SYRACUSE — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday announced the appointment of Syracuse University (SU) Chancellor Kent Syverud as the new co-chair of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council (CNY REDC).
Syverud will lead the REDC in collaboration with council co-chair Robert (Rob) Simpson, president of CenterState CEO, a regional economic-development organization based in Syracuse.
The SU board of trustees appointed Syverud as the school’s 12th chancellor last September and he assumed the leadership post in January.
Syverud is “honored” to have the appointment and appreciates Cuomo’s “confidence” in him to serve in the co-chair’s role, the chancellor said in a news release issued by the governor’s office.
“Given its past success, it is clear that the council has a strong track record of constructing a strategic vision of growth and opportunity for the region. I look forward to working with [REDC co-chair] Rob Simpson and the entire Council to build on these efforts and helping the whole world see Syracuse and Central New York as the best place anyone could want to be,” Syverud said.
In accepting this role, Syverud is building on SU’s “reputation of dynamic leadership” in the region, Simpson said in the governor’s news release.
“The partnership between business, higher education, and government has been a hallmark of our region’s recent success. Chancellor Syverud’s appointment will only strengthen this vital link and further enable innovative new approaches to driving investment, creating good jobs, and leading our economy into the future,” Simpson said.
Cuomo earlier this week launched the fourth round of the REDC initiative, a competition for up to $750 million in state economic-development resources.
The consolidated-funding application opened to applicants on Thursday. It enables businesses, municipalities, nonprofits, and the public to use a single application to apply for assistance from dozens of state-funding programs for job-creating and community-development projects, Cuomo’s office said.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
