SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Le Moyne College President Linda LeMura has been appointed as co-chair of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council (CNYREDC).
LeMura succeeds Deborah Stanley, who is currently serving as SUNY interim chancellor after retiring as president of SUNY Oswego.
LeMura, who has participated as a council member since 2015, joins fellow co-chair Randy Wolken, who serves as president of MACNY, the Manufacturers Association, based in DeWitt.
The council works to “support and promote” economic growth across the five-county region, per an Empire State Development (ESD) news release. The CNYREDC is composed of Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego counties.
“Our Regional Economic Development Council process helps to spur collaborative, creative projects that revitalize communities, attract high-tech businesses, and improve the economy and quality of life in Central New York,” New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, chair of the statewide Regional Economic Development Councils, said. “I congratulate Dr. Linda LeMura on her appointment as the new co-chair of the Central New York REDC. I feel confident that the Council will continue to work together with academic, business, and nonprofit leadership to ensure the Central New York region’s economic prosperity under President LeMura’s leadership.”
LeMura, a scientist and academic, was named as the 14th president of Le Moyne College in Syracuse in 2014 after having previously served the college as provost and VP for academic affairs from 2007-2014 and as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 2003-2007.
LeMura has also overseen the completion of the $100 million Always Forward campaign, the largest fundraising effort in Le Moyne College’s history. She has worked to form partnerships with other institutions of higher education and participates in the greater Syracuse community to “improve the lives and education of those in the Central New York region,” ESD said.
She calls her appointment as co-chair of the CNYREDC “an honor and a privilege.”
“As a direct result of strategic partnerships among leaders in business, nonprofits, higher ed, and technology, many important economic initiatives have come to fruition to revitalize and strengthen our communities in measurable ways,” LeMura said. “I look forward to building upon the excellent work of my predecessor, Deborah Stanley, and to working with my co-chair Randy Wolken and all those involved with the CNYREDC, including our Empire State Development colleagues in Central New York and Albany. I am deeply grateful to Gov. Kathy Hochul for giving me the opportunity to serve in this role.”
