Page 53 - 2020 Westchester Economic Development Guide

THE BUSINESS COUNCIL OF WESTCHESTER
The BCW: Driving Economic DWevelopment in Westchester
A New Vision
ith a laser focus on eco- Gordon led the way for the City nomic development in of Peekskill to win a $10 million grant Westchester, the Business under Governor Cuomo’s Downtown Council of Westchester Revitalization Initiative (DRI). Gordon co-
is the County’s most prestigious chairs the DRI Planning Committee in
and influential business membership organization.
In a move that further elevates the BCW’s prominent role in economic development, the BCW has created a new position of Senior Vice President of Economic Development, hiring Maggie Peters to fill the post. Peters has a strong background in economic development, having held leadership positions in both public and private economic development organizations.
“In creating this new position, the BCW is saying loud and clear – Westchester County is eager to do business and the BCW is the busi- ness organization equipped to help. We have always had the people, tools and know-how to get things done for our members, and now even more so,” said BCW President and CEO Marsha Gordon.
Peters will serve as a proactive advocate for the unique “live, work, play” benefits Westchester offers, with a focus on attraction and retention of businesses of all sizes to the county. Her initial outreach will target major employers, industry clusters and com- munity stakeholders to assess existing initiatives and needs. She will also be involved in workforce development initiatives, cultivating investment op- portunities, nurturing entrepreneurship and marketing Westchester as the pre- mier place to invest.
In order to solidify its economic development strategy, the BCW wel- comed to its Board two of the most prominent planning officials in the county — Wilson Kimball, Commissioner
Maggie Peters , Senior Vice President of Economic Development
of Planning and Development for the City of Yonkers; and Luiz Aragon, Commissioner for Development for the City of New Rochelle.
Westchester’s economy con- tinues to benefit from funding from the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council where Gordon serves on the Executive Committee. In 2019, Westchester received $19.2 mil- lion in grants for 30 projects, an increase over the $16 million received in 2018.
Peekskill and in New Rochelle which was a big DRI funding winner in 2018. She is also chairing the Economic Development Transition Committee for Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson Howard.
The BCW is also addressing critical advocacy issues affecting economic development, such as the natural gas moratorium with the establishment of an energy task force and the creation of a coalition to save smart development in Westchester and oppose prevailing wage legislation. The BCW has also testified at County hearings on spe- cific issues affecting Westchester busi- nesses and continued the work of the Coalition for Westchester Airport.
Gordon concluded, “Looking ahead, we are very excited about major new economic development programs and initiatives that we will be launching in 2020. Stay tuned!”
From left, BCW Executive VP and COO John Ravitz; BCW Chairman Anthony Justic; incoming BCW Chair Heidi Davidson; Westchester County Executive George Latimer; BCW Senior V.P. of Economic Development Maggie Peters; KeyBank Market President, Hudson Valley/Metro NY Dave Lewing; BCW President and CEO Marsha Gordon; and BCW Board Member and Vice Chair of Governmental Action George Lence.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE 51