Columbia and Greene County Chambers Host Superintendents Breakfast

Hudson, NY – The Columbia and Greene County Chambers of Commerce brought together over 75 business and education leaders for the 2nd Annual Superintendents Breakfast on August 22.

Keynote speaker Joseph J. McGee, Vice President of Public Policy and Programs for the Business Council of Fairfield County (CT) spoke about education and affordable housing as important keys to economic growth. Mr. McGee has worked for 30 years in various capacities on economic development. Common themes McGee spoke about were the need to incorporate education leaders as part of any future economic development plans as they play a vital role in how a community is shaped. McGee spoke about the reasons areas grow, which included the quality of life and can people live in the community. In building an economic development plan communities need to not only think about brining in industries, but also having affordable housing for residents to live. Right now the 22-35 age group is key and if there isn't affordable housing in the area the likelihood of this group staying in the area is slim. McGee concluded by stating that Columbia and Greene County is on the cusp of major development as Fairfield County was 30 years ago. He stated that what each county plans in the next 20 years will highly impact all sectors significantly and keeping in mind the partnership between business, education and affordable housing is extremely important.

Continuing the program was David Leavitt of Questar III. Mr. Leavitt spoke about the B.E.S.T. Program (Business Employment Standard Transition). The program originated from a local group of education and business leaders from both counties who wanted to determine a way to help students easily demonstrate that they have the skills, behaviors and knowledge necessary for the workplace and/or college. The program verifies a student's competence through an assessment of the students academic performances, school attendance, community service and career exploration. Each student's experiences are compiled into a portfolio that is reviewed by a member of the business community.

Mike Veeder, HVAC teacher at Questar spoke about the importance of the B.E.S.T. Program in his classroom and how valuable the portfolio is when a student brings it to a business and they can see all the qualifications the student has worked on throughout the portfolio process. Mr. Veeder is also a local business owner and believes the program is a great tool as students enter the workforce to show their accomplishments. The schools that participated in the program for the 2005-06 school year included: Questar III, Taconic Hills Central School District , Catskill Central School District , Cairo-Durham Central School District and Hunter-Tannersville Central School District.

The program concluded with Chamber President David Colby encouraging business and education leaders to stay in close communication to help foster a positive environment in each community. The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce offers a variety of education programs throughout the year. If you are interested in volunteering for these programs, please contact the Chamber at 828-4417.

National Union Bank of Kinderhook and First Niagara Bank were Major Sponsors of the Event. Midhudsonmedia and The Register Star /Chatham Courier were Media Sponsors. Fingar Insurance was a Silver Sponsor. The Bank of Greene County and Columbia-Greene Community College were Brass Sponsors.

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, with its 850 members, is the leading voice of business in Columbia County , providing advocacy, promotional and benefit solutions for its members. Those seeking more information concerning the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and membership can contact the Chamber at (518) 828-4417 or visit the website at www.columbiachamber-ny.com.