Development unit toasting success with NYS
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, left, and New York Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), right, hand out a Regional Economic Council award of $101,600 to Hofstra University president Stuart Rabinowitz and New York State Deputy Assembly Speaker Earlene Hooper (D-Hempstead) at a ceremony in Albany last week. (Dec. 8, 2011) Credit: AP, 2011
Long Island business, academic and government leaders are toasting themselves well before New Year's Eve, and with good reason: They led a team of about 200 people who won the Island $101.6 million in state funding earlier this month to help jumpstart job creation.
During a four-month period a 22-member Long Island Regional Economic Development Council directed the team, sometimes working nights and weekends, and often missing meals, sleep and family time.
"There were some weeks when if you asked me what my day job was, I don't know what I would have answered," said Stuart Rabinowitz, president of Hofstra University, who co-chaired the council with Long Island Association president Kevin Law. "The writers group [who put together a 98-page document supporting Long Island's arguments for the money] was sending us drafts at 10 or 11 at night. Some of the Empire State Development people never slept." ESD Long Island regional director Andrea Lohneiss has a staff of only four people. All of them worked on the project.
Jim Morgo, who chaired one of the working committees, said having a deadline of four months was a key driver. "It was the tyranny of time," Morgo said. "It was that sword hanging over us."
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