Pattern’s Work Plan:Leadership, Government

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Addressing an energized audience of nearly 325of the Hudson Valley’s business, not-for-profitand political leaders, Pattern President and CEOJonathan Drapkin unveiled the broad brushstrokes of Pattern’s work plan for the coming yearduring the Presidents’ Day Breakfast held at thePoughkeepsie Grand Hotel on Thursday, Feb. 22.

Prior to Mr. Drapkin’s speech, Pattern Board ofDirectors Chairman Carl Meyer explained thatPattern’s Strategic Planning Committee–under

the direction of itsChairman SteveP o s k a n z e r – h a dconcluded its workand had plotted anew prevailing dir-ection for theorganization, onethat “clearly definesand enhances therole that Patternwill play in chartingthe future of the

Hudson Valley region.”

“I know that Jonathanhas already met with orat least spoken with manyof you. Give him timeand he will meet with therest of you to gather yourinput on how Patterncan support your businessand professional interests, while providing a bal-ance between these interests and the equally impor-tant and often conflicting environmental steward-ship and quality of life issues,” Mr. Meyer said.

In describing his first few months on the job, Mr.Drapkin told of encountering an “array of opin-ions” about the Valley’s future as he made therounds throughout the region. “I have spoken todozens of leaders from business, government, andnot for profits and I have encountered everythingfrom passionate optimism to deep concern for ourfuture. It is precisely this vast array of opinion thatprovides Pattern with a unique opportunity.”

New Empire State Development CorporationDownstate Chairman Patrick Foye didn’tdisappoint the capacity audience attendingPattern’s Presidents’ Day breakfast inPoughkeepsie on February 22 as he gave par-ticipants a sense of where the state’s economicdevelopment priorities are heading underGovernor Eliot Spitzer’s new administration.

In many ways, Foye said, the state’s prioritiesare already firmly camped in the HudsonValley, pointing to two recent regional devel-opment announcements—the Port Authoritytakeover of Stewart Airport and GovernorSpitzer’s agreement with the St. RegisMohawks to build a world-class casino inMonticello—as signifying the area’s impor-tance to the state’s future economic develop-ment initiatives. “These steps underline theadministration’s focus on the Hudson Valley,”Foye said.

Acknowledging what the Governor hascalled “the perfect storm of unaffordability”—the combination of high taxes, steep costs

and burdensome regulations driving people,businesses and jobs out of the state—Foyesaid the state would focus on initiatives thatrelieve some of those burdens, such asaddressing the high cost of housing andimproving the stagnated Brownfields program.

“We do not want to lose those entry-leveljobs and the higher-paying ones that go withit when a company moves out of the state.We know something has to be done to createand preserve housing (that) low- and moder-ate-income New Yorkers can afford. We knowthis is as much an economic development ini-tiative as it is a social one,” Foye stated,adding a call for reform of the Brownfieldsprogram. “We can and must do more to tapthe economic development possibilities ofland that is now unusable because of pollu-tion...It helps to preserve pristine land whilebringing life back to scorched earth.”

Foye pledged to “beef up” the Empire StateDevelopment Corp’s regional offices to makethem better able to respond to local concernsand opportunities as they arise. “As we goabout this task of reshaping the state’sapproach to economic

Pattern Charts a New CourseAnnual Breakfast Attracts Energized Audience

INSIDE: Leadership, Government & Infrastructure

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Economic Czar Offers Glimpse of State’s Prioritiescontinued . . .

continued . . .

Jonathan Drapkin

Patrick Foye

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Carl Meyer

SPRING 2007SPRING 2007

Director of Regional Policy AnalysisA high-profile position directing research, facilitating discussionamong leaders in various subject matters, collaborating with otheragencies and creating position papers. Candidates should have aminimum of 7 years experience in one or more of the following:planning, regional coalition, academic institutions or consultingfirm. A Master’s degree is required. Planning, public administration,city and regional planning or equivalent, grant writing experience a plus.

Director of DevelopmentThe Director of Development will lead the design and implementationof development strategies to increase income and build a sustainablefunding base for Pattern. Minimum five years experience in develop-ment, with a track record of increasing revenue and strengtheningorganizational brand and visibility.Send cover letter and resume to jdrapkin@pfprogress.org or mailto Pattern for Progress. No phone calls please.

Chairman - Carl MeyerPresident & CEO - Jonathan DrapkinCommunications Director - Stephen DensmoreExecutive Assistant - Edda Eller

Newsletter Editor - Stephen DensmoreArt Director/Photographer - Linda Engler-Ad EssentialsFront Page Header Photograph - Ted SpiegelPrinting - Steingart Printing

Pattern Charts a New Coursecontinued from page 1 . . .

Mr. Drapkin detailed some of the conceptual divisions thathave proven to be stumbling blocks to progress in the past andthen offered “a Pattern way” to view those issues: “I see a riverthat connects us more than divides us and provides endlessaesthetic and commercial opportunities; I see urban centers inevery county that enhance rather than detract from the ruralregions surrounding them; I believe that there are strategiesthat are both pro-development and pro-conservation and thatwe must pursue them if we hope to grow while protectingthose attributes that make the Hudson Valley such a specialplace to live...I have heard incredible stories of counties collab-orating together, though seldom publicized; and Yes I hold outthe hope that, through Pattern, its Board of Directors, and itsmembers, anything can be solved.”

Mr. Drapkin went on to describe Pattern’s three areas of con-centration in the coming year: Leadership, Enhancement ofGovernment Services, and Infrastructure. In ensuing months,he said, Pattern will elaborate on this topic for the membershipand the public.

Characteristically, Mr. Drapkin closed with an optimistic viewof the Hudson Valley’s future and Pattern’s role in that future,calling upon those in the audience to join Pattern in finding “anew middle, full of entrepreneurialism that capitalizes on thebest of what we can do...I look forward to working with you.”

Economic Czar continued from page 1 . . .

As outlined by President and CEO Jonathan Drapkin during theFebruary 22 Presidents’ Day Breakfast, Pattern for Progress will concen-trate on three general areas of work in the coming year: Leadership,Enhancement of Government Services, and Infrastructure. Below is ashort summary of each of Pattern’s work plan priorities with examples ofthe types of projects we will focus on:

1) Leadership...Exemplary of the “fresh thinking” that Pattern hopes toengender in the region is its plan to create a new division—an Institute ofsorts—that will foster leadership, education and advocacy on behalf ofregional solutions. As envisioned by Mr. Drapkin, one example of this will

be the “Pattern FellowsProgram” which will drawfrom the Valley’s pool of lead-ers in different disciplines andeducate them in regionalsolutions. “This is the master’sdegree in regional leadership.

And, as with all master’s degrees, it is not for everyone. We will be lookingfor a small cadre of individuals who want to join a chorus of solutionmakers on behalf of the Valley’s issues,” Mr. Drapkin stated. The programappeared to resonate immediately among regional leaders. Within hoursof his speech, Mr. Drapkin had received inquiries from several breakfastattendees anxious to join the Fellows program. Those interested in learningmore about the Pattern Fellows Program are encouraged to contact Patternto be put on a mailing list for more information as it becomes available.

2) Enhancement of Government Services...Pattern will continue itslongstanding efforts to promote better ways to deliver government services.“The businesses and residents of the Valley remain convinced that thereare too many units of government, that they are often confusing in howthey operate, and that they cost too much to preserve,” Mr. Drapkin stat-ed. “By convening different groups of government leaders, by providing incentives to entice municipalities to act differently, and by advocating forre-positioning the way services will be delivered—even when unpopular—Pattern will advocate for change. As a longtime veteran of governmentservice, I believe that government—when unfettered by Byzantine con-straints and focused on its true mission—can be an active participant andleader in solving the issues that confront us in the Hudson Valley. But toaccomplish this government must be open to change.” We will seek outsuch examples and study them to determine if they constitute relevantmodels for other Hudson Valley governments.

3) Infrastructure...Pattern will further divide this topic into two areas–traditional (which includesmajor capital projects) andtelecommunications—withplans to research and reporton some of the criticalinfrastructure issues facingthe Valley today. In particu-lar, Pattern will focus onthe vexing issues associatedwith housing during thisyear’s Spring conference.“Increasingly, the lack ofhousing leads to workers being unable to live where they work and so theyspend too much time commuting to their jobs and disproportionateamounts of their income to live there,” Mr. Drapkin said. Additionally,Pattern will become involved in the significant changes on the horizon atStewart Airport, under the new direction of the Port Authority. Finally,Pattern will explore the gaps in the Valley’s telecommunications infra-structure, which render our region “ill prepared to compete” in an increas-ingly global and sophisticated marketplace. “We will assess what ourneeds are and help to develop a plan to address them throughout theValley,” he added.

Pattern’s Work Plan: Leadership, Government & Infrastructure

Thanks To Our Breakfast Sponsors: Riverside Bank,GHI, Marshall & Sterling, and the Poughkeepsie Journal

Suzanne Loughlin, chief administrative officer ofFirestorm-Crisis Solution Architects of Rock Hill inSullivan County, has joined Pattern’s board of directors.“Her prior corporate, not-for-profit and communityexperience make Suzanne a welcome addition to theoverall composition of the board,” said Pattern’sPresident and CEO Jonathan Drapkin.

Catskill Art Society, HudsonValley HelpWanted.com,Beth & Marty Zubatkin, Col. Charles Butler, Thomas N. DeCaro-Benchmark Title Agency,LLC

New Members

Pattern’s Spring Conference will address the housingneeds in the Hudson Valley. Sponsors include TDBanknorth and Jacobowitz & Gubits, LLP. Sponsorshipopportunities are available, call 845-565-4900.

Spring Forum: Housing The Hudson Valley

Join Pattern Staff Pattern’s Newest Board Member

PATTERN FOR PROGRESS

New HirePattern has hired Stephen Densmore of Poughkeepsie toserve as its new communications director. “We are thrilledto bring a person with Steve’s experience and expertiseinto the organization to help shape Pattern’s message atthis critical time,” said Jonathan Drapkin.

A complete text of remarks given by Pattern President/CEOJonathan Drapkin and Empire State EDC Chairman PatrickFoye can be found at: www.pattern-for-progress.org.

“We will be looking for asmall cadre of individualswho want to join a chorus ofsolution makers...”

New housing development springs up in City of Poughkeepsie.

Mid-Hudson Bridge linking Highland and Poughkeepsie.

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Drapkin To Address OrganizationsIn Orange and Sullivan CountiesPattern President and CEO Jonathan Drapkin willaddress members of the Orange County Chamber ofCommerce at their breakfast on Wednesday, April 11which is being held at Kuhl’s Highland House, 512Highland Avenue, Middletown. For more informationor to register visit the Chamber’s website atwww.orangeny.com. Mr. Drapkin will also be speaking to members of the Partnership for Economic Development and the Sullivan CountyChamber of Commerce on Wednesday, April 18. Forspecific details visit: www.catskills.com/chamber. Or, visit: www.pattern-for-progress.org.

development, we understand and appreciate even more thecrucial role our regional Empire State Development officesand local industrial development agencies play,” he stated.“They are the eyes and ears for us. They are the gatherers ofinformation on local economic issues, and the point peopleto implement programs, large and small, that directly touchpeople in all of the communities around the state. We plan tobeef up our regional offices.”

Foye acknowledged that the state will seek to leverage itslimited dollars to encourage those projects that offer thegreatest likelihood of bringing new private dollars and jobsinto the state. “The answer is not to throw money aroundindiscriminately...The answer is to use our resources toencourage the investment of private capital,” he said, citingAdvanced Coating Technologies of Wallkill, which recentlyannounced its plan to invest $560 million to expand its man-ufacturing facility and add 81 new jobs after a “relativelymodest investment ofstate dollars.”

He left the assembledleaders with a sense ofoptimism about thefuture and noted thatthe next diamond inthe rough may beamong them. “We are mindful of the fact that today’s fledg-ling tech business that gets a jumpstart through a local IDA orfrom an ESDC small business program is potentially the IBMof tomorrow,” he said.

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