The North Country Regional Economic Development Council (NCREDC) today announced that the council's Co-Chairs will host a series of outreach forums on Wednesday, June 12 and Thursday, June 13 in the North Country. Co-Chairs James McKenna, CEO of the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, and Dr. Ty Stone, Jefferson Community College President, will highlight the State resources available through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) and Round IX of the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) initiative.
The Co-Chairs also recently announced the consolidation of 16 existing NCREDC workgroups into four, in stronger alignment with New York State's regional economic development priorities: placemaking, workforce development, innovation and tradeable sectors. The workgroups will provide updates on their efforts at NCREDC meetings, the next of which is scheduled for June 26 in Lake Placid.
NCREDC Co-Chair James McKenna said, "By refocusing our Council workgroups, we are simplifying our workgroup roster while realigning our regional strategies to better reflect the state's approach to economic development. Together, we can build upon the progress we've made by capitalizing on our regional strengths, while reevaluating the areas that need improvement to better encourage growth across the North Country."
NCREDC Co-Chair Dr. Ty Stone said, "Jim and I are hitting the road, visiting five counties in two days, to get a better picture of the whole North Country region and meet the residents in these communities. These sessions provide opportunities to discuss our new regional strategy, and encourage various people, groups and businesses to participate in the CFA process to help us build a stronger region."
Outreach forums are scheduled for:
Wednesday, June 12:
- 8:30 a.m. – Plattsburgh Town Hall, 151 Banker Road, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
- 11:00 a.m. – Malone Village Office, 343 West Main Street, Malone, NY 12953
- 3:30 p.m. – Long Lake Town Hall, 1258 Main Street, Long Lake, NY 12847
Thursday, June 13:
- 9:30 a.m. – Lewis County Office Building, Rocky Fawcett Conference Room, 7840 State Route 26, Lowville, NY 13367
- 1:00 p.m. – Jefferson Community College, Jules Building – Room 6-002, 1220 Coffeen Street, Watertown, NY 13601
Additionally, a CFA Workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, June 26 at 1:30 p.m. in Lake Placid. The St. Lawrence County workshop was held on May 30.
Forums are open to the public, but prior registration is requested and available here.
In April, Governor Cuomo announced Round IX of the REDC initiative, which will award over $750 million across all 10 regions. The Consolidated Funding Application opened to applicants on May 1, enabling businesses, municipalities, not-for-profits and the public to begin applying for assistance from dozens of state programs, through a single application, for job-creation and community development projects. Those wishing to apply for funding through the regional council process must apply here ahead of the July 26 deadline.
More information on the NCREDC can be found here.
About the Regional Economic Development Councils
The Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) initiative is a key component of Governor Cuomo’s approach to State investment and economic development. In 2011, Governor Cuomo established 10 Regional Councils to develop long-term strategic plans for economic growth for their regions. The Councils are public-private partnerships made up of local experts and stakeholders from business, academia, local government, and non-governmental organizations. The Regional Councils have redefined the way New York invests in jobs and economic growth by putting in place a community-based, bottom up approach and establishing a competitive process for State resources.
After eight rounds of the REDC process, more than $6.1 billion has been awarded to more than 7,300 job creation and community development projects consistent with each region’s strategic plans, projecting to create and retain more than 230,000 jobs. For more information on the Regional Councils, visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov.
Contact:
Adam Ostrowski | [email protected] | (518) 292-5148
ESD Press Office | [email protected] | (800) 260-7313