NYSEDC honors Steuben County IDA director with Economic Developer of the Year Award

The New York State Economic Development Council (NYSEDC) has honored James (Jamie) Johnson as its “Economic Developer of the Year.”

Johnson, executive director of the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), won the award “in recognition of his outstanding performance and leadership in his community,” the NYSEDC said in a news release.

 The organization presented the award during its annual meeting held May 23–25 in Cooperstown.

The NYSEDC honored Johnson for seeing “the big picture” and “immersing himself” in all facets of economic development, from policy and community infrastructure to marketing and site development.

During his seven years at the helm of the Steuben County IDA, Johnson has led efforts to “facilitate business expansions in the county” at manufacturers like the Gunlocke Company, an office-furniture maker in Wayland; Corning Inc.; Advanced Transit Manufacturing in Hornell; and the Arkport location of Lynnfield, Massachusetts–based dairy company HP Hood LLC. In addition, Johnson and his colleagues “played a key role” in attracting Upstate Niagara to purchase and continue operations at the former Kraft/Heinz plant, which was set for closure.

 “This award is truly a surprise and an honor as I will join a very select group of professionals who have won this over the years. I’m humbled to be included in this group of individuals,” Johnson said in the NYSEDC release.

With more than 20 years of experience in economic development, Johnson serves on several local, regional and state boards and organizations involved with developing economic-development policy and programs. They include the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council; the Corning–based REDEC, which is short for Regional Economic Development and Energy Corporation; Alliance for Manufacturing & Technology, or AM&T in Binghamton; Southern Tier Regional Planning and Development Board; and Chemung-Schuyler-Steuben Workforce New York in Elmira.

Johnson also co-chairs the NYSEDC policy committee, the organization said.   

Besides Johnson’s honor, the NYSEDC presented additional awards at the annual meeting.

The organization honored Michael Stamm, executive director of Tompkins County Area Development (TCAD), with the Brian McMahon Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was “in recognition of his lifetime of service in the economic development world as he retires from TCAD this year,” per the release.

The award is named in honor of the former executive director of NYSEDC who served the organization for 17 years, the NYSEDC said.

The Albany–based New York State Economic Development Council described itself as the state’s “principal organization representing economic-development professionals,” according to its website.

Its 900 members include the leadership of industrial-development agencies, local-development corporations, commercial and investment banks, underwriters, bond counsels, utilities, chambers of commerce, and private corporations, the website says.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com