CenterState CEO recently gained some national recognition (www.brookings.edu/blogs/the-avenue/posts/2016/02/04-economic-development-in-upstate-new-york-liu) for going beyond the traditional scope of work for an economic-development organization and chamber of commerce to more robustly and visibly address the issues of poverty and economic disparity. Through our new Economic Inclusion Portfolio (www.centerstateceo.com/core-focus-areas/economic-inclusion), we are making a long-term, organization-wide commitment to ensuring that our […]
CenterState CEO recently gained some national recognition (www.brookings.edu/blogs/the-avenue/posts/2016/02/04-economic-development-in-upstate-new-york-liu) for going beyond the traditional scope of work for an economic-development organization and chamber of commerce to more robustly and visibly address the issues of poverty and economic disparity.
Through our new Economic Inclusion Portfolio (www.centerstateceo.com/core-focus-areas/economic-inclusion), we are making a long-term, organization-wide commitment to ensuring that our strategies are inclusive of those who are frequently disconnected from growth.
Why is CenterCtate CEO taking this approach? Beyond the moral imperative, it’s good for business and our local economy. In addition to the threats that poverty poses — an increased demand for social services, spikes in crime, and increased blight in our neighborhoods — poverty also creates significant inefficiencies within our regional marketplace by squandering opportunities to connect to and leverage talent.
Recently, our Work Train team, along with several community partners, hosted a listening and networking session for about 70 refugees who were health-care professionals — mostly physicians — in their home countries. These are a fraction of the hundreds of individuals who have come to Syracuse with valuable skills, but often find themselves under or unemployed. Meanwhile our health-care industry often struggles to find experienced clinical professionals, especially those who can work in diverse settings. This is one challenge Work Train and its partners will tackle by helping place people in quality jobs or on career pathways while addressing workforce gaps to ultimately strengthen businesses in our community. It’s a great illustration of the opportunity we have as a community to tap into hidden assets.
As an organization, CenterState CEO recognizes that we must develop economic solutions in order to change the conditions that foster poverty and economic disparity in our region. We recognize this job isn’t for any one organization. However, I am proud to say that CenterState CEO is at the table on these issues for the long haul.
I encourage our members and partners to learn more about these efforts by contacting Dominic Robinson, VP of economic inclusion, at drobinson@centerstateceo.com.
Robert M. (Rob) 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 that the organization sent to members on Feb. 11.
