SSTI Digest

Andrea Lohneiss, community development director for Riverhead, N.Y., is leaving to become Suffolk County's commissioner of economic development.

Dr. Russell Bessette has been appointed to the Federal Homeland Security Science and Technology Committee. Dr. Bessette currently is the executive director of the New York Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR).

Nearly every region engaged in building a tech-based economy wants more access to seed and venture capital money. It's particularly useful when your largest employer announces it will lay off up to 23 percent of its workforce – as many as 5,000 people in your community and 15,000 across the globe – during the next three years. The generous but bittersweet offer came from Eastman Kodak Company last week as it announced the creation of a $15 million economic development fund designed to promote business development and job creation in the greater Rochester region. Kodak currently employs more than 20,000 people in Rochester, a third of its total employment of 64,000 worldwide in 2003. Kodak will commit $5 million per year for three years to the new Rochester Economic Development Fund, which is targeted at projects having the potential to generate and retain jobs in the Rochester area. The company will work with other businesses, community groups, universities and local government to expand the fund. Investments made by the fund will take a variety of forms, but will be targeted at…

New York Governor George Pataki, in his 10th State of the State Address last week, outlined a variety of initiatives designed to further promote tech-based economic development (TBED) in the state. From refining the state's Empire Zones program and strengthening the manufacturing sector to making New York a leader in renewable energy and academic research, the governor's agenda is not short on TBED items. To strengthen the state's Empire Zones, a target of much criticism lately, Gov. Pataki proposes revising it in such a way that reduces the potential for abuse. A comprehensive interagency reporting system, new methods to advance significant economic development projects with "substantial job-creating potential" and accountability measures would be undertaken. Economically challenged communities targeted for redevelopment also would benefit under the governor's plan, which would extend the tax credit program by five years to July 31, 2009. Gov. Pataki also reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing high tech in New York, announcing a series of initiatives collectively known as the second phase of the…

A new study examining the post-Sept. 11 economy of New York argues the city's traditional approach to economic development, one which has banked on a few favored sectors such as financial and business services, is outdated and should be reconceived. Engine Failure, a report funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, states that many of New York's troubling trends predate the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Such trends – the FIRE (Finance, Insurance and Real Estate) sector losing jobs and market share to the surrounding region and other major cities, among them – were only accelerated by the after-effects of the Sept. 11 attacks and gains in telecommunications technology. Thus, New York's normally reliable industries are expected to produce minimal employment growth in the coming years. Some of Engine Failure's key findings include: New York's share of jobs in the nation's securities industry declined from 36 percent in 1987 to 23 percent in 2002. Since 1987, only 3 percent of all new jobs in the sector nationwide were created in New York State. During the last 12…

Merideth Andreucci has succeeded Michael Wilton as president of the USA Niagara Development Corp. Wilton was nominated by Governor George Pataki to serve as President of the New York State Higher Education Services Corp.

State Partnership with Texas Instrument Yields $3B Investment From the outsider's perspective, it could be analogous to a world wrestling prize fight, except the punches and stakes are real. Two big, proud states wrestling for dominance in one lucrative industry — semiconductors. For those keeping score, the venerable leader for a long time was Austin, Texas, with the university, Sematech, Dell Corp., and other industries. Austin boomed right along with the IT sector's explosion. One year ago this week, upstart Albany, NY, caught everyone's attention with the surprise announcement of capturing Sematech North. The high-profile, big-price tag announcement, coupled with a more comprehensive tech-based economic development strategy put central New York on the map for many (see a 7/19/02 Digest article for the details: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/2002/071902.htm). Folks in Texas certainly took notice and have roared back with two recent announcements of their own. The main headquarters of Sematech is staying put, thanks in part to a $40 million injection of funds…

New York Ecomm has changes its name to The Executive Council of New York to better reflect the organization's broader membership and program offerings.

Hempstead (New York) Mayor James Garner was elected to serve as the 61st president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors during its annual meeting this week.

Lewis D. "Luke" Rich, a vice president and Western New York regional director for Empire State Development Corp., is taking early retirement at the end of the year.

Ellis Rubinstein, former editor of the magazine Science, has been appointed to serve as Chief Executive Officer of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Cian Robinson, executive director of Infotech Niagara, has left the position to consult privately.