At the 2016 annual meeting of the Center for Economic Growth in October, the business and economic development organization’s new president and CEO, Andrew S. Kennedy, announced a $6 million, 11-county, Accelerate initiative to advance the economic growth of the Capital Region.
Accelerate is a five-year campaign and collaborative investment to accelerate our region’s economic future, he said.
Saratoga, Washington and Warren are among the 11 counties of the CEG’s operating region.
“We’ve experienced economic growth, but it is time for us to take a bolder approach to economic prosperity,” said Kennedy.
Since Sept. 1, the Capital Region’s business leaders have already committed more than $3.7 million of the $6 million goal. CEG’s goal is to raise the money needed to primarily attract new businesses and grow the region’s workforce. The investment made by the region will be used to focus on five strategic initiatives. They are:
• Be the primary and most comprehensive resource for business development.
• Aggressively market our entire community to attract new businesses and investment.
• Strengthen existing businesses to be more competitive in the global marketplace through Business Growth Solutions and Talent Connect.
• Enhance partnerships, communication, and provide high-level networking among the regions’ most influential stakeholders.
• Advance Capital 20.20, a five-year plan for the region’s future.
The keynote speaker for the annual meeting at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady was Greg Carlin, the CEO of Rush Street Gaming, owner and operator of the Rivers Casino & Resort, which is under construction at Mohawk Harbor in Schenectady.
In 2017, CEG will mark its 30th year of advancing economic development in the region. Eight people were elected to CEG’s 2017 Board of Directors, each of whom will serve three-year terms. They are: Carm Basile, CDTA; Diana Ehrlich, Ostroff and Associates; Dan Dinsmore, Overit; Christopher Dowd, Ballston Spa National Bank; Miriam Dushane, Linium Recruiting; Paul Milton, Ellis Medicine; Nick Preddice, The Affinity Group and Richard Sleasman, CBRE – Albany.
The following people were re-elected to the board:
David M. Buicko, The Galesi Group; George R. Hearst, III, Times Union; and John J. Nigro, Nigro Companies.
CEG is the regional economic development organization for the greater Capital Region and New York’s Tech Valley with over 300 C-level members in business, government, education, and the nonprofit sectors.