Governor Cuomo Launches Long Island Regional Economic Development Council

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today launched his Long Island Regional Economic Development Council, which will redesign the relationship between the state government and businesses to stimulate regional economic development and create jobs statewide. The Governor was joined by local officials, business leaders, and community members to launch the Regional Council at the SUNY College at Old Westbury.

The Long Island Regional Council will be led by Stuart Rabinowitz, the President of Hofstra University, and Kevin Law, President of the Long Island Association, who will both serve as Regional Co-Chairs. The Regional Council will coordinate the economic development of Nassau and Suffolk counties. A complete list of members of the Long Island Regional Council is included below.

“Today we are putting into action a regional plan that confronts head-on the specific economic challenges facing Long Island,” Governor Cuomo said. “These councils will have the tools they need to initiate regionally tailored projects that take advantage of our state’s many resources and create jobs for New Yorkers. For too long, economic development efforts have not met the needs of New York’s diverse regions, but with this new approach we will once again open New York for business.”

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 State’s economic development efforts are managed through dozens of separate state and local agencies. The Regional Councils will now 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 Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy and will be led by two Regional Co-Chairs from the business and academic community. Additional membership is comprised of local leaders from business, academia, labor, agriculture, nonprofits, and community-based organizations.

Each Regional Council will develop a plan for the development of their region. The state will work with the Regional 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 Regional Councils carry out their plans for development.

Governor Cuomo has already made historic changes to the state’s economic development grant application process to support the Regional Councils. Through a new Consolidated Funding Application that combines resources from dozens of existing programs, the Regional Councils can now apply for $1 billion in state funding for projects they determine to be part of their regional strategy.

Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy said, “These Regional Councils are an innovative approach to economic development that send a strong message that New York is open for business. By building each strategy to the specific needs of New York’s many regions, we are putting our state on the path to future prosperity. Governor Cuomo has said repeatedly that his top priority is keeping and creating jobs in New York, and today’s launch of Long Island’s Regional Council is a major step in the right direction.”

Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Kenneth Adams said, “Governor Cuomo is committed to rebuilding New York as an attractive place for investment and job creation, as demonstrated by the launch of these Regional Councils. Today marks a new era for Long Island and the entire state, as now local stakeholders have the tools needed to attract regionally specific investment and create new employment opportunities. I look forward to working with Regional Councils across the state to ensure we are doing everything possible to make New York’s economy great again.”

Stuart Rabinowitz, President of Hofstra University and Co-Chair of the Long Island Regional Council, said, “By creating these Regional Councils, Governor Cuomo is sending a strong message that building a vibrant, sustainable economy requires partnerships between industry, government and educational institutions that capitalize on each region’s unique strengths. The governor’s vision and leadership in this effort is exactly what Long Island, and New York State, needs. I’m proud to collaborate with him, Lieutenant Governor Duffy, Kevin Law and public and private sector leaders in Nassau and Suffolk counties in an effort to create a blueprint for prosperity.”

Kevin Law, President of the Long Island Association and Co-Chair of the Long Island Regional Council, said, “I am pleased to work with Governor Cuomo, his team, and my colleagues on the Long Island Regional Council to develop a long-term economic growth plan for Nassau and Suffolk counties. As stakeholders in the local business community, the members of our Council know that utilizing a regional approach will maximize the potential of our local talent to create jobs and encourage economic growth in Long Island and all across the state. I look forward to creating a strategy that will deliver real results for New Yorkers.”

The ten Regional Councils cover the Capital Region, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Long Island, Mid-Hudson, Mohawk Valley, New York City, North Country, Southern Tier, and Western New York.

To learn more about the Regional Councils, please visit www.nyopenforbusiness.com

Long Island Regional Council Members

Regional Co-Chairs


Stuart Rabinowitz, President, Hofstra University
Kevin Law, President, Long Island Association

General Members

Bill Wahlig, Executive Director, Long Island Forum for Technology
Marianne Garvin, CEO, Community Development Corporation of Long Island
Desmond M. Ryan, Executive Director, Association for a Better Long Island, Inc.
Patricia McMahon, Sector Vice President and General Manager of Battle Management Engagement Systems, Northrop Grumman Corporation
Harvey Kamil, Vice Chairman, NBTY, Inc.
Belinda Pagdanganan, Government Relations Manager, National Grid
James D’Addario, President & CEO, D’Addario and Company Inc.
Anne D. Shybunko-Moore, President/Owner, GSE Dynamics, Inc.
Noreen Carro, Owner, LMN Printing Co., Inc.
Tracey Edwards, Vice President of Operations, Verizon Communications
John R. Durso, President, Long Island Federation of Labor
Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D., President, Stony Brook University
Elaine Gross, President & CEO, ERASE Racism
Mark Fasciano, Partner, Canrock Ventures
Patricia Edwards, Vice President for Community Development Long Island, Citigroup
Paulette Satur, President, Satur Farms, LLC
Joseph Cabral, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System
Samuel Aronson, Director, Brookhaven National Laboratory
Dr. Calvin Butts, President, SUNY Old Westbury
Rupert Hopkins, President & Chief Executive Officer, XSB, Inc.

Elected Officials

Nassau County Executive
Suffolk County Executive
Town of Hempstead Supervisor
Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor
Town of Brookhaven Supervisor
Town of Islip Supervisor

Elected officials will serve in an ex-officio basis and will participate in discussions and the planning process. In regions composed of more than two counties (except for the New York City region), members will include:

the chief executive or supervisor of each county; and

  • the chief executive or supervisor of the three municipalities with the largest population (limited to one municipal representative per county)

10 Regional Economic Development Councils

  • Capital Region (Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, Washington)
  • Central New York (Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego)
  • Finger Lakes (Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, Yates)
  • Long Island (Nassau, Suffolk)
  • Mid-Hudson (Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, Westchester)
  • Mohawk Valley (Fulton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego, Schoharie)
  • New York City (Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond)
  • North Country (Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence,)
  • Southern Tier (Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Delaware, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins)
  • Western New York (Alleghany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara)