WCA in the News

The U.S. healthcare system is facing a dual crisis: a critical shortage of nurses and an even more severe shortage of nursing faculty. This interconnected challenge creates a dangerous threat to the system’s capacity to meet current and future healthcare needs, with dire consequences for patient care quality.

An estimated 400 business, nonprofit and community leaders were on hand November 20th when The Westchester County Association honored four Westchester leaders at its Annual Leadership Event, “Impact in Action.” The event took place at Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle.

On Oct. 1, more than 150 attendees — including state and local officials, tech experts, college presidents and national scholars — gathered at Pace University for the Hudson Valley Digital Innovation Conference to discuss how to turn this vision into reality.

The Welcome Home Westchester Campaign (WHWC) has called on local officials not to wait for action from New York state on housing but to move now on their own to address the county’s housing needs.

As New York state continues on its mission to meet clean energy goals, the real estate industry in the Lower Hudson Valley is embracing a new mindset — with hopes of reducing carbon emissions.

To harness the promise of the ACP, the Westchester County Association together with the STEM Alliance and other partners launched two first-of-its-kind, digital connectivity initiatives, the Yonkers-based YZone and the county-wide Connect Westchester.

It’s hard to believe in this age of hyper-connectivity, but about half a million people living in New York City and its suburbs still lack access to high-speed broadband despite more than a decade of state and federal programs that have poured billions of dollars into closing the digital divide.

With the rapid rise of AI, remote work, sustainability, and cybersecurity, remaining up-to-the-second with business trends is not only smart, it can make or break a company.

Beginning in 2022, the Westchester County Association’s Healthcare Talent Pipeline Program placed and trained 100 workers with regional healthcare providers. The initiative funded by a grant from Westchester County has an annual economic impact of more than $3.5 million.

Brightcore is just one of numerous players in Westchester County creating a more sustainable future. The reasons why are obvious to anyone paying attention to recent climate “events” — a mushy word for disasters, like excessive heat, flooding, smoky air, and others, that are becoming more frequent and severe.

(November 21, 2024) …. Four exceptional Westchester leaders, cited for their outstanding contributions to Westchester’s robust economy, benefiting its people and businesses, were honored at the Westchester County Association’s (WCA) Annual Leadership Event, “Impact in Action,” held on November 20th at Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle.

White Plains, New York - (November 10, 2023)….Over 450 members of Westchester’s professional community packed the Westchester Marriott ballroom on November 9th for the Westchester County Association’s 73rd annual leadership event.

White Plains (October 12, 2023) More than 300 job seekers lined up to meet with over 40 employers and resource providers at a regional career fair October 12 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.

Connect Westchester is Westchester County’s Office of Economic Development’s new initiative to bridge the digital divide through providing essential digital resources, education and affordable internet access to low-income residents.

White Plains, New York - (September 22, 2023)…In his keynote address at WCA’s “Toasting to a Healthy Westchester,” Michael J. Dowling, CEO, Northwell Health appealed to 250 key leaders in healthcare and business attending this annual dinner to try to solve what he called the social determinants of health, such as gun violence, poverty, obesity, and drugs and alchohol abuse. “If we don’t solve theses issues, we will never improve the health status of Americans,”he said, citing the pressures facing the industry today.

White Plains, New York -- (June 5, 2023) Close to 200 business, nonprofit, and government leaders attended the WCA’s 2nd Annual Sustainable Business Conference hosted in partnership with Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law. The event, held June 1 at the law school, focused on new opportunities in sustainable investing and real estate, navigating an evolving regulatory landscape, and the connection between sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion. New this year, a “Sustainability Bootcamp” workshop served as a primer for businesses of all sizes to get started with practical tools to develop a sustainability program.

White Plains, New York - (December 8, 2022) Susan Fox, WCA Board Chair, President & CEO, White Plains Hospital, and Michael N. Romita, President, and CEO of the Westchester County Association (WCA), announced this week that the WCA, the county’s premier business membership organization, will welcome eight new board members representing important industry sectors to bolster the WCA’s economic development and advocacy work.

White Plains, New York - (November 21, 2022)…. Westchester’s professional community packed the Westchester Marriott ballroom on November 17th for the Westchester County Association’s annual leadership dinner to honor Westchester’s most influential leaders and celebrate another year of impactful work by the WCA, the region’s premiere business advocacy and economic development organization.

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).

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.

The Wallflowers return to the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester for a special benefit concert supporting ArtsWestchester on November 12. This marks their first performance at the iconic venue in over a decade. Enjoy an unforgettable evening with Grammy winner Jakob Dylan and his band, while supporting the vibrant arts in Westchester.

Rockland Community College has been selected as a 2024 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award winner by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for the fourth year in a row — a testament to the college's dedication to fostering an inclusive, equitable environment for all.

With so many worthy nonprofits in Westchester, set yours apart by learning how to optimize operations and best position your organization! Attend New York Nonprofit Media and Nonprofit Westchester's Nonprofit OpConus on October 30. The full-day conference will cover essential topics like talent retention, digital marketing, innovation, and more.

Burke Rehabilitation hosted the Chopped Challenge, its first-ever adaptive cooking competition, during Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month last month. Three local chefs led teams through culinary challenges, while incorporating adaptive cooking techniques. A panel of community leaders judged the well-received contest.

Joshua Halpern, Administrator at Epic Healthcare Management's Waterview Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, has been selected by the AHCA/NCAL as a future leader in long-term care. Known for his dedication and community initiatives, Halpern will join a year-long leadership program in Washington, D.C.

LeChase Construction Services has restructured its senior leadership, announcing William H. Goodrich as chairman and CEO, William L. Mack as vice chairman, and Kyle L. Sayers as president. This move aims to set forth new growth during the company's 80th anniversary year.

Concerned about how the upcoming election, immigration, and deportation may affect your business and workforce? Join Neighbors Link for an online forum on October 24 at 1pm, where experts will discuss the economic contributions of immigrants, and what you need to know to confidently hire and support immigrant workers in Westchester.

Dr. Jamie Twaite has been named Director of the Rehabilitation Psychology and Neuropsychology Department at Burke Rehabilitation. Her dedication to patient care and professional growth enhances Burke's neuropsychology landscape, offering a unique therapeutic environment for patients and families.

Westfair Communications honored influential power players at their recent Women Innovators ceremony. Congrats to our members recognized: Catherine Cioffi, Westchester County Government; Jennifer Galluzzo, Harry; Elizabeth Jones, Orange Bank & Trust Company; Andrea Kawakami, M&T Bank; Dr. Anna Komoroski, Northwell Health; Sarah Jones Maturo, RM Friedland; Katharine Yamulla, New York Medical College.

Are you an early-stage startup in Westchester or the surrounding region? Looking to bring a product to market or grow your sales and production? Manufacturing & Technology's Enterprise Center is offering a free Advanced Manufacturing Accelerator Academy to help. Participation is limited to 10 businesses.