At the recent annual meeting of CenterState CEO, 1,000 members came together to help mark the fifth anniversary of the organization and explore our theme of evolution and continuous innovation. Evolution is at the heart of some of our most recent civic successes — downtown Syracuse’s revitalization, a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, and an improved industrial sector. However, if we are to fully meet the challenges and seize the opportunities before us, we must act together at a pace and scale we have never seen. 

We don’t have to look any further than the private sector to find examples of those that have adapted to external pressures, turning challenges into opportunities. This includes businesses like Novelis, which is helping auto manufacturers like Ford, and its new F-150, meet new fuel economy standards. It also includes Ephesus, which seized on the global need for energy efficiency, growing from a startup at The Tech Garden to lighting the Super Bowl in five short years. 

In his keynote address at the annual meeting, Dr. Parimal Kopardekar, a NASA scientist and leading innovator in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), shared his vision for the future of the industry. He highlighted the pace at which UAS technology is advancing; the innovations taking place and the significant opportunities they’re creating; and the need for a nationwide system to increase efficiency, safety, and capacity of airspace operations. 

Kopardekar’s perspective is incredibly relevant given CenterState CEO’s leadership role with the NUAIR Alliance — [a not-for-profit coalition of more than 70 private and public entities and academic institutions working together to operate and oversee UAS test ranges in New York, Massachusetts, and Michigan. It is headquartered at Griffiss International Airport in Rome.] 

NUAIR operates and manages one of just six UAS test sites in the country, helping to establish the case for safe UAS operations in the nation’s commercial airspace.

It’s also timely given the opportunity presented by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s $1.5 billion Upstate Revitalization Initiative. As Howard Zemsky, the new president & CEO of Empire State Development clearly stated, this investment is our chance to turn our visions for transforming our economy into a reality. 

The Upstate Revitalization Initiative is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s critical to our continued economic reinvention and growth. I encourage you to become involved in these conversations and opportunities. As always, please contact me at president@centerstateceo.com to share your thoughts.        

Robert M. Simpson is president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the primary economic-development organization for Central New York. This editorial is drawn and edited from the “CEO Focus” email newsletter the organization sent out on April 3.

As New York state legislators Prepare for the second half of the Legislative session, it is vital we address the failures of the recently passed budget. With nowhere near enough help for middle-class families, and a major swing-and-miss on ethics reform and education, much remains to accomplish. I remain dedicated to advancing measures that will improve the tax and business climate, create jobs, and ensure our children get the education they deserve in this state.

Smart solutions offered, but not adopted

The Assembly Minority conference offered a number of amendments to the budget that would have helped New Yorkers across the board, but were unfortunately rejected on the floor. The Small Business Full Employment Act would cut taxes and provide mandate relief to help create jobs and grow the economy. We also pushed for a permanent middle-class tax cut and elimination of the state sales tax on gasoline and a number of other everyday products. Part of the Assembly Minority’s plan for all New Yorkers also included the: 

– Establishment of the Division of Regulatory Review & Economic Growth to cut red tape that holds businesses back;

– Move toward a state takeover of the local cost of Medicaid within the next five years;

– Immediate repeal of the 18-A tax to cut utility bills; and

– Merging of the Thruway Authority with the Department of Transportation to cut costs. 

The good, the bad, and the ugly

There are some pieces of the 2015-16 enacted budget that the Assembly Minority conference is proud to have helped pass for New Yorkers. We are glad to see a 

$603 million restoration to the Gap Elimination Adjustment, an increase in aid for community-college students, and a $4.2 million increase in farming local assistance. However, too many common-sense solutions were left out of the spending plan.

The budget woefully missed the mark on addressing Common Core and will force another round of pointless tests on students in the coming weeks. The ethics package that passed leaves the door wide open for loopholes, and does nothing to address leadership term limits and pension removal for convicted legislators. Also, the winners-and-losers approach to upstate development falls far short of the broad stimulation that New York needs. And again there is no unfunded-mandate relief to ease the burden of the state’s outrageous property taxes. No permanent tax relief for the middle class was included, despite credits for luxury yacht owners and Hollywood elites.

Without addressing the root problems in our economy, we will be having the same conversations about the misguided direction of New York state during the next budget season. Until New Yorkers get the financial relief they need, an education policy that will prepare our future leaders, and ethics reform that will provide transparency and accountability that we can all be proud of, much work remains to be done.          

Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C–Canandaigua) is the New York Assembly Minority Leader and represents the 131st Assembly District, which encompasses all of Ontario County and parts of Seneca County. Contact him at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us