News & Media

“Overall, there is a diversity of real estate sectors in Westchester, so it’s hard to address [the effects of coronavirus] in generalities,” says Michael Romita, president of the Westchester County Association. “The pandemic influenced various sectors in different ways. Clearly, there was a softening in activity in commercial office space, but I wouldn’t say [the impact has been] terrible.”

The Westchester County Association has revised its Policy Playbook, a guide for development and economic growth, to include insights, resources and examples of how to develop successful housing initiatives with the goal of helping municipalities meet the needs for more diverse, affordable and available housing. The new Housing Initiatives chapter of the playbook points out that businesses have a stake in solving housing issues.

The business and nonprofit community, led by the Westchester County Association’s Real Estate and Housing Task Force, is developing solutions to this massive problem. A multi-faceted assemblage of real estate, planning, land use, financial, legal, academic and government stakeholders are working collaboratively to generate multi-disciplinary solutions.

Michael N. Romita, president and CEO of the WCA, said, “The advocacy agenda and initiatives outlined in this report are the result of a collaborative effort of some of the region’s most dedicated professionals from business, nonprofit, education, labor and government. As we implement these initiatives and continue to collaborate with key stakeholders across industry sectors and throughout the region, we will achieve tangible progress toward a stronger, more resilient economy for our region.”

“The pandemic hijacked everyone’s plans, but it has exposed challenges and opportunities for growth. Affordable housing, access to high-speed internet, the digital divide, ramping business up for telecommuting, and supporting the healthcare industry have jumped to the forefront,” says Romita, who admits that any other agenda he may have had coming into his new job got summarily changed by the pandemic. It has been a big pivot for Westchester and how business will be done here. Still, Romita remains optimistic about the future. “Sure, we are going through a very difficult period here, with over 14 percent unemployment in the county and somewhere between $90 million and $160 million in reduced tax receipts. Yet, a recent WCA survey showed a clear majority of folks remain optimistic about Westchester’s future and feel the economy will bounce back within the next three years. Only 10 percent were pessimistic about the county’s economic future.”

The Journal News and lohud have partnered with the Westchester County Association to host two forums for Democratic candidates seeking their party's nomination to run in November's general election for the 17th Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Nita Lowey, who plans to retire at the end of the year. The nomination will be determined by a June 23 primary vote. The forums, planned for June 4 and to be introduced by WCA CEO Michael Romita and hosted by veteran lohud/Journal News political correspondent Mark Lungariello, will be hosted live on lohud.com, as well as on our Facebook page: facebook.com/lohud.

Although there still is no definitive time line for the reopening of Westchester County businesses, an effort to help lay the groundwork for economic recovery has been launched by the Westchester County Association (WCA). The Post-Pandemic Working Group (PPWG) is a committee of business, nonprofit and academic leaders. Among the initial members are representatives of Nonprofit Westchester, BCM Corp., Bleakley Platt & Schmidt, CBRE, Cuddy & Feder LLP, Entergy, Mercy College, Simone Healthcare Development, Sterling National Bank, Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Rand Commercial, Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State and White Plains Hospital.

Reopening our businesses and institutions will be a precursor to the necessary action. Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley is one of the state’s leading economic drivers and it will need to lead the economic road back. While there will be challenges, the post-pandemic environment will also present opportunities to reevaluate and advance priorities to rebuild a stronger and more resilient economy. In order to address these challenges and opportunities head on, the Westchester County Association has convened a Post-Pandemic Working Group (PPWG) of businesses, non-profit, and academic leaders to help our professional institutions recover and prosper in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Working collaboratively, the PPWG will cultivate a series of pragmatic legislative, regulatory, and developmental solutions for our region that will focus on the regional business and nonprofit issues both caused and highlighted by the current crisis.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Securities or CARES Act is a sweeping two trillion-dollar federal stimulus passed in response to a sudden financial crisis caused by a poorly understood enemy. The Act focuses more on the acute economic impacts of the crisis than its long-term implications. It is more triage than treatment. Accordingly, once the damage is stabilized and the economic harm can better discerned, the federal government will need to step up again, and in a big way.

The Westchester County Association and Community Capital New York streamed a Facebook Live event Thursday about loan programs for small-business owners strapped for cash during the coronavirus crisis. Kim Jacobs, executive director of Elmsford-based Community Capital New York, hosted the informational session on the Westchester County Association's Facebook page. She was joined by WCA President Michael Romita at the event.

The Westchester County Association (WCA), Westchester’s leading economic development and business advocacy organization, today announced the appointment of five new members to its board of directors.

Regional experts in real estate and housing will share best practices and offer potential solutions to the lack of affordable and diverse housing stock in the region – where more than 11,000 additional such units are needed -- at the Westchester County Association’s fourth annual Real Estate and Housing Virtual Summit on October 30 at 9:30 a.m. EST.

Dr. Philip Ozuah, president and chief executive officer of Montefiore Medicine, will deliver the keynote address at the Westchester County Association (WCA)’s online 70th Anniversary Leadership Event, which will celebrate business and nonprofit movers and shakers, Congresswoman Nita Lowey, and local healthcare heroes, on November 19 at 4 p.m. EST.

The initiatives are outlined in “Towards a Stronger Future,” a newly-released report from the WCA’s Post Pandemic Working Group (PPWG), which is a select committee of business, nonprofit, and education and government leaders who are working collaboratively to support the recovery and long-term prosperity of the region.  The Towards a Stronger Future report, which is available for download on the WCA’s website, sets forth a clear advocacy and action agenda in those Four Foundational Pillars of Economic Recovery where the WCA is well-positioned through its proven expertise and deep professional network to achieve significant impact: healthcare and bioscience, real estate and housing, digital connectivity, and energy and sustainability.

Optimism for Westchester’s economic future, combined with a sense that the region’s financial recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will take between one and three years, are among the key findings from a public survey conducted by the Westchester County Association (WCA), the results of which were announced today. The survey also found that healthcare, entrepreneurship, higher education and hospitality are among the most important industry sectors to the region’s economic future, while high taxes, unemployment, broadband/digital technology, and affordable housing are key economic issues moving forward.

The “Business Insights” live video series will feature hosts from the WCA and Westfair Communications interviewing business leaders from throughout the region and discussing topics related to the challenges and opportunities organizations are encountering. Episodes will stream live on the WCA’s Facebook Page, LinkedIn Page, and YouTube Channel, and also on Westfair Communications’ website, Facebook Page, LinkedIn Page, and YouTube Channel, and be available for on-demand viewing.

The “Best Practices for Reopening Westchester” online event series will support the ongoing efforts of the WCA’s Post-Pandemic Working Group (PPWG) to rebuild a stronger and more resilient economy for the region.

The Post-Pandemic Working Group is pursuing a comprehensive and cooperative approach to the region’s economic development challenges that were both created and made more apparent by the coronavirus crisis. It will cultivate and advance a series of legislative, regulatory, and developmental priorities focused not just on getting our economy restarted but also making sure it grows stronger and more resilient for the long term.

We await the findings of the Medicaid Redesign Team and we are dedicated to working with our State representatives to ensure that the team’s recommendations do not unduly burden Westchester’s health systems or place patients and others in need at unnecessary risk.

William P. Harrington, Jr., Chairman of the Westchester County Association (WCA), announced today that Michael N. Romita will become the next President & CEO of the WCA, the County’s leading economic development and business advocacy organization, effective March 1, 2020.