Page 56 - 2023 Westchester County Economic Development Guide
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
Cultivating and Advancing Talent Westchester County Association The WCA:
Having a Major Regional Impact
With its command of the key issues and
a mighty team to advance its initiatives, the Westchester County Association (WCA) is expanding the regional economy and helping to address the most pressing concerns today of the business and nonprofit sectors. As the premier business membership organization in the region, and known for its effectiveness, the WCA focused its efforts in 2022 on talent development and job creation, commercial real estate growth and housing, healthcare, technology and climate action.
As in 2022, in the coming years, climate action and sustainability will be tops on WCA’s agenda for economic growth. e WCA is advancing
policies and developing tools to actively prepare business for the new energy economy, underscoring that sustainability is a business approach to creating long term value. Additionally, the WCA is leading the County in embracing broadband connectivity, helping to transform healthcare, and in solving today’s affordable housing and workforce issues.
database linking businesses with available technical and financial resources to ease the transition to a low-carbon future
• Helped secure the County’s
first-ever solar zoning ordinance
• Authored Westchester’s
Five-Point Housing Action Plan
• Convened the Sixth Annual Real
Estate Conference, focused on statewide solutions for Westchester’s affordable housing crisis
• Advanced adaptive reuse through its Real Estate Policy Playbook, resulting in 3 million square
feet of commercial office space redeveloped
• Created Westchester’s only working group to tackle sustainability and change-related zoning, infrastructure, and energy supply for buildings
• Created the region’s first-and-only Digital Navigator System to connect more residents to broadband and the digital economy
• Created the nationally recognized Y-Zone to help close the digital divide in Yonkers
• Successfully advocated to repeal New York State’s “fiber fee law”
• Realized $801 million in CARES
Act & ARPA funds for Westchester
healthcare providers
• Launched the Healthcare Talent
Pipeline program to recruit and
train 150 job seekers
• rough advocacy efforts,
restored for Westchester 2.5% total in Medicaid cuts from previous NYS budgets
• Secured $1.25 million in direct grant funding for healthcare- focused workforce needs
• Convened Westchester’s business leaders at its ird Annual Regional Workforce Summit
• Published an enhanced and expanded regional Talent Resource Guide for employers.
In sum, through its unstinting efforts, strategic vision, and effective advocacy, the WCA is driving economic vitality and development in Westchester and the region. It is stimulating new business and job creation; providing a strong and clear voice for the interests of business on regional, state, and national levels; and is developing and providing its members with the resources and talent they need to grow.
Top: WCA’s 2022 Leadership Event: Anthony Viceroy, Summit Health; Robert Weisz, RPW Group; Susan Fox, White Plains Hospital, Mayor Mike Spano, e City of Yonkers; Michael N. Romita, WCA.
Le: Yves Noel, New York Power Authority; Jan Childress, Con Edison; Molly Dee- Ramasamy, Jaros Baum & Bolles
In 2022, the WCA:
• Convened “Profit and Purpose ’22,”
Westchester County’s first and only
sustainable business conference
• Created the award-winning Clean Energy Program Portal, an online
© Courtesy of the Westchester County Association
© Courtesy of the Westchester County Association
