLLC, Special Counsel to the Town of Babylon, IDA, and LDC and the Village Attorney for Babylon
Jason Garner, County Executive, Broome County
Kathryn Heidecker, Deputy Director of Economic Development, Ulster County
Innovation in Agricultural Economic Development - Room 1A/1B
From growers and producers to suppliers, processors, retailers and consumers, the entire agriculture and food ecosystem is facing a fundamental shift that is reshaping the future of food. The food system is fundamentally changing from a commodity-oriented, built-for-scale industry to a personalized and value-added global supply chain. This panel will highlight changes in the Agricultural industry in New York State and how consumer and global dynamics present challenges and opportunities for innovation.
Moderator: Chyresse Wells, Public Relations Strategist, Corning Place Communications
- Jan King, Co-owner, King Dairy
- Cathy Young, Executive Director of the New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture, Cornell
- Todd Erling, Executive Director, Hudson Valley Agribusiness Development Corporation
- David W. Messinger, Ph.D., Professor, Xerox Chair, and Director, Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, RIT
Site Selection and Development - Room 2A
New York State is always competing to attract the industries and the jobs of tomorrow. To remain competitive, we need to continue to invest in sites, communities, people, and our workforce. Hear from industry leaders about what companies are looking for, which communities are landing new projects, and how communities are leveraging data to effectively promote the assets they have.
Moderator: Thomas Kucharski, President & CEO, Invest Buffalo Niagara
- Didi Caldwell, President and Founding Principal, Global Location Strategies
- Shannon Lynch, Vice President of Business Development, Gazelle ROI
- Peter Evangelakis, Vice President of Economics and Consulting, REMI
- Alan Reeves, Senior Managing Director, Newmark
General Session - Level Two
Sponsored by Barclay Damon
Presentation:
Lifetime Achievement Award - Mike Manikowski, Ontario County Office of Economic Development
General Session:
Meet the Strategic Business Development Team at Empire State Development (ESD)
The Strategic Business Division at Empire State Development is the group of industry specialists that closely manages the State's relationship with key strategic clusters to encourage growth and attract investment and jobs from employers around the world. The strategic business division team has worked with local economic developers to attract new companies or help lead expansion efforts from companies such as Regeneron, Roche, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Dick’s Sporting Goods, American Express, GlobalFoundries, GE, Guardian Glass, and Nucor Steel. This session will introduce the entire Strategic Business Team and provide attendees the opportunity to learn about the strategic approach New York is taking to grow critical segments of our state economy.
- Allison Argust, Director, Industry Development
- Patricia Bayley, Vice President, Digital & New Media Development
- Richard (RJ) Ball, Senior Director, Industry Development - Buffalo
- Stefan Fleming, Director, Industry Development - Rochester
- Steven Gold, Vice President, Industry Development
- Giovanni (Gio) Holmquist, Director of Industry Development
- Lauren Merkel, Vice President, International Affairs & Investment
- Michael Morse, Vice President, Industry Development
- Mark Reynolds, Vice President, Industry Development - Mohawk Valley
- Satya Tagat, Director of Industry Development
- David Whipple, Director of Industry Development
Networking Reception - Level One, Exhibition Space
Sponsored by Harris Beach PLLC
Tuesday, March 1
Registration (Level 1) - Sponsored by Phillips Lytle
Breakfast (Level 2) - Sponsored by Hudson Valley Community College
Morning Keynote - Level Two
Sponsored by C&S Companies
Semiconductor Panel - What the Semiconductor Industry Means to New York
Semiconductors are the foundation of modern life, enabling everything from computers, cell phones, cars to appliances, not to mention new, potentially game-changing applications such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, advanced wireless networks, and more. As semiconductor innovation and global chip demand continue to rise, federal, state and local governments, and industry are working together to maintain America’s leadership in this indispensable technology. Two of New York’s premier chipmakers, GlobalFoundries and Wolfspeed, will join us for a fireside chat to share what it takes to grow and sustain this industry in New York State and the economic impact it will have on our state and local economies.
Moderator: Jennifer Waters, Vice President Business Development and Communications, Mohawk Valley Edge
- Adam Milton,Vice President of Mohawk Valley Fab, Wolfspeed
- Debra Leach, Vice President of MFG Business Operations, GlobalFoundries
Refreshment Break - Level One, Exhibition Space
Sponsored by Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC
Breakout Sessions - Level One
Sponsored by Bergmann
Tools of the Trade - Room 1A/1B
Putting together funds and resources to help a project or program come to fruition is one of the most important roles an economic developer plays. Whether its accessing affordable power, helping a business utilize workforce development training, or effectively implementing CDBG funds, understanding how to leverage and access available tools takes time and due diligence. In this session, learn about some of the funding resources economic developers can leverage to help move critical projects and programs in their community forward.
Moderator: Jill Staats, Deputy Director of Operations, Steuben County IDA
- Scott LaMountain, Program Director, CDBG Economic Development, NYSHCR
- Crickett Thomas-O'Dell, Statewide Pre-Apprentice Program Coordinator/Director of Community Engagement, WDI
Patrick M. O'Shei , Director of Market Development, NYSERDA
Alana Appenzeller, Program Manager - Economic Development, NYPA
The New York State Department of Health estimated the marijuana market size to be between $1.7 and $3.5 billion. Analysis done by the Rockefeller Institute for Government found that a $1.7 billion industry could generate a total economic output of $4.1 billion and total employment of 30,700. The industry could attract hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investment shortly after legalization as investors take advantage of the new market. With legalization comes economic opportunities for retail, supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution. Hear from New York State about how communities can best be prepared to take advantage of this growing economy.
Introduction: Ryan Silva, Executive Director, NYSEDC
- Chris Alexander, Executive Director, New York State Office of Cannabis Management
Conference Closes
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
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