Page 42 - 2022 Westchester County Economic Development Guide

One Million Strong The Business Council of Westchester
Helping Businesses
Thrive
Above: Governor Kathy Hochul at the 2021 Virtual Albany Lobby Day.
The BCW began the year with several major initiatives and programs including its Driving Diversity and Inclusion Series, an important half-day conference for businesses and organizations of all types featuring speakers and experts covering best practices, resources and guidance on issues related to diversity and inclusion.
Another important series launched in the first quarter was the State of Westchester’s Economy: Post-Pandemic and Future Focused. The four-part series focused on four key sectors of the County’s economy: Infrastructure, Healthcare, Education and Hospitality & Retail.
ADVOCACY AND
GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
BCW’s Annual Lobby Day, which was held virtually in April, provided members with the opportunity to hear from lawmakers in Albany on topics of interest to the business community. The program coincided with the release of the BCW’s 2021
Legislative Agenda.
One of the BCW’s top advocacy achievements
in 2021 was the announcement in March of the creation of “A Sure Bet for New York’s Future,” a new local alliance in support of a full gaming license for Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts, and touted its benefits for Yonkers, the Bronx, and the greater Westchester region. The announcement was followed up in November with a press conference held at Empire City Casino featuring local and state political leaders.
Building on its leading role in assisting the County and the State in its economic recovery efforts, the BCW’s Westchester Economic Recovery Task Force issued a comprehensive report in June with a list of recommendations and needs to help assist the state and county with their reemergence plans.
Following up on its first report, the BCW held a virtual Town Hall Forum in August to hear from BCW members on their ideas for spending federal funds from the American Rescue Fund. The Forum, which was co-sponsored by the County, resulted in a second Task Force Report with more ideas on how the state and County should spend $188 million in federal funding.
In other areas, advocacy and government affairs, the BCW held its virtual Political Leadership Series featuring important political leaders such as U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
The BCW continued to build on its strong relationship with Governor Kathy Hochul who over the years has participated in several BCW forums as Lt. Governor. In November, BCW President and CEO Marsha Gordon introduced Gov. Hochul at a news conference announcing $20 million in funding for Ossining and Haverstraw from the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council.
Continuing its leadership role as Westchester County’s most influential business membership organization focused on economic development and advocacy,
The Business Council of Westchester (BCW) achieved significant success on many fronts in 2021.
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
© Courtesy of the Business Council of Westchester