Publisher's Section
The 2024 Trailblazers in Economic Development
New York’s notable job creators and business boosters.
City & State presents the 2024 Trailblazers in Economic Development. 2017 ChIPs Global Summit, ASA Photography; Adam Coglianese; Department of Labor, Women's Bureau
Ahead of Ronald Reagan’s landslide victory in 1980, he summed up his candidacy by asking voters, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” James Carville, the architect of Bill Clinton’s breakthrough campaign in 1992, put it this way: “It’s the economy, stupid.” And now, in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s win, many commentators are citing the economy – and inflation in particular – for driving disenchantment with the Democratic Party.
Of course, politicians have relatively little power over the trajectory of the economy. Job growth is largely driven by entrepreneurs and business leaders in the private sector, while downturns are often fueled by forces outside of the government’s control. City & State’s inaugural Trailblazers in Economic Development puts a spotlight on 100 New Yorkers who are on the front lines, creating jobs and spurring economic growth at the local, state and national level. (This list replaces Economic Development Power 100, which will return in 2025.) We’re pleased to present the Trailblazers in Economic Development.
Featured Q&A's:
Spurring economic development through higher education
Driving investment and job creation in the Hudson Valley
Leslie Abbey
Hot Bread Kitchen is one of the most buzzed-about workforce development programs in New York City, and Leslie Abbey knows the recipe for success. The Chelsea-based nonprofit operates training programs along with programs to incubate small businesses in the culinary industry. The organization’s most recent impact report shows that in its first 15 years, 448 entrepreneurs went through the program and 161 employer partners joined its training and job placement network. Among those who have toured the program are Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer.
Jamie Ansorge
Jamie Ansorge has been focused on bolstering New York City’s post-pandemic economy in his work at Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies. He led an effort to obtain over $5 million annually for the New York City Business Improvement District Association, helping to position the organization for future expansion. During the pandemic, Ansorge initiated the Save Small Business Working Group to focus on the economic sector. The working group continues to meet to help steer small-business recovery and growth.
Suzette Bather-Taylor
New York City’s renovated airports are the talk of the nation, and Suzette Bather-Taylor is a key player in that effort. Bather-Taylor is bringing minority- and women-owned business enterprises and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses into the airports’ food concessions business. Bather-Taylor designed and implemented an Institute of Concession, a 10-week program for business owners to learn about the food service industry in an airport. This led to seven participants receiving licenses to operate a food business at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Robert Benfatto
Robert Benfatto handles two key business roles in New York City: leading the business improvement district in a new Manhattan neighborhood and advocating for business improvement districts citywide as co-chair of the New York City Business Improvement District Association. As part of the BID Association, Benfatto has been advocating against legislation to allow street vendors to operate further from the curb, arguing that it would harm pedestrian flow. Benfatto is also leading a study of community opinion about extending the Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance’s boundaries further north.
Ryan Benz
Ryan Benz is a headline-grabbing business leader in Central New York with a focus on new housing development, the majority of which is affordable housing. Benz, a former trumpet player, was tooting his horn as a partner in the redevelopment of the former ShoppingTown Mall in suburban Dewitt into a mixed-use development. He is currently converting the former St. Matthew’s Elementary School in East Syracuse into condos, which is the state’s first project to use the new Affordable Homeownership Opportunity Program in a condo setting.
Barbara Blair
As a champion of businesses in Manhattan’s Garment District, Barbara Blair is seeking to transform the neighborhood and address some of the most pressing issues facing the West Side of Manhattan. She has advocated for new housing in the area, including converting manufacturing buildings to residential use, and for the approval of New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ City of Yes zoning overhaul. Blair has also called on Albany to address the mental health and substance use crisis in the area.
Andrea Bonilla
Long Islander Andrea Bonilla has endeavored to bolster the region’s workforce, and now, she is focused on making the island the center of the state’s clean energy economy. Bonilla leads all communications, outreach, community engagement and permitting for Vineyard Offshore, which is behind several offshore wind projects in the New York Bight. Bonilla was previously the Long Island regional director for the Workforce Development Institute and supported economic and community development for the town of Huntington.
Joshua Breitbart
Joshua Breitbart is tasked with making sure that every corner of New York state has access to broadband. As director of the Division of Broadband Access at Empire State Development, Breitbart is in charge of deploying broadband statewide and developing the state’s digital equity and broadband deployment plan. In August, the federal government approved the state’s “Internet for All” program. Breitbart says a key part of the program is to reach the “last 2%” of areas around the state that lack access to broadband.
DeAnna Burt-Nanna
Community colleges are an integral part of not just the education pipeline, but the workforce development ecosystem. DeAnna Burt-Nanna is demonstrating this in her role as president of Monroe Community College in Rochester. Burt-Nanna has led the college in the creation of a new Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center that has been praised by regional and state leaders as an economic growth tool. She is also part of the board for the new regional Tech Hub corridor being developed between Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.
Rob Byrnes
Rob Byrnes has been at the forefront of promoting one of the busiest business districts in New York City, dealing with issues ranging from the impact of changing work patterns, the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of President-elect Donald Trump’s security needs at Trump Tower on local shopping. Byrnes is currently working with The Doe Fund to expand a program that provides jobs to homeless and formerly incarcerated men cleaning East Midtown streets and train them to work in additional fields including in the culinary arts and pest extermination.
Nathaniel Cady
A professor and associate dean at the College of Nanotechnology, Science and Engineering at the University at Albany, Nathaniel Cady sits at the center of the growing semiconductor industry in New York, where academia meets economic development. Cady leads the SUNY Applied Materials Research Institute and is the university’s lead for the Northeast Regional Defense Technology Hub. The hub is part of the Microelectronics Commons, an academic and industry consortium created under the CHIPS and Science Act to focus on research and development in the semiconductor industry while fueling economic growth.
Lenny Caro
In October, Lenny Caro made history as the first Latino president of the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce. While Caro is new to the role, he is not a neophyte when it comes to economic development and being an advocate for a local business community. Caro is a former president and CEO of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, where he focused on job growth initiatives throughout the borough, such as advocating for the new Yankee Stadium and for the Gateway Program.
Stephen Chambers
The life sciences industry is the next area of growth in the New York City economy, and Stephen Chambers is a key part of cultivating the life sciences ecosystem in the city. The accomplished scientist, who has co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals, joined venture capital firm SOSV full time in 2020 to co-found IndieBio New York, a life sciences venture capital firm and business accelerator. Chambers also co-founded the United Kingdom’s first life sciences accelerator and was a life sciences policy adviser to the British government.
Aaron Charlop-Powers
Aaron Charlop-Powers joined New York City First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer’s team in 2023 – when she was deputy mayor for housing, economic development and workforce – with a focus on her economic development portfolio. Charlop-Powers has spearheaded the creation of the city’s Green Economy Action Plan, which is projected to create 400,000 green-collar jobs by 2040. The plan has a projected $55 billion economic impact and includes the $100 million climate innovation center at Brooklyn Army Terminal. Charlop-Powers also helped develop the city’s Harbor of the Future strategy to invest in the waterfront as an economic growth engine and hub for innovation.
Wellington Chen
Wellington Chen is a top advocate for Chinatown, supporting it as a small-business hub and preserving its cultural traditions. Chen has worked with New York City officials to redesign Kimlau Square to mitigate dangerous traffic and to give it a facelift. New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced $55 million for the project in his 2024 State of the City address. The project is also aimed at helping spur tourism as the neighborhood continues its post-pandemic recovery. Chen is a member of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as well.
Jeffrey Citron
Jeffrey Citron’s responsibilities at the legal and lobbying firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP is not limited to running the firm, as he also keeps busy as one of the state’s top economic development attorneys. An authority on industrial revenue bond financing, he has provided expert counsel to a number of industrial development authority board members. He has also provided counsel to a number of public and private businesses on how to obtain government financing for key projects. He has served as outside general counsel for major companies as well.
Matthew Cohen
Matthew Cohen has made boosting the Long Island economy the hallmark of his career. Cohen is focused on innovating the island’s economy, including in the state’s growing artificial intelligence sector. Cohen is also a champion of the offshore wind industry on Long Island, saying it exemplifies the region’s history of being at the forefront of innovation. In October, Cohen hosted former Vice President Mike Pence at an event where Pence spoke about Jan. 6, 2021, and his frosty relationship with President-elect Donald Trump.
Bret Collazzi
A former community journalist in the Bronx, Bret Collazzi is now focused on bolstering the New York economy across the state. Collazzi has worked on a number of key economic development projects, including the development of New York City’s long-term plan, OneNYC 2050, and plans for the future of Rikers Island once closed. He worked on the Central New York Regional Housing Study for state officials and developed the strategic plan for the Office of Strategic Workforce Development at Empire State Development and the strategic plan for the Governor’s Office of Semiconductor Expansion, Management and Integration.
Elizabeth Cooper
A veteran entrepreneur who has operated a business in a remote part of Adirondack Park, Elizabeth Cooper now advocates for other small-business owners across the North Country. She now runs the Adirondack North Country Association, which recently teamed with the Adirondack Diversity Initiative to host the Adirondack Diversity Initiative Symposium. There, Cooper unveiled a new five-part training diversity training program the association is hosting for businesses to increase inclusivity. In the spring, the group hosted a clean energy conference to discuss ways to grow the region’s green economy.
Doug Cotter
As the CEO of Grant Associates, a national workforce development organization, Doug Cotter is a leader in the field in New York and a national thought leader. Cotter has driven the growth of Grant Associates, which has added almost 100 new staff members in recent years to better serve clients. On his watch, the organization has connected 67,000 clients with job opportunities and helped businesses find talent. He has also formed partnerships with the New York City schools on job training programs.
Michael Cusick
Michael Cusick is at the center of growing the Staten Island economy and a player in the state’s clean energy economy. Cusick has helped establish the borough’s offshore wind industry, a key component of a diversified economic future. Cusick is also a trustee of the New York Power Authority, where is involved in efforts to implement the state’s public renewables program. Cusick was part of efforts to obtain a $200 million investment from CMA CGM, a French shipping company, for Howland Hook, Staten Island’s largest marine terminal.
Megan Daly
The Port of Albany-Rensselaer is not just a maritime hub, but an industrial engine for the Capital Region and a key part of the state’s clean energy economy. An experienced economic development leader, Megan Daly has increased the port's land footprint by almost 50% and implemented major infrastructure projects, totaling nearly $300 million in capital investments with more on the way. The port had dedicated 100 acres to offshore wind supply chain manufacturing to help boost this segment of the state economy.
Therese Daly
Therese Daly is focused on making sure that New York’s employment and training professionals, the backbone of the workforce development community, are heard in the halls of power. She has advanced critical workforce development priorities in Washington, D.C., and Albany. A former vice president at Mercury, Daly briefly served as the association’s interim executive director between the death of former Executive Director Melinda Mack last year and the appointment of Christopher Nardone to the post in August.
Jeff Davis
As co-chair of the Project Development Practice Area at Barclay Damon, Jeff Davis is playing a key role in one of the state’s biggest projects: Micron’s new semiconductor plant in Central New York. Davis is the lead counsel to the Onondaga County Industrial Development Authority for the expansion of the commerce park in the Syracuse suburbs that will be home of the $100 billion planned Micron project. This included playing a critical role in the final negotiations to obtain the major economic development project.
Mariah Dignan
Mariah Dignan forges relationships between Community Offshore Wind and the labor community, such as through the development of job training and workforce development programs as part of the landmark clean energy program in the New York Bight. Dignan has negotiated several groundbreaking labor agreements with national and state unions for Community Offshore Wind, a partnership of RWE and National Grid in the Northeast U.S. She has created workforce development programs bringing together industry, unions and community colleges in New York and New Jersey.
Garry Douglas
As the leader of the North Country Chamber of Commerce, Garry Douglas has driven economic growth in Plattsburgh and deployed economic development to strengthen relations with Canada. As part of that effort, he has attracted over $800 million in infrastructure investment and positioned the region as Montreal’s U.S. suburbs. This year, he saw the state commit to funding nearly half the cost of a new hangar complex at Plattsburgh International Airport, while also mounting an effort to bring a new manufacturer to take over the old Nova Bus plant and co-hosting an aerospace conference with Quebec.
Rosalie Drago
Rosalie Drago, the first woman commissioner of labor in Suffolk County history, is now in the clean energy business. At Long Island construction giant Haugland Group, Drago handles external affairs and strategic engagement at the intersection of construction and clean energy, highlighting Haugland’s projects. While in county government, Drago focused on the workforce pipeline, forming relationships across the economic ecosystem and keeping workers safe. Earlier, as a tourism consultant in the Brooklyn borough president’s office, Drago helped develop the borough’s first tourism strategic plan.
Justin Driscoll
The New York Power Authority is best known as a state energy agency, but it is also an important economic development driver. Its programs deliver low-cost electricity to help over 900 companies that have generated over $54 billion in private investment. A key program is its ReCharge NY, which Justin Driscoll used to help bring Micron’s new multibillion-dollar headquarters to the Syracuse region. Driscoll also oversees the authority’s 17 power generation facilities and some 1,550 miles of high-voltage transmission lines that keep the lights on for many more businesses.
Robert Duffy
Rochester is in the middle of an economic growth period, as part of a new multicity tech hub with Buffalo and Syracuse fueled by $40 million in federal investments. Robert Duffy, a former lieutenant governor and Rochester mayor, is a key upstate economic leader in this effort. Duffy has led his team at the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce in garnering a number of statewide awards this year for business growth and leadership. Duffy serves on the SUNY board of trustees and chairs the board overseeing construction of the new Buffalo Bills stadium.
Stacey Duncan
An economic development leader in the Binghamton region, Stacey Duncan is on a mission to bolster the Southern Tier. Duncan has called on state leaders to stimulate housing construction and job creation at the same time, saying it is needed to stop outward migration in the state. She has applauded Broome County officials for backing a proposed mixed-use business park for technology companies, citing similar projects in the Mohawk Valley and Rochester. She’s also touted a battery storage project in Binghamton that has been designated a tech hub.
Mark Eagan
An experienced local business leader, Mark Eagan is seeing the growth of the upstate semiconductor industry driving economic development in the Albany region. Eagan’s Center for Economic Growth was recently awarded $1.1 million in state funds to expand the region’s tech-based entrepreneurial ecosystem. He has collaborated with the state to create apprenticeship programs in the semiconductor industry as well. Eagan, who also leads the Capital Region Chamber, is past chair of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and chaired similar groups in New York, Massachusetts and Indiana.
Conor Eckert
As a vice president with the Orange County Partnership, Conor Eckert is advancing Orange County and the broader Hudson Valley as a center for growth and the innovation economy. He has played a central role in recruiting a number of companies to Orange County, including Tesla, Amazon, City Winery, Cardinal Health, the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley and Royal Wine. He also helped obtain funding through the FAST NY Shovel-Ready Grant Program for a proposed business park in the county.
Blima Ehrentreu
Committed to philanthropy and empowering women, Blima Ehrentreu uses her position at The Designers Group to support economic growth. Ehrentreu runs TDG’s Insider program, which allows those interested in interior design careers to learn more about the sector and be mentored by staffers. Ehrentreu also launched the group’s Furniture Exchange program to donate furniture to those in need. The program operates in several American cities as well as in Canada and Israel.
Anthony Fabre
Karp Strategies is focused on cultivating local economies and spurring workforce development – and Anthony Fabre leads these efforts on behalf of the New York-based urban planning consulting firm. Fabre combines his backgrounds in urban planning, communications and local government in his economic development and community engagement work at Karp. Fabre has been the director of community and intergovernmental affairs for the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and specialized in waterfront issues for the New York City Economic Development Corp.
Winston Fisher
Winston Fisher is a civic-minded business leader active internationally and in New York and Nevada, and his latest mission is to overhaul the Democratic Party. The real estate developer is also a Port Authority commissioner and CEO of AREA15 in Las Vegas, billed as a purpose-built entertainment district. He is leading its growth in Las Vegas and expansion into Saudi Arabia, with a Riyadh pop-up location. In 2020, he teamed with former Kansas City Mayor Sly James to write a book outlining a new middle-class economic agenda for Democrats – which remains a timely theme.
Nathifa Forde
Nathifa Forde is the executive director of NYC Her Future, a mayoral office in New York City established to address the disparities faced by young women and girls of color. Forde also serves as acting executive director of the New York City Young Men’s Initiative. Forde’s appointment this year to lead the newly created NYC Her Future came after Mayor Eric Adams announced a $43 million plan to address gender equity in the city. Forde previously was at the New York City Center for Youth Employment.
Dottie Gallagher
Buffalo business knows no greater champion than Dottie Gallagher, who has dedicated her career to growing the region’s economy. Now the leader of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, Gallagher was previously president and CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara, spurring tourism in Western New York. With Buffalo a partner in a new upstate technology hub fueled by $40 million in federal funding, Gallagher is teaming up with other local leaders to support the sector. She has called for integrating immigrants into the community to fuel economic growth.
Greg Gelinas
Buffalo is a city that loves sports, and Greg Gelinas is central to making sure that sports tourism is an economic engine in the Western New York metropolis. Buffalo is set to host several games as part of the first two rounds of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, which it has hosted in the past, and is enjoying a boom due to the rise of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. Buffalo has also been the site of the NCAA Frozen Four hockey tournament and is in talks about bringing in niche sports championships, such as ax throwing, knife throwing and disc golf.
Bridget Gibbons
Bridget Gibbons’ efforts in Westchester County have been recognized statewide, and she was recently appointed to the executive committee of the state Economic Development Council, giving her a greater voice in statewide policy. Gibbons has pioneered a business accelerator program in Westchester, which has helped support the county’s significant life sciences and tech sectors. Gibbons has also called for increased investment in clean energy workforce development to fulfill the state’s ambitious energy plans, citing Westchester’s new clean energy accelerator as a model.
Jamila Glean
An experienced professional in advising minority- and women-owned business enterprises as well as service-disabled veteran-owned business, Jamila Glean is now a project director for R.F. Wilkins Consultants, working on the $19 billion redevelopment project at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Glean is responsible for ensuring MWBE and SDVOB compliance as part of the massive infrastructure project. R.F. Wilkins Consultants was retained to oversee that component of the project, which is part of a major overhaul of the New York City region’s airports.
Fernando Gómez-Baquero
A key discussion in academia is the economic impact of research, and Fernando Gómez-Baquero is in the middle of these conversations at Cornell Tech. He calls the campus a “little machine” of entrepreneurship, with students aiming to launch and scale up startups. Gómez-Baquero says over the past three years, Cornell Tech students have created over 100 companies worth over $1 billion in capitalization while attracting over $300 million in venture capital investment. They’ve also boosted local job growth, with the vast majority of these companies headquartered in New York City.
Teresa Gonzalez
Teresa Gonzalez is an expert in community and stakeholder engagement, skills she brings to her clients at Bolton-St. Johns as they seek to navigate government, including on land use matters. Gonzalez has expertise in minority- and women-owned business enterprises as well. She co-founded DalyGonzalez, a boutique lobbying firm that helps MWBE clients engage with city and state governments and diversify the economy. Gonzalez serves on a number of civic boards as well, including the New York Immigration Coalition, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and The New York Women’s Foundation.
Marsha Gordon
With a solid business community and a thriving life sciences economy, Westchester County is a key leader in the New York business ecosystem. Marsha Gordon is the county’s top business advocate, and she’s continually planning ways to support the Westchester economy. She has played a role in recruiting innovative companies to make the county their headquarters. Gordon recently praised Westchester County Executive George Latimer’s latest budget proposal as one that sends a pro-business message of county finances.
Maria Gotsch
As the leader of the Partnership Fund for New York City, a $130 million investment arm of the Partnership for New York City business coalition, Maria Gotsch has been a leader in diversifying New York City’s economy. Gotsch has invested in life sciences and has been instrumental in making New York a global fintech leader, including by co-founding the FinTech Innovation Lab, with partner companies raising $2.7 billion in funding. Gotsch is using the lab program to assist city government with a Transit Tech Lab, Environmental Tech Lab and a newly created Buildings Tech Lab.
Tom Grech
Queens is the “World’s Borough,” and Tom Grech’s job is to make sure the world knows about its thriving business community and to advocate for their interests. Grech recently launched the Queens Innovation Foundation, with a goal of expanding the technology and artificial intelligence economy in Queens. Grech recently teamed up with local lawmakers to call for registration and insurance for two-wheeled electric vehicles, saying the move would increase safety in crowded neighborhoods. He has also called for efforts to protect Forest Hills Stadium, noting the venue’s history in sports and the arts.
Lindsay Greene
Once a hub for the defense industry, Lindsay Greene is remaking the Brooklyn Navy Yard into a multipurpose economic site, supporting the green economy and tech startups. She is partnering with The Trust for Governors Island and the New York City Economic Development Corp. on the Harbor Climate Collaborative, an initiative to grow the city’s clean energy economy. Greene has also invested in a computer numerical control initiative to upskill the local workforce. The Navy Yard recently started soliciting bids for potential use of autonomous vehicles.
Dynishal Gross
Dynishal Gross took the helm of the New York City Department of Small Business Services in September after serving as the department’s executive deputy commissioner and acting commissioner. Since 2022, SBS has connected small businesses with more than $290 million in affordable capital. Now, Gross is preparing to launch the NYC Future Fund, which aims to increase loan eligibility for small businesses while reducing the risk of default. Gross has expanded the impact of the city’s career centers, launched initiatives targeting high unemployment neighborhoods and is connecting migrants to jobs.
Arthur Hamlin
National Grid is more than a key player in New York’s energy sector. The utility company is also a major economic development driver, earning recognition as a “2023 Top Utility in Economic Development” by Site Selection magazine. Arthur Hamlin leads National Grid’s economic development portfolio, including 18 programs that have provided over $145 million in assistance since 2003 while creating and retaining over 65,000 jobs. National Grid also helped facilitate Micron’s forthcoming $100 billion facility in Central New York.
John Harris
At the legal and lobbying powerhouse of Brown & Weinraub, John Harris is helping to support the New York economy by guiding clients in the state’s growing energy economy. Harris is an expert in navigating the state’s various energy and utility agencies as well as the laws and regulations governing energy policy in New York. In the clean energy sector, Harris and his team specialize in solar and wind issues, battery storage and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Robert Harrison
A highlight of this year’s state budget is Empire AI, a first-in-the-nation consortium of public and private universities with the goal of establishing New York as a national leader in artificial intelligence. Robert Harrison, the founding director of the Institute for Advanced Computational Science and a professor at Stony Brook University, was selected to get the consortium off the ground while a national search is conducted for a permanent executive director. Among the initial research areas are clean energy, education, food security and health disparities.
Jukay Hsu
Like his Harvard classmate Mark Zuckerberg, Jukay Hsu is out to transform the tech world. The former Army infantry officer is a co-founder of Pursuit, a nonprofit that provides training in software engineering. Since launching in 2013, Pursuit has trained over 1,200 fellows. Hsu has formed training partnerships with heavyweights of the business world, including Uber and Blackstone. Hsu also launched the Pursuit Bond program, in which graduates pay a certain percentage of their salaries to help the nonprofit generate funds to keep the programs free.
Matt Hurlbutt
Focused on revitalizing the economy in the Rochester region, Matt Hurlbutt has led Greater Rochester Enterprise since 2017, having worked as the group’s executive vice president and chief operating officer for nine years. Since 2018, GRE and its regional partners have seen $4.5 billion in capital investment in the region and the creation of almost 12,000 new jobs. Hurlbutt has worked on a number of key economic deals, including with Coca-Cola, FedEx Freight and Bausch + Lomb. He also directs GRE’s economic gardening program that supports small-business growth.
Tobi Jaiyesimi
At lobbying powerhouse Kasirer, Tobi Jaiyesimi puts her background in state government to work in helping to increase New York’s housing stock for her clients and supporting projects that will have an enduring economic impact on New York City. Jaiyesimi is a former assistant vice president with Empire State Development, where she worked on the Atlantic Yards project and the World Trade Center Site 5 development project. She was previously a deputy chief of staff to Hakeem Jeffries when he was in the Assembly.
Sandra Jaquez
Sandra Jaquez is focused on making sure that Latino restaurant, bar and lounge owners in New York have a seat at the policy table. Jaquez is not just an advocate but a restaurateur herself, as the founder of Il Sole and Sa’tacos, two eateries in Manhattan. Her focus with the association is to address the unique issues facing the Latino hospitality community. Jaquez is also the vice president of the Latino Cannabis Association, and she has expressed support for Gov. Kathy Hochul’s efforts to crack down on illegal cannabis shops.
Patrick Kaler
Cheese, football and an eclipse have helped drive the tourism industry in Western New York, part of continued growth of the industry in the region. Visit Buffalo Niagara President and CEO Patrick Kaler is seeing post-pandemic growth in the domestic visitors to Niagara Falls and Buffalo. While cloud cover meant fewer eclipse chasers at Niagara Falls, the region saw a boost from the rare astronomical event. This year’s American Cheese Society annual conference in Buffalo, which featured artisan cheeses, drew 1,300 visitors and an economic impact of over $1 million.
Bandhana Katoch
Bandhana Katoch took over as Binghamton University’s top entrepreneurship official in October, and she is no stranger to economic development in the Southern Tier. Katoch remains the executive director of the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator, a component of the university’s ambitious economic development plans. Earlier this year, the incubator opened a new space in suburban Vestal, in addition to its original space in downtown Binghamton. The incubator also unveiled an accelerator program for battery storage startups, a key part of the state’s clean energy transformation.
Kamala Keeley
Kamala Keeley is leading efforts to improve the economy and quality of life in the southern Finger Lakes region. Keeley has led Three Rivers Development Corp., covering Steuben, Schuyler and Chemung counties, since 2021. Keeley oversaw the Chemung River Greenway Trail Feasibility Study, which envisions a 40-mile trail between Elmira and Corning; partnered with government and business leaders on projects to revitalize Corning’s housing stock; and obtained funds for the planned Canopy Walkway at Tanglewood Nature Center in Chemung County.
Andrew Kennedy
Andrew Kennedy brings extensive knowledge and experience in New York economic development policy to his work at Ostroff Associates. Kennedy is a former president and CEO of the Center for Economic Growth in the Albany region and served as deputy director of state operations for then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. At Ostroff, Kennedy was involved in the selection of the Elmira suburb of Horseheads as the site of the new Siemens high-speed rail car facility, which will produce rail cars for a high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Gary LaBarbera
Since taking the helm of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, Gary LaBarbera has established himself as top labor and economic leader. He has called for investment in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s new capital plan, arguing it will create union jobs and bolster the region’s economy. He has also been calling for increased investment into the state’s clean energy economy. LaBarbera has countered the Friends of the High Line’s opposition to the proposed Hudson Yards casino, saying it would create 30,000 jobs.
Jessica Lappin
A decade after assuming the leadership of the nation’s largest business improvement district, Jessica Lappin has established herself as a leading advocate for the lower Manhattan business community. Overseeing a number of key services for the neighborhood, Lappin has made research and marketing key to her vision of lower Manhattan as a global model for a 21st century business improvement district. The former New York City Council member is also part of a coalition advocating for increased child care access in order to spur the city’s economy.
Randy Levine
A former New York City deputy mayor for economic development, planning and administration, Randy Levine has continued to spur the city’s economy as president of the New York Yankees – whose recent World Series appearance brought a big local boost. This has included the Yankees’ international brand expansion, including the creation of the New York City Football Club, the development and financing of the new Yankee Stadium and the creation of the YES Network. In addition to his work with the Yankees, Levine is of counsel at Jackson Lewis.
Spencer Levine
The development of a Manhattan tech and training hub is the latest effort to cultivate New York City’s tech sector, and Spencer Levine and RAL Companies have played a key role in the project. RAL Companies is developing a tech hub on East 14th Street as part of a public-private partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corp. Levine is guiding the project, which will incorporate business incubation space and other spaces to support the city’s tech economy as part of a long-term growth strategy.
Maria Lizardo
Maria Lizardo presides over NMIC, which provides residents of Upper Manhattan and the Bronx with a variety of social services, including education and job training. Its education programs include adult education, English language classes and citizenship preparation classes. Its job training programs include security guard training, home health aide training and worker co-op training, along with programs aimed toward young adults. Lizardo also chairs Human Services Action, the political arm of the Human Services Council, which is behind the JustPay campaign.
Nick Lugo
As president and CEO of the New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Nick Lugo advocates for Hispanic-owned businesses throughout the five boroughs. Among the services offered by the chamber are networking and growth opportunities as well as training on how to become certified to do business with the state government, a critical component of MWBE growth. Lugo also coordinates the annual 116th Street Festival, an East Harlem tradition that gives a boost to Hispanic businesses.
Linda MacFarlane
At the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region, Linda MacFarlane oversees a $20 million nonprofit community development financial institution that is focused on startup and capital for minority- and women-owned business enterprises, along with technical assistance and sustainable community development. A core element of the Community Loan Fund’s strategy is providing low-interest loans to small MWBEs in the Albany region. The organization also operates the Albany Center for Economic Success, a low-cost incubator space for MWBE small businesses in the region.
Matthew McDonough
Matthew McDonough has leveraged his legal background and expertise in local government to establish himself as a go-to economic development lawyer on Long Island. He is a former CEO of the Babylon Industrial Development Authority and former president of the town of Babylon LD Corporation II, where he led a number of local economic development projects. As a special counsel to the Babylon town supervisor, he helped to develop the town’s cannabis land use code, which helped to establish the industry on Long Island.
Benjamin Metsch
Providing resources for reentry for formerly incarcerated individuals is an economic tool and also a strategy to reduce recidivism. The Fortune Society has been at the forefront of reentry issues for years, weighing in on policy while also providing a variety of services. Benjamin Metsch leads the organization’s housing programs, including sourcing funding for development, partnering with developers, and providing affordable and supportive housing across New York City. This includes providing various social services to support residents as they build new lives and careers.
Ebony Miller
In her role as the director of the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Ebony Miller is providing underserved entrepreneurs with access to mentorship, resources and financial literacy to help them establish and expand their businesses within the local Rochester economy. Miller coordinates the annual ROC the Pitch competition, in which six local entrepreneurs with at least $25,000 in annual revenue pitch their businesses to a panel of judges with the goal of securing a $25,000 prize.
Gregory Morris
Gregory Morris is putting workforce development at the center of any economic conversation in New York City. As the leader of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition, a city-based workforce development association, Morris advocates for more workforce and job training programs. Morris would like to see more city investment in programs to reskill and upskill job seekers, and he is coordinating Workforce Week, which includes a major workforce development conference and planning for next year’s agenda.
Sean Moskal
Returning home to Buffalo after years working in banking in London, Malaysia, Chicago and Hong Kong, Sean Moskal has made the upstate economy a key focus in his role at KeyBank. He joined the board of the Upstate Capital Association of New York, which increases access to capital for upstate small businesses and now serves on its president’s council. Moskal takes a long-term view of the upstate economy and has noted that KeyBank is invested in local economic growth, including expanding its commercial lending portfolio.
Mike Oates
Mike Oates returned to helm the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. in 2018, after a previous four-year stint as a lead advocate for the regional economy. Oates has been taking steps to get business more involved in supporting development in the region, including forming Ulster Strong, a coalition that has been pressing its case during local planning board meetings on proposed development projects. Oates was recently appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul to the state Tourism Advisory Council, where he hopes to help shape strategies to boost tourism.
Melissa O’Connor
Melissa O’Connor has added crime fighter to her duties as a business leader. O’Connor has been targeting retail theft by advocating for several state laws that increase security measures, provide violence prevention trainings and offer tax credits for retail business to offset the cost of the added security. The laws were among the most sweeping at the state level to combat retail theft. Their passage came as part of a coordinated advocacy campaign by retail-related groups, which led to Gov. Kathy Hochul making the issue a 2024 priority.
Neil Padukone
The New York Climate Exchange, a Stony Brook University-led consortium of universities, companies and community groups, is transforming Governors Island into a green energy hub. Neil Padukone is driving its economic planning, including workforce development programs in the green economy, with a goal of centering many of these jobs in communities most impacted by climate change. Padukone is a former executive director of the New York City Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Council, where he co-authored the city’s Green Economy Action Plan and 10-year Food Policy Plan.
Marjorie Parker
At JobsFirstNYC, Marjorie Parker focuses on developing community-driven solutions to create jobs and spur economic growth. Her objectives include building the educational pipeline and advocating for increased educational investment for long-term economic growth. JobsFirstNYC has partnered on such community-driven projects as the Lower East Side Employment Network, Youth WINS, the Jerome Avenue Revitalization Collaborative and the Brownsville Hub Cooperative. Prior to assuming the top spot in 2017, Parker served as the organization’s deputy executive director.
Matthew Powers
A veteran government affairs professional, Matthew Powers joined Invenergy in 2022 and is focused on advancing the company’s contribution to meeting New York’s ambitious clean energy goals. Invenergy has developed more than 30 gigawatts of projects that are in operation, construction or contracted. This includes over 890 megawatts of wind, solar and advanced energy storage projects statewide. Powers, an alum of the lobbying firm TBA, works with stakeholders and local governments on clean energy projects and ways that they can spur economic growth statewide.
Leah Rambo
Before she became the first woman of color to head Nontraditional Employment for Women, Leah Rambo got her start as an apprentice in the Sheet Metal Workers Local 28 in New York City. Rambo worked her way up through the union and moved to the U.S. Department of Labor, where she served as deputy director of the Women’s Bureau. At NEW, she aims to improve child care and maternity leave policies and workforce culture, which she has identified as barriers to women in the construction trades.
John “Rocky” Rhodes
A quarter century after enrolling at West Point, Lt. Col. John “Rocky” Rhodes is now the Army’s chief workforce development executive for New York City, Long Island and Westchester County with a vision of making New York “the city of opportunity” for service members. Rhodes has forged partnerships with business, labor and government leaders for the Army’s Partnership for Your Success and Career Skills programs, expanding job opportunities for reservists and veterans. The decorated infantry officer and combat veteran recently vaulted New York City into the top five of Army recruiting regions.
Jerelyn Rodriguez
Jerelyn Rodriguez co-founded The Knowledge House a decade ago with a goal of creating additional pathways for youth in the Bronx to get the training needed for careers in coding and the technology sector. In the decade since, Rodriguez has seen The Knowledge House reach 2,500 youth and adults by providing them with training for new jobs while also expanding the program to New Jersey, Georgia, California and the District of Columbia. She has also advised New York City leaders on the city’s economic comeback after the pandemic.
Michael Romita
Michael Romita wants state leaders to remember that the lack of broadband access is an issue hitting all corners of the state, including suburban communities. Romita teamed with the Long Island Association to call on state policymakers to revisit permitting rules for deploying broadband infrastructure, particularly as the state embarks on a universal broadband project. The Westchester County Association also co-hosted the Hudson Valley Digital Innovation Conference recently to chart out strategies for growing the tech economy. Romita sees artificial intelligence as a “force for good” as part of future economic growth.
Ann-Marie Scheidt
Ann-Marie Scheidt has positioned herself to be one of the people to know in Long Island economic development. The longtime director of economic development at Stony Brook University is also vice chair of the Community Development Corporation of Long Island and the immediate past chair of the Business Incubator Association of New York State. Scheidt helped found the Long Island Angel Network and the Stony Brook Entrepreneurs Challenge, which has awarded $450,000 to student startup businesses.
Mark Schienberg
Mark Schienberg’s most public role comes every spring during the New York International Auto Show, an event that draws tourists to Manhattan’s West Side. But Schienberg’s efforts as an economic leader are 24/7, with its membership generating $67.6 billion for the metropolitan area’s economy and supporting 67,300 jobs. The association runs the Center for Automotive Education & Training in Queens, a workforce development training program for careers in the automotive industry. Schienberg also founded the National Automotive Technology Competition for high school students.
William Scriber
The Port of Oswego is New York’s home port on the Great Lakes. William Scriber, who plans to retire at the end of the year, has made his mark running the port. On his watch, the port secured $38.6 million in funds for upgrades, the construction of a marina, RV park and an international grain export center. The port is also undergoing a rail yard expansion that will make it Oswego County’s largest rail yard. The port was recently designated as a foreign trade zone as well.
José Serrano-McClain
At the economic development advisory firm of HR&A Advisors, José Serrano-McClain guides local governments and the clients in the private sector. He has worked on climate-oriented economic development projects, and he has focused on the creative and green economies. Recently, Serrano-McClain authored a detailed policy playbook on ways state and local leaders in New York can support and expand the creative economy. He has worked with officials in California and Pittsburgh officials on ways to incorporate economic development into clean energy plans.
Abby Jo Sigal
Abby Jo Sigal is implementing New York City’s ambitious apprenticeship program, with a goal of creating 14,000 new apprenticeships by the end of the year. The program is part of the city’s Apprenticeship Accelerator, which has a goal of 30,000 new apprenticeships by the end of the decade. Sigal says the program will bolster the workforce, provide more New Yorkers with higher paying jobs and open new career pathways for those without college degrees. Sigal also has a lead role in the city’s ambitious plan to cultivate the green economy.
Ryan Silva
Ryan Silva is playing an important role in the transformation of New York’s upstate economy. He was part of state efforts to pass the federal CHIPS and Science Act, which has fueled the growth of the semiconductor and technology industries in the region. This year, he worked to secure a second round of $100 million for the FAST NY Shovel-Ready Grant Program in the state budget. Silva recently worked on a study of industrial development agencies in the state to highlight the contribution that IDAs make to New York’s economy.
Rob Simpson
Central New York is at the center of many of the state’s economic development efforts, thanks in part to Rob Simpson. Simpson is gearing up for the Micron development and upstate’s new federally designated Tech Hub while also presiding over the expansion of Centerstate’s Tech Garden innovation space in Syracuse. Genius NY, Centerstate’s state-supported drone accelerator program, hosted its annual pitch competition and awarded $1 million to a Norwegian drone company that will now operate out of Central New York. Simpson serves on the Empire State Development board.
Sonya Smith
As state director of the New York Small Business Development Center, Sonya Smith leads a statewide network of 20 centers and 70 satellite sites dedicated to collaborating with small-business owners and entrepreneurs. The joint federal and state initiative plays a key role in the small-business ecosystem, running programs to assist a range of small businesses, including in the agriculture, cybersecurity and government procurement industries. Smith, the first woman and African American to run the center, was previously an associate director at Pennsylvania’s Small Business Development Center.
Camelia Tepelus
Morris Park is on cusp of seeing transit-oriented development becoming a key part of the Bronx neighborhood’s economy. The development of a new Metro-North station, scheduled to open in 2027, is likely to spur new housing and economic growth. Camelia Tepelus, the longtime leader of the neighborhood’s local business improvement district, says the station, which is projected to bring 10,000 jobs to Morris Park, will spur growth. This summer, Tepelus oversaw the installation of the first large-scale light installation at a playground in Morris Park.
Nicholas Terzulli
A former municipal economic development official, Nicholas Terzulli uses this expertise to serve his clients at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP, where he co-chairs the Economic Development & Tax Incentives law practice. He has worked on projects that have created and retained thousands of construction jobs and obtained state grants for projects. He also helped secure one of the first cannabis sales licenses in the state for a client. Terzulli and his team have helped to shape city and state economic development policy to aid in job creation.
Najja Thompson
Horse racing is a major economic driver in New York, with the annual 40-day racing window in Saratoga Springs pumping $371 million into the local economy. Najja Thompson advocates for the state’s thoroughbred breeders and touts their positive impact. Thompson has created a program to bring people in Saratoga Springs for the racing season to tour horse farms and learn more about the economic benefits of thoroughbred breeding. He has also contributed to a recent economic analysis of horse racing in the state.
Milton Tingling
Most Manhattanites know Milton Tingling as a judge and as the first Black county clerk in Manhattan’s history. But Tingling also has a role in boosting West Harlem. He chairs the board of the West Harlem Development Corp., which was formed in 2009 to administer a community benefits agreement for Columbia University’s new Manhattanville campus. The entity administers $76 million in funding, providing grants for a variety of programs, including summer youth camps and jobs, and created the West Harlem Arts Alliance and the Uptown Night Market.
Peter Tu
Peter Tu is a longtime leader of the business community in Flushing, Queens. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tu worked with other business leaders in the borough to assist struggling businesses in the recovery process. More recently, Tu has been partnering with city leaders to remove illegal street vendors from Flushing’s streets, a complaint of brick-and-mortar business owners. Tu is an advocate for the Asian business community and a supporter of casino development in New York City as well.
Milan Tyler
A leading attorney in the municipal bond and real estate sectors, Milan Tyler is a go-to expert at the intersection of law and economic development in New York. He has spearheaded a number of key projects in the energy, housing and utility sectors. Tyler is a key economic development thought leader, speaking at conferences on trends and forecasts in the state. Earlier this year, he spoke at a statewide economic development conference to provide a briefing on the state’s prevailing wage laws for construction.
Carole Voisey
From offices in downtown Peekskill, Carole Voisey leads the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce in promoting and advocating for the small-business community in northern Westchester County. The chamber also serves as the regional tourism information center, a key industry in that region of the state. The chamber’s vision statement establishes the organization as a key resource hub for the Hudson Valley gateway, including the promotion of the local economy as well as driving tourism and economic growth in the region.
Rob Walsh
Rob Walsh is a veteran economic development leader who has led the Bronx Economic Development Corp. since 2022. Walsh launched the Green Action Challenge to partner with the borough’s higher education institutions to support environmental initiatives. He also won a grant from Empire State Development for appearance enhancement projects for local storefronts. Walsh is promoting Bronx businesses through segments at Yankees games and on the YES Network app. Walsh served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services under then- Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
Jessica Walker
Jessica Walker wants to make sure New York City officials are focused on reducing the number of vacant storefronts in Manhattan. Walker has said that any changes to the city’s zoning rules should keep the storefront vacancies in mind as they seek to also support home-based businesses. The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce president and CEO has been a key advocate for new state laws to address shoplifting in retail stores. Walker has praised new agreements for cruise lines to operate out of Manhattan and Brooklyn, calling it a win for city tourism.
Editor’s note: City & State Publisher Tom Allon serves on the board of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.
John Wang
In the three decades since he founded the Asian American Business Development Center, John Wang has positioned himself as one of the leading advocates for the Asian American business community in New York. This work has included offering technical assistance to Asian American businesses and advocating for the community. Wang created the New York in China Center to help New York businesses break into the Chinese market and attract Chinese investment in New York. Wang joined the Empire State Development board in 2022.
Josh Wein
At Manhattan-based RAL Companies, Josh Wein is involved in a number of business lines, including development, financing, land acquisition and marketing. The real estate development firm is working on a number of key projects, including a new 14th Street tech hub built in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corp. Wein’s work is heavily focused on financing and acquisitions, including collaborating closely with elected officials and stakeholders. He also is a driver of the firm’s innovative marketing strategy.
Austin Wheelock
Oswego is one of the buzziest upstate cities from an economic growth perspective, and Austin Wheelock is one of the people making things happen there. As the head of Oswego County’s economic development efforts, Wheelock is involved in plans to bring part of the Micron semiconductor plant to Oswego, using a corporate park owned by Operation Oswego County. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is seeking to obtain federal funding to increase the corporate park’s footprint in order to locate part of Micron’s Syracuse-area plant there.
Lloyd Williams
Lloyd Williams coordinates Harlem Week, the annual tradition that focuses people on the vibrant Harlem community and the businesses that make Harlem thrive. Started as Harlem Day in 1974, the event has grown to become not just The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce’s signature event but an annual tradition that brings New Yorkers to the neighborhood. Williams says Harlem has a thriving business year-round, including as a tourist destination, and that colleges in Harlem and surrounding neighborhoods continue to help boost the local economy.
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