The new Westchester County District Attorney, Susan Cacace, had her first opportunity to address an audience of business and community leaders on Wednesday at the Business Council of Westchester’s Valley Bank Leadership Conversation, where she discussed her office’s crime-fighting strategies and long-term vision. The BCW’s Leadership Conversation series provides a platform for Westchester’s business and government leaders to engage in meaningful discussions on issues impacting the region. The breakfast event, moderated by BCW President and CEO Marsha Gordon, took place at Kanopi in downtown White Plains. Cacace listed her priorities, which included dealing with retail theft, bias-related offenses, and the […]

Senior executives of BCW Member OLA Consulting Engineers joined with local and county officials on Tuesday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of their new headquarters at 100 Summit Lake Drive in Valhalla. The event marked OLA’s move from Hawthorne to a 10,167-square-foot space in The Summit, a state-of-the-art office complex. “Celebrating 50 years of providing engineering services locally and nationally, we’re proud to remain rooted in Westchester County. Our new headquarters at the Summit fosters collaboration, innovation, and the strong relationships that have been the foundation of OLA’s success,” said Patrick F. Lynch, PE, President of […]

Roads and bridges that are deteriorated, congested or lack some desirable safety features cost New York motorists a total of $38 billion statewide annually due to higher vehicle operating costs, traffic crashes and congestion-related delays, according to a report recently released by TRIP, a Washington, DC based national transportation research nonprofit.  The TRIP report, “New York Transportation by the Numbers: Providing a Modern, Sustainable Transportation System in the Empire State,” finds that throughout New York, nearly half of major locally and state-maintained roads are in poor or mediocre condition, nine percent of locally and state-maintained bridges (20 feet or more […]

By Marvin Krislov, President of BCW Member Pace University, and Marsha Gordon, BCW President & CEO As federal and state leaders debate the efficacy of higher education, one truth remains evident: independent colleges and universities in New York State are indispensable drivers of economic and social progress. This is particularly true for the Hudson Valley and Westchester County, where these institutions contributed $4.8 billion to the region’s economy during the 2022–2023 fiscal year and employ thousands of New Yorkers. This data comes from a report by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, which highlights the economic contributions of New York’s private, […]

On Wednesday the Business Council of Westchester’s KeyBank Speaker Series welcomed Brian Pietrangelo, Managing Director of Investment Strategy at Key Wealth, to hear his economic outlook for 2025. He highlighted the ongoing challenges and opportunities within the U.S. economy, emphasizing the interplay of inflation, interest rates, and consumer behavior. Pietrangelo began by revisiting key economic trends of 2024, including the Federal Reserve’s cautious approach to interest rate cuts, which totaled three during the year. He noted that inflation, although declining from its 2022 peak, remained above the Fed’s 2% target, driven primarily by persistent price increases in services, especially shelter. […]

The Business Council of Westchester announced this week the winners of its prestigious Business Hall of Fame Awards, which recognize Westchester’s top business leaders. The winners will be honored at the 2025 Business Hall of Fame Awards Dinner on April 29th at the Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle. “This illustrious group of honorees joins more than 100 past winners which include some of the most prestigious business leaders and organizations in the proud business legacy of Westchester. The quality of this year’s honorees is truly extraordinary. We are proud to continue this time-honored tradition in Westchester,” BCW President & CEO […]