Month: March 2024

Aging Workforce And High-Speed Broadband Among Issues Warren County EDC Addressing

March 17, 2024March 17, 2024

Jim Siplon, president, CEO, EDC Warren County.

By Christine Graf

When Jim Siplon was hired as president and CEO of Economic Development Corporation (EDC) of Warren County in early 2021, the country was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When I stepped into the job, I thought it was about attracting and supporting business,” said Siplon. “That’s kind of the traditional view of economic development. But, COVID helped clarify that there are a lot of dynamics going on in the greater economy and the greater population.”

During the pandemic, the EDC began working to bring high-speed broadband internet service to rural communities throughout the region.

“It’s not something I would have predicted we would get involved in, but we discovered it to be a huge, glaring need during COVID,” he said. “We had school kids that needed to stay connected. We had people with health care issues that were attempting to access health care but couldn’t hold a tele-health session. We had businesses that were trying to operate remotely. The ability for everyone to be able to connect became almost a universal need.”

Although a considerable amount of money had already been spent to bring broadband internet to rural areas, pockets within Warren Country remained unserved.

In order to address what was considered an urgent need, the EDC established an informal group to tackle the issue. The makeup of the group–one that continues to meet weekly–varies from week to week. It typically includes elected officials, members of community organizations, and representatives from broadband companies.

Washington County Economic Development Professionals Support A Variety Of Businesses

March 17, 2024March 28, 2024

Washington County is working to make the Canalside Energy Park in Fort Edward shovel ready to attract potential users.

By Rod Bacon

The economic development professionals in Washington County are committed to providing myriad areas of support for the variety of enterprises that call the region home.

“We now offer a wide range of services designed to make the county competitive in the marketplace,” said Laura Oswald, director of economic development.

To help her achieve this goal she has brought Pam Landi on board as a planner and Amy Hoffer as tourism director.

“We have no hotels in the county,” said Oswald, “but the small bed-and-breakfast inns and short-term rentals were negatively affected during COVID. In the years since we’ve had a very high success rate in reawakening interest in tourism here.”

Social media was extremely important in achieving this result. According to Oswald, there are now 9,300 subscribers to the county’s social media platforms, a 35 percent increase year-over-year.

One of the most important issues, according to Oswald, is resolving Broadband and cell issues in the largely rural county.

“My goal is to increase Broadband speeds and cell access for every resident in the county,” said Oswald.

Hellos And Goodbyes Are Announced By Local Watershed Protector Battenkill Conservancy

March 17, 2024

Former Director Lorraine Merghart Ballard and newly appointed Director Beth O’Grady stand outside the Battenkill Conservancy office in Varak Park in Cambridge.

With the warmer skies and spring temperatures on the way, the Battenkill Conservancy (“BkC”), a not-for-profit land trust that works within New York and Vermont’s Battenkill watershed, has announced some exciting hellos and some bittersweet goodbyes.

In January, the organization lost its long time BkC Board Chair, Stuart Bartow, who passed away after a relatively brief battle with cancer. His dedication to BkC’s mission coupled with his talents as a writer, poet and avid fly fisherman helped guide the organization’s work for over 18 years. A memorial tree planting and a scholarship announcement will take place later this spring.

Simultaneously the BkC Board in conjunction with Lorraine Merghart Ballard, its first Executive Director, was working to secure her replacement. In 2016 with assistance from the NYS Conservation Partnership Program, Ballard was appointed BkC’s first Executive Director. During her tenure, she helped revitalize the organization with popular river related events, increased the public’s river access through the Battenkill Corridor Connections Project and used a simple “Picky Bugs Exhibit” containing macroinvertebrates to demonstrate the importance of cold, clean water and a healthy watershed. She promoted the Battenkill as one of the area’s most important recreational, cultural, historical and environmental assets. Advocating for “Clean Water & Open Space for All” became the organization’s motto during her tenure. She will continue to stay involved and act as Board Chair to help with the transition.

Alex Brame Is Appointed Executive Director To Lead The Way At STRIDE Adaptive Sports

March 17, 2024

Alex Brame, new Executive Director, at STRIDE Adaptive Sports.

STRIDE Adaptive Sports, one of America’s most respected nonprofits committed to empowering individuals through life-changing sport and recreation programs, is proud to announce the appointment of Alex Brame as its new Executive Director.

Alex joins STRIDE with an impressive background and passion for making a positive difference in sport. Alex was the executive director of New York West Youth Soccer Association for 7 years, fundraising and advocating across New York State for youth programs, competitions and tournaments across a 54,000 membership. With a focus on inclusivity and a proven track record of strengthening organizational funding, Alex is well-positioned to lead STRIDE into its next chapter of growth and impact.

Alex inherits the leadership of STRIDE from Mary Ellen Whitney, the Founder and CEO of STRIDE for almost 40 years. The Board of Directors, staff, and all of STRIDE’s communities are indebted to Mary Ellen’s immeasurable dedication to build and lead STRIDE since 1985. Under Mary Ellen’s leadership, STRIDE hosts and delivers more than 14,000 annual adaptive lessons and activities at sites across the New York Capital region, positively impacting the lives of more than 2,500 families annually.

“I am thrilled that we have hired Alex as the next executive director of STRIDE after a 16 month search,” said Mary Ellen Whitney. “I know that Alex will be a significant asset to drive the future of STRIDE. I am looking forward to focusing on my passion and first love of teaching and volunteering with STRIDE athletes. I will also be joining the STRIDE Board of Directors in an ex-officio capacity, and I will be working within the STRIDE community to support Alex’s leadership and the next chapter of STRIDE’s journey.”

SUNY Plattsburgh’s School Of Business Offers Business Classes To Medical Center Leaders

March 17, 2024

By Gerianne Downs, Associate Director of Communications

SUNY Plattsburgh’s School of Business and Economics has partnered with CVPH Medical Center to bring its business expertise to employees in leadership there.

The in-person program, launched last semester, is a six-week series of classes held on the CVPH campus and taught by SBE faculty from different disciplines as well as SBE alumni.

Brian Neureuther, dean of the School of Business and Economics, said the program was a year in the making, when CVPH President Michelle LeBeau reached out to him “about the possibility of training staff in management,” Neureuther said. “We began discussions — the university’s provost, myself, Dr. Samy Garas and CVPH management — to talk about their needs.”

The resulting classes cover managing organizations, evidence-based decisions, regulations, accounting and finance, leadership, and strategy, with the first cohort, which are all day and taught on Fridays, beginning in October last year.

The next session began after the start of the spring semester in February and will run through mid-April; the third session will begin in May and run into June. Garas, associate professor of accounting, expects to see it continue.

After last fall’s pilot program, an invitation was extended to Alice Hyde Memorial Hospital in Malone, Garas said. Now, half of the participants drive the hour to and from Malone on class days to participate.

Neureuther said that negotiations took time “because we wanted to fully understand what it was that they needed.”