News & Media

A convergence of economic, geopolitical, and societal factors has put clean energy squarely in the spotlight over the last few years — and perhaps never more so than now. With oil and gas prices steadily rising around the globe (even before the Russia-Ukraine conflict), growing prominence of climate change as a political issue, and an increased interest in renewable energy policy at the federal level, it seems everyone is focusing on the clean energy economy.

The newly passed federal Inflation Reduction Act, also known as the Climate, Health, and Tax Bill, brings an end to decades of national legislative inaction on climate change. This new law will bolster New York’s efforts to aggressively reduce carbon emissions under the State’s own landmark 2019 Climate Act. Some in the business community have been slow to embrace the pathway to a clean energy economy. They view New York’s ambitious roadmap — the goals and timetables for reducing greenhouse gas emissions outlined by New York’s Climate Action Council draft scoping plan — as impractical, unrealistic and threatening to the state’s economic future. However, indictments of the Climate Council’s work coupled with calls to amend the underlying state statute are short-sighted and misdirected. The fact is, we either face the economic realities of climate change and seek to address them head-on or we pay an even greater price in the long run.

The Harvard Business School defines sustainability in business as doing business without negatively impacting the environment, community or society as a whole. For the Westchester County Association (WCA), sustainability no longer is something its members can afford to keep off their radar screens and deal with only when unavoidable. "Sustainability is now a necessity for well-run organizations," WCA said in announcing its recent WCA Sustainable Business Conference that was held at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in White Plains.

Members of the public expressed both support and criticism for proposed amendments to White Plains’ zoning ordinance during a public hearing at the White Plains Common Council meeting on June 6. Michael Romita, President and CEO of the Westchester County Association, voiced his support for the proposed amendments to the ordinance, citing their forward-looking nature. “It’s well-conceived, and it’s the result of significant study following community outreach and input from environmental and technical experts, including input from NYSERDA,” Romita said. “The ordinance has clear regulations and guidelines and will encourage more of the right kind of development in White Plains.”

It may come as no surprise, but county executives in Westchester and the Hudson Valley have upbeat views of where their counties stand financially, in the recovery from Covid, as hosts to businesses and in helping residents enjoy the highest possible quality of life. The season for messages about the state of the various counties peaked recently with addresses by the county executives in Westchester and Dutchess.

When Hurricane Ida smashed into Mamaroneck in September 2021, businesses across the town faced some of the worst flooding in living memory. "We had six feet of water in our two front buildings and four feet of water in our shop building," recalls Michael Murphy of Murphy Brothers Contracting, a 50-year-old, family-owned and Mamaroneck-based general contracting firm. "That storm was a monster."

Leslie Hollingsworth has 16 years of experience teaching third grade in New York City. She enjoyed the position — it’s easier to mold their minds in third grade, she said of teaching young children versus teenagers — but circumstances have led her back to the job market. On a recent Thursday, she visited a job fair in Peekskill, where the Peekskill City School District’s table was among the longest

The labor market in this country has been a fast-changing landscape from high unemployment during the pandemic, then swerving to an overflowing job market with some 10.6 million job openings in this country. Today, the national unemployment rate is hovering around 4.0% and seems to be dropping; in Westchester, it’s about 3.7%. But what about all the folks quitting their jobs in unprecedented numbers? Last November, the number of people who voluntarily left their jobs spiked to a record 4.5 million — and that was in just one month according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. What’s that about? Reasons for those walking out are unreasonably low wages, poor working conditions, no career path, and no benefits. The message from workers: we want better jobs with decent pay and jobs that have a future.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital bought a piece of the Platinum Mile in White Plains and plans to open an outpatient care facility on Westchester Avenue, the hospital announced Tuesday. The medical center bought the 25-acre property from Westpark Associates for $83.5 million on March 1, according to land records from the Westchester County Clerk's Office.

Gov. Kathy Hochul removed two controversial pieces of housing-related legislation from her proposed Executive Budget last week, both of which drew harsh criticisms from most municipal officials throughout Westchester and the state.

White Plains, N.Y. (February 25, 2022) – During the Annual County Executive’s Breakfast hosted by The Westchester County Association (WCA) on Thursday, February 24, 2022 at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel & Conference Center in Tarrytown, New York, County Executive George Latimer and WCA President & CEO Michael N. Romita jointly announced the launch of the Healthcare Talent Pipeline Program (HTPP). Conceived by the WCA, the HTPP will help relieve the regional workplace challenges faced by our hospitals and medical groups by recruiting and training 100 job seekers and incumbent works for high-demand healthcare jobs.

White Plains, N.Y. (February 7, 2022) – The Westchester County Association (WCA) joined community leaders from Nonprofit Westchester (NPW), the Building and Realty Institute of Westchester and the Mid-Hudson Region (BRI), the Construction Industry Council of Westchester and Hudson Valley (CIC), and the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors (HGAR) to put forth an advocacy letter urging government officials to find statewide solutions to Westchester’s housing crisis. These organizations represent an array of interests throughout the Hudson Valley, and they call upon government leaders to pass legislation which expands housing supply and benefits our economy, our workforce, and our communities.

Yonkers, N.Y. – Today, the Westchester County Association joined community leaders, elected officials, and project partners in a press conference at the Yonkers Public Library to highlight the latest developments since the launch of the Y-Zone (Yonkers Zone), a broadband pilot program funded by US Ignite and Schmidt Futures as part of Project Overcome.

White Plains, N.Y. (December 2, 2021) – The Westchester County Association (WCA) hosted their Annual Fall Leadership Event: Driving Westchester Forward on November 30 at the Westchester Marriot in Tarrytown, New York. With over 400 people in attendance, the evening honored the achievements of organizations Skanska, Westhab, and WMCHealth, as well as outgoing WCA Chairman William P. Harrington Esq., Partner at Bleakley Platt & Schmidt who received the Alfred B. DelBello Visionary Award.

The Westchester County Association (WCA) is excited to announce that at today’s meeting of the Board of Directors, Susan Fox, CEO and President of White Plains Hospital, was selected to succeed Bill Harrington as the next Chairperson of the WCA. She will step up from her current role as Vice Chair to spearhead innovative ways the WCA can continue to make an impact on economic vitality throughout Westchester County and the surrounding region. Ms. Fox will begin her tenure as Chairperson of the WCA beginning on January 1, 2022.

White Plains, N.Y. (November 23, 2021) – The Westchester County Association (WCA), and Nonprofit Westchester (NPW), are hosting a free virtual event, An Open Conversation with US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, on Thursday, December 9, 2021 at 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. EST. This event will include an interactive dialogue, discussing the most pressing issues impacting businesses and the Hudson Valley community.

White Plains, N.Y. (October 21, 2021) – Today, the Westchester County Association in partnership with the City of Yonkers, STEM Alliance, Yonkers Partners in Education (YPIE), Fordham University, and Westhab launched the much-anticipated Yonkers Zone (Y-Zone). This project is made possible through support from US Ignite, the National Science Foundation (NSF) (Award # CNS-2044448), and Schmidt Futures. By utilizing Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum, the newly deployed, digital opportunity zone provides free internet access to approximately 250 to 400 need-based households in downtown Yonkers.

The Westchester County Association (WCA) is hosting their 2nd Annual Regional Workforce Summit on Friday, April 23, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. EST. Join the WCA and leaders from business, education, government, and nonprofits as they gather to discuss the mega shifts occurring in our region’s talent ecosystem. This event will showcase how businesses are leveraging the “new normal” in training, recruiting, and retention developments of the region’s talent.

The Westchester County Association (WCA) is one of seven lead organizations to have been selected by US Ignite, a national non-profit accelerating the smart city movement, to participate in Project OVERCOME. Project OVERCOME, a $2.7 million effort is designed to expedite the delivery of broadband services to underserved communities across the United States. The U. S. National Science Foundation (NSF) conceived of and is providing $2.25 million in funding for the project, with Schmidt Futures joining as a financial and strategic partner to extend Project OVERCOME’s geographic reach with an additional $450,000. The project explores novel approaches to connectivity in both rural and urban communities with an eye on replicating these efforts on a national scale.

The Westchester County Association (WCA), and Nonprofit Westchester (NPW), are hosting a free virtual event, An Open Conversation with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, on February 26, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. EST. This event will discuss the most pressing issues impacting regional businesses and nonprofits and will include an audience Q&A. Topics that will be addressed in this event include: • COVID relief and the rest of Senator Schumer’s 2021 legislative agenda • Economic development priorities in the lower Hudson Valley • The importance of nonprofits to the regional economy • The challenges of legislating in the current political environment