WCA in the News

After seven years as second fiddle, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins now leads the band. The business community had a glimpse of what’s to come the morning of Thursday, Jan. 23, when Jenkins held what was billed as a “fireside chat” with Westchester County Association President Michael Romita at the Pelham Country Club. The talk came as the Jenkins administration faced its first crisis: the decision of Standard Amusements to terminate its 30-year management agreement to run Playland amusement park after only three years. Among other issues on Jenkins' mind: the future of Westchester County Center; the bogged-down Westchester County Airport master plan; and the rise in county property taxes in its special districts.

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins speaks at the Westchester County Association's annual business breakfast at Pelham Country Club Jan. 23, 2025.

Westchester County crossed a milestone when the last census in 2020 revealed there are now more than one million people living here. So, with more folks competing for a housing stock that hasn’t kept pace, the result is predictable. “It’s Economics 101,” Tim Foley of the Building & Realty Institute told a gathering of more than 75 at the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber breakfast on Jan. 9 “If the supply is inadequate, the prices go sky high. In addition, with the migration up from New York City during Covid, the housing inventory shrunk and the prices went bananas.”

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.

WHITE PLAINS, NY (May 22, 2025) — As cranes rise and hospital campuses expand across Westchester County, new findings unveiled at the Westchester County Association’s (WCA) Annual Real Estate Summit reveal a critical imbalance—Westchester’s housing supply is not keeping up, and the cost of inaction could reach tens of billions of dollars.

White Plains, NY (January 23, 2025) — The Westchester County Association (WCA) launched its 75th anniversary year with newly appointed County Executive Ken Jenkins’ first address to the Westchester business community, where he outlined his vision for the county’s growth and vitality – subjects that drive WCA’s mission.

(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.

Westchester County and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) invite you to explore this summer’s ProCourses: online, non-credit, 4 to 8-week courses taught by industry experts who mentor you through projects that provide you with new capabilities, insights, and confidence at work. Use code SUMMER25 upon registration for 25% off.

GF55 Architects' is designing New Stapleton, an upcoming mixed-income residential project on Staten Island’s North Shore. The 500-home development will use sustainable, zero-carbon mass timber construction—making it the largest residential project of its kind in the U.S.

Burke Rehabilitation is expanding its partnership with Archbishop Stepinac High School to deliver comprehensive sports medicine services. Beginning August 1, Burke physicians and certified athletic trainers will support student-athletes across multiple sports, offering expert care and educational programming to promote performance, safety, and wellness on and off the field.

Mercy University has launched a new Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Advanced Certificate Program to meet the growing demand for mental health professionals. Designed for nurses with a master’s degree, the program prepares graduates to deliver compassionate, evidence-based care across diverse healthcare settings, with a focus on underserved and vulnerable populations.

New York Blood Center opened its largest and most advanced donor center at a new 187,000-square-foot Rye campus, marking a major expansion in the region. Launching amid a critical blood shortage, the center brings together blood collections, research and processing under one roof, offering enhanced services to hospitals in the region.

WMCHealth, Westchester County, and the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation are urging families to prioritize swimming safety this summer following an increase in pediatric drowning emergencies. A $400K initiative will fund swimming lessons for underserved children and promote education, supervision, and early prevention as ways to protect young lives.

Burke Rehabilitation recently opened the McCarthy Family Meditation Garden on its White Plains campus, honoring John McCarthy—former Chair of Burke’s Board of Trustees and longtime White Plains resident—for his years of dedicated service. This serene space was designed to provide patients, visitors, and staff with a peaceful place for reflection, restoration, and meditation.

Mercy University has named Lauren de la Cruz as its first Chief Human Resources Officer. A Bronx native and Mercy alum, de la Cruz brings over 20 years of HR leadership experience. Her appointment underscores Mercy’s commitment to building an inclusive, high-performing workplace that supports its mission of access and student success.

Congratulations to James Hernandez and the IFCA Housing Network on joining the Welcome Home Westchester Policy Advisory Committee! Excited to see IFCA working alongside so many dedicated partners to move the housing conversation forward in Westchester County.

Tal Healthcare has been recognized on Forbes’ “America’s Best Recruiting Firms 2025” lists in both the Professional and Executive Search categories. This honor reflects the trust of clients and candidates alike, and our commitment to delivering top-tier healthcare talent—from frontline roles to executive leadership—when the stakes are highest.