Page 56 - 2022 Westchester County Economic Development Guide

One Million Strong Westchester County Association
The WCA: Driving Westchester’s Economy Forward
© Courtesy of the Westchester County Association
WCA 2021 Annual Leadership Event (L-R): Richard Nightingale, President & CEO, Westhab; William
P. Harrington Esq., outgoing WCA Chairman, Partner at Bleakley Platt & Schmidt; Michael Israel, President & CEO, WMCHealth; Theodora Diamantis, Vice President, Account Manager, Skanska; Michael Viggiano, Executive Vice President, Skanska; Susan Fox, WCA Board Chair, President & CEO, White Plains Hospital; Michael Romita, President
& CEO, Westchester County Association
For more than 70 years, the WCA has set the professional agenda by fostering strong connections while advancing issues and programs that cultivate a robust economic environment for its members and the community. Considered one of the most influential communities of businesses and nonprofits in the region, the Westchester County Association spearheaded several game- changing initiatives in 2021. In collaborating with businesses and nonprofits across the Hudson Valley, the WCA strives to improve the health of the regional economy so that businesses will want to move, grow, and thrive.
The WCA has identified and continues to focus on five foundational pillars that make the most impact on the economy in the region: healthcare, real estate and housing, workforce development, digital connectivity, and sustainability.
WCA’s Y-Zone is a cutting-edge, community- based collaborative which provides free internet service to Yonkers residents who live in the Y-Zone catchment area. Since the start of the 12-month pilot in April 2021, towers have been installed to employ Citizens Broadband Radio
Service (CBRS) to provide internet access, with the service going live in October 2021. Since then, the Y-Zone’s engagement team has enrolled over 150 households/individuals in the program. Developed in partnership with the City of Yonkers, The STEM Alliance, Yonkers Partners in Education (YPIE), Fordham University, and Westhab, the Y-Zone helps create a digital ecosystem that aims to be a blueprint for neighborhoods across the country looking to bridge the digital divide.
In partnership with Pace Energy and Climate Center, the WCA launched the Clean Energy Portal in July 2021. This dynamic, searchable guide acts as a clearinghouse that enables businesses to easily find clean energy programs and incentives available in Westchester County and the surrounding region. This portal connects hundreds of regional businesses with a wide array of programs to help them transition to a low-carbon future. Organization leaders and executives can also learn about eco-friendly incentives and rebates to make these project costs more economical.
WCA’s Talent Council brings together all regional healthcare providers with the deans and faculty of local colleges to address staffing shortages. And, of course, the WCA notched advocacy victories and secured substantial funding for regional healthcare providers, the real estate community, broadband companies, and small businesses.
These efforts will continue into 2022 with the appointment of new Board Chair Susan Fox, President of White Plains Hospital. Susan has stepped up from her previous role as Vice Chair to spearhead innovative ways the WCA can continue to make an impact on economic vitality throughout Westchester County and the surrounding region. For the WCA’s member organizations, it is about results.
Westchester County Association 1133 Westchester Ave, Suite S-217 White Plains, NY 10604
Tel: 914-948-6444 Westchester.org
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE