Leadership Transition and Search to Begin in July

On June 30th, Mike Tucker will step down after more than eight years as CEG’s president and CEO. Mike guided CEG through a period of immense change and growth, ushering in a new era of recognized success in technology-led development and manufacturing-led revitalization for the Capital Region. During his tenure, CEG has taken a key leadership role in integrating workforce and education, driven entrepreneurship and economic development efforts and continues to address the region’s future infrastructure needs. Mike has been a positive force in the shift toward regionalism and cross-sector collaboration, bringing key projects to completion through inclusive and productive partnerships, and the commitment and investment of CEG members.

While the organization undergoes a nationwide search over the next year, Michael J. Hickey, who currently serves as CEG’s Board Chair, has been appointed interim president and CEO. He will take a leave of absence from Siena College, where he is executive in residence and directs the Stack Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Dr. Laura Schweitzer, president of Union Graduate College and CEG’s current Vice Chair was elected by the Board to serve as Chair through the end of the year.

“Mike is leaving his position knowing that he has made a real impact in positioning our region for future growth,” Hickey said. “On behalf of CEG and our members, I would like to express our thanks and gratitude for all of his efforts these past eight years. He remains a tremendous champion of Tech Valley and a dedicated ally to CEG and its membership.”

Mike, who has legal, financial, energy and real estate experience, is planning to return to the private sector. Before joining CEG, Tucker, an attorney and real estate broker, served as president and CEO of the Harriman Research and Technology Development Corp. and was a principal for more than 25 years at Mercer Companies, Inc., an Albany-based energy and real estate development and management firm. Mike will be recognized for his leadership, energy and commitment to CEG and our region at CEG’s 2015 Annual Meeting slated for October 25, 2015 at EMPAC in Troy, NY.

The Capital Region Economic Development Council (CREDC) has formed the Upstate Revitalization Advisory Council to coordinate the development of the region’s plan. This Council will be co-chaired by Michael J. Castellana, president and CEO of SEFCU, and one of the inaugural chairs of the Capital Region Economic Development Council and Michael J. Hickey, interim CEO of Center for Economic Growth. The Advisory Council will be a public-private effort and will include leaders from various industry sectors as well as the resources of some research firms to help create a roadmap that will contain short- and long-term strategies and tactics.

Between the Upstate Revitalization Initiative and the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) Awards, approximately $130 million will be awarded for the top finishers ranging down to $90 million. This is an incredible investment in upstate New York and an enormous opportunity for our region.

The Upstate Revitalization Initiative (URI) Competition is an opportunity for the Capital Region to create overarching strategies that will have a region-wide impact focusing on strengthening critical infrastructure, revitalizing communities, bolstering workforce development, growing tourism, and improving quality of life. More information here.

CEG collaborated with GLOBALFOUNDRIES and Georgetown University’s Charles Wessner, Ph.D. to discuss the Launch of the Analysis of New York’s Capital Region High Tech Economy for a day-long informative event on June 10th.  The day began with a welcome and overview by Mike Tucker, President and CEO of the Center for Economic Growth, Mike Russo, Senior Manager of US Government Relations & Regulatory Affairs of GLOBALFOUNDRIES and Charles Wessner, Ph.D., Professor of the Global Innovation Policy from Georgetown University. CEG Board Chair Mike Hickey moderated the economic panel discussion and CEG Vice Chair Dr. Laura Schweitzer participated in the workforce and education panel. Approximately 125 attendees were present for the “Conversation on the History and Promise of Tech Valley Innovation” including panels from Government, Education and Workforce Development, Economic Development, Supply Chain, Manufacturing and Development and Business that were made up of local as well as international businesses across the board. CEG is coordinating a Regional Economic Development Study which will take an in-depth look at the drivers of the current growth in Tech Valley, looking at how the technological ecosystem came together, the factors contributing to its current success, and the future challenges and opportunities the region faces as it seeks to sustain current momentum and expand its reach into new areas of economic growth.

On May 6th, CEG and Junior Achievement of Northeastern New York co-sponsored the annual Tech Valley Business Hall of Fame dinner. CEG President Mike Tucker served as the master of ceremonies, which was attended by over 500 people and honored: the late James A. Clark Jr., executive vice president of Armory Auto Group in Albany; Hugh A. Johnson, chairman and chief investment officer, Hugh Johnson Advisors in Albany; George M. Philip, retired president of the University at Albany and retired executive director of the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System. Tucker was recognized for serving as the master of ceremonies over the past 9 years.

Mike Tucker was a keynote speaker at the 50th National Association Workforce Improvement (NAWI)Annual Conference held in Saratoga Springs, New York on May 19-21. Tucker gave an overview of key industry-workforce partnerships and initiatives, best practices and lessons learned from the Tech Valley experience, as well as the challenges still being addressed. CEG’s workforce and education initiatives aim to build a sustainable skilled high-tech workforce pipeline to sustain and grow Capital Region manufacturing and technology companies and support future job growth, and to align our education delivery system with the needs of businesses throughout the region.

Mike Tucker was also the keynote speaker at the Bethlehem Industrial Development Agency (IDA) Economic Development Marketing and Networking event held on June 4th. The event highlighted key commercial and industrial development areas throughout the Town of Bethlehem, including buildings available for purchase and lease, vacant land suitable for development, and successful economic development projects within the Town. The Bethlehem IDA also unveiled their new website, which includes a new interactive web mapping system for available commercial and industrial properties.

The cost of consumer goods and services in the first quarter of this year was 13% higher for residents of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy metro area than the national metropolitan area average. The region’s relative cost of living had dipped somewhat over the past two years before returning to—and now slightly exceeding—2011 levels. Housing costs are the most significant contributor to the area’s higher-than-average cost of living. Taxes are not accounted for in this study. CEG partners with the Capital District Regional Planning Commission, the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Schenectady County, and the University at Albany to provide information on Capital Region consumer costs to this nationally-regarded index.

The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has released its report, Power New York – Responsibly, examining the 15-year period since the inception of New York’s competitive energy market in 2000. In a news release issued this morning, the NYISO states that New York’s shift to competitive markets has resulted in nearly $7 billion in savings and reduced costs, in addition to  significant reductions in emissions. In the last 15 years, New York has realized $6.4 billion in fuel cost savings, $540 million in consumer cost savings, the elimination of nearly 25 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and the integration of over 3,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity generated by wind power. Read full report here.

Mike Tucker and Mike Hickey joined National Grid New York President Ken Daly, National Grid Regional Director Bill Flaherty and GlobalFoundries’  Mike Russo for ribbon cutting to officially open National Grid’s Eastover electric sub station Thursday June 4th in Speigletown, NY. Across upstate New York National Grid has committed more than $3 billion in infrastructure investment over a ten-year period through 2016. This investment will help upgrade its network and allow the company to continue to provide safe, reliable power to more than 1.6 million customers in the state. Read more.

The Center for Economic Growth presented the 4th Annual 2015 NYS High School Business Plan Competition on May 27th at Siena College, Loudonville, NY. This event provides an opportunity for teams of entrepreneurial high school students to express ideas in an educationally competitive environment. Student teams build on an innovative idea by creating a presentation geared towards motivating potential investors to fund the company. Coaching is provided and judges vote on the final presentations ultimately ending with prizes awarded to the top student teams. This year we are proud to announce we had 16 teams competing comprised of 47 students and two dozen business professionals and school advisors serving as coaches and judges. A special thanks to our sponsors: D2 Media, DeCresente Distributing Company, Emma Willard School,Entrepreneurs’ Organization – Albany Chapter, HPC Wireless Services, Rensselaer Severino Center for Technical Entrepreneurship and The Stack Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Siena College.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced last week $3 million in funding for the third round expansion of the nationally-recognized Pathways in Technology Early College High School program, or P-TECH. The funding will be used to support an additional seven schools across the state, making New York the global leader in P-TECH student enrollment with a total of 33 schools. CEG is a formal business partner of the Riverfront P-TECH in Troy and is acting in an advisor role for two other previous P-TECH awardees (the Clean Technologies & Sustainable Industries Early College High School led by Ballston Spa Central School District and the manufacturing-focused P-TECH led by WSWHE BOCES). Read more.

Get noticed by potential customers through commitments to sustainability. Join us for a FREE event to learn how your business can increase sales with safety certifications and sustainable practices. The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) and the Center for Economic Growth (CEG) invite companies from the Capital Region in the food manufacturing industry to participate in a discussion on business development and sustainability opportunities. Click here for more information.

• CEG’s Transformation Planning Free Assessment for Process Improvement, Revenue Growth, and Industry Benchmarking for Manufacturers Click here to learn more.

• CEG’s Lean 101 Public Workshop Experience the power of lean and the changes and benefits of moving from a traditional to a lean environment by participating in a simulation workshop. Click here to learn more.

• CEG & Value Prop Interactive A Revenue Readiness Program for business owners and executive teams Click here to learn more.

• CEG & Sandler Training – Strategic Account Management Course Tactics and strategies for taking on the leadership role in the Strategic Account Management Process Click here to learn more.

• CEG’s Manufacturing Leadership Training in Partnership with Krieger Solutions This workshop series will give your supervisors the tools and strategies they need to effectively lead their work teams to higher performance Click here to learn more.

CEN’s 15th Annual Golf Outing will be held on Monday, June 15th, at the Edison Club in Rexford, NY. Proceeds from the golf outing fund several $1,000 scholarships presented to high school seniors or current college students majoring in a field related to manufacturing. Last year CEN awarded SIX $1,000 scholarships! This year’s outing will include a $25,000 cash prize hole-in-one contest, a 50/50 raffle, a putting contest, and great silent auction items. Lunch and dinner will be served along with refreshments while on the course. Click here for the Golf Day Packet which includes sponsorship information and a registration form.

The Greater Capital Region Workforce Investment Boards (GCR WIBs) have received a Workforce Innovation Grant from the US DOL. The purpose of the Steps up to STEM grant is to address the STEM middle skills shortage in the region by supporting the development of a Talent Pipeline for STEM careers. More

The Center for Economic Growth is playing an instrumental role in supporting local solarize campaigns as they ramp up for their grass roots solar outreach. Partnering with the Climate Smart Communities Regional Coordinators Pilot program run by the Capital District Regional Planning Commission (CDRPC), monthly “Solarize Capital Region” stakeholders meetings have been held since January 2015. These meetings were strategically aligned with funding provided through the Community Solar NY program administered by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Read More.

Upcoming CFA Workshops:  Friday, June 26, 2015 | 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lake George, Fort William Henry Hotel Register here Tuesday, June 30, 2015 | 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Hudson, Columbia Greene Community College Register here