Digital technologies change quickly, and a fast-growing number of individuals rely more and more on social media to get information. In order to improve Westchester County's digital presence, County Executive Robert P. Astorino today announced the formation of the Westchester County Digital Communication Task Force in partnership with Silverback Social, a White Plains-based social media consulting firm.

"We were looking for ways to build upon the county's digital success and make Westchester one of the most digitally advanced counties in the country without costing residents another penny in taxes," said Astorino. "Thanks to the county's wealth of intellectual capital, we had to look no further than our own backyard."

Westchester natives Chris Dessi, Silverback Social's chief executive officer and founder, and John Zanzarella, Silverback Social's chief marketing officer, will co-chair the task force and recruit fellow industry experts in the county. The task force will collaborate with the county's Department of Information Technology (DoIT) and Department of Communication periodically to provide resources and consulting services pro bono. Dessi and Zanzarella will organize regular meetings with industry leaders to discuss new technologies, best practices and how the county, local businesses and residents can take advantage of the tools at their disposal.

The benefits of this public private partnership are many:

• #OpenGovernment
• #GovernmentTransparency
• #ImprovedEfficiency
• #EnhancedEmergencyCommunications
• #TaxpayerSavings
• #BusinessGrowth

"Westchester County is operating from a strong base of knowledge," said Westchester County Department of Information Technology Commissioner John McCaffrey. "This initiative will help us capitalize on that even more, and expand our base of expertise." Westchester County's DoIT was ranked among the Top 10 Digital Counties eight times, since 2005. Last year, it ranked sixth in the 500,000 or more population category. View a list of the DoIT's awards.

The announcement was made in advance of Silverback Social's Westchester Digital Summit on Thursday, May 15 at The Ritz Carlton Westchester in White Plains. Westchester County's Office of Economic Development is a sponsor of the event, which was named by Forbes as one of the top 10 "Must-Attend Marketing Conferences for Leaders in 2014."

"The task force and summit are about bringing Westchester's top innovators together and collaborating on ways that digital media can improve every aspect of their lives," said Dessi. "Investing in digital marketing and communications is vital for every sector, including business and government."

Last year, the summit attracted over 700 senior digital executives to Westchester, New York. This year, attendees will have the opportunity to network with representatives from Facebook, Linkedin, Huffington Post, Rebelmouse, Omnigon, Mastercard, GE, ESPN, Fox Sports, David S. Kidder, IBM, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, TerraMar Project, & Influence, & Co.

"The goal of this summit is to help Westchester businesses and non-profits improve their bottom line," said Zanzarella. "Attendees will walk away with easily executable ideas and a blue print to increase revenue through digital."

With only 50 seats remaining at the summit, businesses are encouraged to register today at WestchesterDigitalSummit.com.