President Tripathi Named Co-chair of WNY Regional Economic Development Council

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- University at Buffalo President Satish K. Tripathi has been named a regional co-chair of the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council, one of 10 region-based councils charged with allocating economic development funds within their regions to stimulate economic development and speed the creation of jobs.

Tripathi's appointment, and that of co-chair Howard A. Zemsky, managing partner of the Larkin Development Group, was announced today by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

Cuomo was joined by Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy, local officials, business leaders and community members for the formal launch of the Western New York council at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

The Western New York Regional Council will coordinate economic development for Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties.

"For too long, Albany has imposed one-size-fits-all economic development plans across the state, ignoring the unique assets and challenges of each region," Cuomo said. "Today, we are taking a new approach. With the regional councils, we will empower individual areas like Western New York to chart their own course for job creation and growth, and we will send a clear message that New York is open for business."

Tripathi noted that by creating the regional councils, Cuomo "is addressing the specific economic development needs of each area of New York state."

"This approach is exactly what Western New York needs to rejuvenate its economic climate. Under Lt. Gov. Duffy's leadership, the Western New York Regional Council will work to ensure that residents and businesses from Niagara to Erie to Chautauqua counties are able to build a healthy business climate for the region, including leveraging the resources of the higher education institutions in the area," Tripathi said.

"I look forward to working with the governor, lieutenant governor and my colleagues on the regional council to create an environment that will generate jobs and bring prosperity not only to Western New York, but to the entire state."

The regional councils represent a fundamental shift in the state's approach to economic development -- from a top-down development model to a community-based approach that emphasizes regions' unique assets, harnesses local expertise and empowers each region to set plans and priorities.

Currently, New York's economic development efforts are managed through dozens of separate state and local agencies. The regional councils will bring together stakeholders in every region of the state to serve as a coordinated point of contact for economic development.

Each regional council will be chaired by Duffy and led by two regional co-chairs from the business and academic communities. Additional membership is comprised of local leaders from business, academia, labor, agriculture, nonprofits and community-based organizations.

To learn more about the governor's regional councils, go to http://www.nyopenforbusiness.com.

Each regional council will develop a plan for the development of its region. The state will work with the councils to align state resources and policies, eliminate unnecessary barriers to growth and prosperity, and streamline the delivery of government services and programs to help the councils carry out their plans for development.

The regional councils also will integrate the plans submitted by the four SUNY university centers under the NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program initiative. UB plans to use its $35 million in NYSUNY 2020 funding as a down payment to move the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences from the UB South Campus to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.