County Executive Robert P. Astorino today named 10 well-respected local business leaders to his newly formed Westchester Economic Development Council (WEDC), which will provide independent advice and recommendations to the County Executive and his Office of Economic Development on the policies and priorities for retaining, attracting and growing business in Westchester.
Named were:
- Charles Brown, President, C.W. Brown;
- Robin Douglas, President, African American Chamber of Commerce;
- Dr. Marsha Gordon, President, Westchester Business Council;
- Thomas Lalla, General Counsel, Pernod Ricard USA;
- Fannie Lansch, President, Westchester Hispanic Chamber of Commerce;
- Rita Mabli, CEO, United Hebrew;
- Frank McCullough, Jr., Senior Partner, McCullough, Goldberger & Staudt;
- William Mooney, President, Westchester County Association;
- Ross Pepe, President, Construction Industry Council of Westchester and Hudson Valley;
- Andrew Tung, Founding Partner, Divney Tung Schwalbe.
“This group is truly representative of Westchester business and reflects my administration’s belief that only through a diversity of opinion will we successfully overcome the challenges facing area business owners,” stated Astorino. “Ultimately, the Council’s goal is accelerating economic growth in Westchester by establishing the county as a world-class place to do business, and with the selection of this advisory group, we are well under way towards reaching this goal.”
The WEDC will be responsible for:
- Presenting thorough and timely economic analysis by drawing upon research, which reflects a macro view of the New York State and Westchester economy and/or a micro view of vital existing and burgeoning business sectors;
- Supporting the communication of the county’s economic development goals and policies by reaching out to a wide variety of audiences and constituencies – locally, regionally, statewide and beyond;
- Assisting the Office of Economic Development with networking and collaborating with key partners in support of economic growth in all critical Westchester business sectors.
Presiding over the WEDC as president, Westchester County Director of Economic Development Larry Gottlieb noted, “Having such a prestigious group of individuals as advisors will be a powerful tool in our efforts to generate economic growth in Westchester.” He added, “We need to send a clear message to all business leaders here, across the country and around the world that Westchester is open for business.”
All WEDC board members voluntarily serve at the discretion of the County Executive.