Advocacy Coalition of the Hudson Valley conference asks “Is There a Hudson Valley Regional Agenda?”

NEW PALTZ – “Is There a Hudson Valley Regional Agenda?” will be the topic for discussion at a conference to be held on June 15 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Student Union Building on the State University of New York at New Paltz campus. The event is sponsored by the New Paltz Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach (CRREO) in collaboration with The Advocacy Coalition of the Hudson Valley.

A primary purpose of CRREO is to provide a neutral venue for the discussion of controversial matters of broad interest and importance to the Hudson Valley. This conference will engage a broad range of groups and individuals in the valley, with a variety of strongly held interests and priorities, to consider whether this region, like other key regions in the state, can annually generate and advance a shared regional agenda for legislative action by state government.

Speakers and participants include Marcus Molinaro, Dutchess County Executive; Elizabeth Lynam, vice president and director of state studies at the Citizen’s Budget Commission; David Church, commissioner of the Orange County Department of Planning; Mike Oates, president of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation; Garrett Dyal, Adam’s Fairacre Farms; Kevin O’Connor, executive director of the Rural Ulster Preservation Company (RUPCO), and Michael Migloire of Whitecliff Winery.

Topics will include: “Regional Economic Development Councils: Strengths and Weaknesses” “Planning as a Region: How We Have Worked Together?” “Doing Business with a Regional Focus and Our Region as a Tourism Destination: How Do We Market the Region?” “Sustainability, Smart Growth, and Infrastructure;” “The Regional Housing Agenda;” and “Triple Bottom Line vs. Silo Thinking: How do we move economics, the environment, and the social together?” A preview of the 2012 CRREO Regional Well-Being Report will also be presented at the conference.

The conference registration fee is $30 due at check-in on the day of the conference. Fee includes locally sourced breakfast and lunch and all conference sessions for one person. MasterCard and Visa accepted. Make checks payable to CRREO. Please pre-register at: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22FR54QTXZW.Call (845) 257-2901 for more information or sponsorship opportunities.

The Coalition Steering Committee members are: Jennifer Schwartz Berky, Bard College; Todd Erling, Hudson Valley Agri-Business Development Corporation; David Gilmore, NY Metro Chapter/American Planning Association; Simon Gruber, CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities; Jolanda Jansen, Hudson Valley Smart Growth Alliance; Guy Kempe, Rural Ulster Preservation Corporation; Nadine Lemmon, Tri-State Transportation Campaign; Barney Molloy, Hudson River Watertrail Association; Mary Kay Vrba, Dutchess County Tourism. The Coalition hosts are Gerald Benjamin and kt Tobin from CRREO.

CRREO was established in 2007 to further engage the State University of New York at New Paltz and its people with communities, governments, not-for-profits and businesses across our region. CRREO conducts and publicizes research on regional topics; creates and directs select institutes focusing on specific topics of regional interest; connects and partners with local governments, not-for-profits and businesses to initiate reforms and advocate for best practices; contracts to assess the performance of public and not-for-profit agencies and programs; and works to foster intergovernmental collaboration and community engagement.

The Advocacy Coalition of the Hudson Valley (ACHV) was formed in 2010 by a group of community leaders interested in developing and advancing regional thinking to promote a broad, shared public policy agenda targeted on legislative action and particularly focused on Hudson Valley needs and priorities. The coalition seeks to generate agreement among advocates across the spectrum interests, issues and concerns on matters that legislators in Albany and Washington must act upon to advance the regional well-being of the Hudson Valley. The general goal of ACHV is to find synergies among already existing regional strengths to expanding our regional economic opportunities.