WCA in the News

Westchester County Association's mantra to be the region's leading economic-development and business-advocacy organization was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the private sector, corporate sustainability is no longer a peripheral interest to be addressed with platitudes or tertiary pilot projects. Organizations that continue to ignore the impacts of climate change and other aspects of social responsibility in their core strategic planning increasingly do so at their own peril.

A new effort by a coalition of organizations and businesses to address what is described as "the housing crisis in Westchester" was launched June 24 with a news conference in front of the Regent Street Senior Apartments in Port Chester.

A new online resource enables Westchester County property owners to easily assess the feasibility of geothermal heating and cooling for any building or property in the County.

“At the Westchester County Association, we are pleased to be working with Tim Foley and the Building and Realty Institute on its Welcome Home Westchester campaign. The WCA has identified the shortage of affordable housing as one of our region’s principal economic challenges and last year we revised our Real Estate Policy Playbook to include a separate section on this issue,” Michael Romita, president & CEO of Westchester County Association said. “Adequate housing impacts directly the availability of a skilled local workforce for our businesses and nonprofits. It is not simply that there is not enough residential real estate. It is that the cost of housing is fast becoming out of reach for middle-class families. That threatens the long-term health of our economy. The BRI has heard the call and are helping take on this challenge.”

WCA's President & CEO Michael Romita and Chairman William Harrington are featured as two of the top names you need to know to do business in Westchester.

"We want to create a system that works for everybody. That's not only morally just, its good for business." Michael Romita, President & CEO of WCA

Westchester’s business community is confronting its biggest challenge in recent history: a grueling pandemic that’s slowed the economy to a crawl. That means Michael Romita — the new president/CEO of the WCA — has a Herculean task ahead of him. "We need to think more strategically about how our regional economy fits into the broader national conversation."

Many in the business community believe the county’s economy has the fundamentals in place to stage a strong recovery as vaccines become more available and schools transition back to normal operations. “We are pretty resilient,” says Michael Romita, president and CEO of the White Plains-based Westchester County Association. “We have a pretty diverse economic ecosystem. It is not dependent on any single sector of the economy.”

The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970. Considered a marker for the modern environmental movement, it was born of a bipartisan effort between a Democratic Senator from Wisconsin, a Republican Congressman from California and a small cohort of student activists. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did not yet exist. Neither did any of the laws or international treaties that now make up the canon of environmental protection.

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.