Ninth Annual Three Minute Thesis Competition

President and CEO, OneROC

Dr. Joseph Stefko is President/CEO of OneROC, Greater Rochester's regional economic alliance. In OneROC's first six years, its $30M+ capacity-building plan has contributed to improvements in the region's peer rank on a host of key metrics including job growth and regional GDP expansion. OneROC also played a lead role in securing federal Tech Hub designation and a first-in-the-nation implementation award for the NY SMART I-Corridor, the nation's only full semiconductor value-cahin tech hub, for which Dr. Stefko serves as Regional Innovation Officer.

He previously served as President/CEO of Rochester-based CGR. Prior to being named CEO, he was VP and Director of Public Finance, managing engagements on government fiscal management and restructuring, community competitiveness and economic analysis.

From 2003-08, he was Principal Analyst, Deputy Director and Acting Executive Director for the emergency fiscal control board appointed by New York State to monitor the finances of the City of Buffalo and Buffalo Public Schools. During his tenure the board's guidance contributed to more than $230 million in savings, a quadrupling of reserves, and five credit rating upgrades.

He presently serves on the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Genesee Valley Club's Board of Governors, the Rochester Area Community Foundation's ACT Rochester Advisory Committee, as President of the University at Buffalo Alumni Association Board of Directors, and as Chairman of the Partnership for Downtown Rochester. 

He is a two-time "40 Under Forty" award winner: in 2005 from Buffalo Business First and 2014 from Rochester Business Journal. In 2016 he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University at Buffalo Alumni Association; in 2023, 2024, and 2025 was named to the Rochester Business Journal's Power 100 list; and in 2024 he was named to City and State NY's Upstate Power 100.

He holds BA, MA and PhD degrees from UB.