The Business Council of Westchester’s Valley Bank Leadership Conversations welcomed New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins on Thursday to share insights into her career and personal journey. Marsha Gordon, the BCW’s president and CEO, moderated the conversation at Kanopi in White Plains, where Stewart-Cousins recounted her diverse career path, including roles in customer service, sales, marketing, news reporting, and education. She explained how her various jobs equipped her with essential political skills like listening, communication, negotiation, and persuasion. “My journalism taught me to crystallize my ideas and my teaching taught me the skill of making sure that I meet […]

If there is one subject virtually all business leaders agree on, it is that New York State’s energy landscape is changing. The challenge is that the paths forward are numerous, confusing and often are at odds with the practical realities of implementation costs and technological challenges. The Business Council of Westchester has spent the last decade dealing with the rapidly evolving energy picture, and in an effort to bring clarity and a solidified approach from the business community has launched a major new initiative. The BCW’s Westchester Clean Energy Action Coalition was formed after a summit meeting of representatives of […]

The Business Council of Westchester’s Westchester Innovation Network (WIN) continues its mission of fostering innovation by facilitating a match between former WPHS graduate and recent Sacred Heart University graduate Michael Berlingo and seasoned executive coach Sunni Lampasso. This collaboration brings together the youthful energy and vision of Berlingo, CEO of Starteryou, with the wisdom and experience of Lampasso, CEO of Shaping Success. At just 21, Berlingo has a vision for career development with his company, Starteryou, which he started with his Sacred Heart schoolmates. The platform serves high school and college students by providing a centralized database that includes job […]

The Business Council of Westchester’s Tompkins Community Bank Power Breakfast recently hosted social media experts who offered advice on the latest online strategies. Social Media Powerhouses: Growing Your Online Presence & Engagement offered ideas on strategic content creation, platform-specific strategies and the latest best practices on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. The featured speakers were Maggie Carey, CEO of Master It Media and Creator of Painless Posting; Domenick Cocchiara, Manager of Social Media and Digital Advertising at Thompson & Bender; Mike Dardano, Founder & Marketing Executive of BuzzPotential; Jack Jones, Communication Specialist at Tompkins Community Bank; Bruce Segall, President of Marketing […]

Congratulations to BCW Member Phelps Hospital on the unveiling this week of an $8.8M renovation of its fifth floor medical/surgical unit, which has been transformed into a state-of-the-art space with brand new walls, finishes, furniture and equipment. This upgrade, which took approximately one year, is part of the hospital’s ongoing initiative to modernize and enhance patient experience by creating an atmosphere that is welcoming, nurturing and comforting. The upgrade focused on the hospital’s north wing, converting double rooms into 15 single rooms, each with a private bathroom and some offering panoramic views of the Hudson River. The south wing received […]

The BCW’s state advocacy program was actively engaged throughout the session including reaching out to legislators during the final last hours of the session. Countless memorandums of support and opposition on bills of importance to the business community were issued to the Legislature; and countless Zoom meetings were held. Additionally, the BCW was in constant contact with Legislative leaders and delegation members on a weekly basis to make sure our member’s concerns were heard and addressed. In mid-May the BCW’s Annual Lobby Day was held in Albany where BCW members were briefed by Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and the Westchester Senate […]