Marissa Brett, who has directed the Westchester County Association”™s economic development initiatives for nearly three years, will take over as WCA president on June 1. She will be the business group”™s leading public face and voice as it focuses on developing and promoting what Brett called the growing “innovation economy” in the county.
She succeeds William M. Mooney Jr. in the president”™s post. Mooney, a retired banker, will assume the new position of CEO under a newly signed three-year contract.
“Our organization now is poised to reposition Westchester as a vital hub in the innovation economy and Marissa Brett is the right person, at the right time, to take us to new heights,” William C. Harrington, WCA board chairman, said when announcing her appointment.
Mooney in the announcement said the WCA Â is in the process of restructuring in response to the enormous changes taking place in the marketplace, and Brett will lead that change.
“The opportunities for Westchester are dramatic, and the WCA is transitioning to meet the new needs of business, and the entrepreneurial, technology and healthcare sectors, especially as the New York metro region becomes the nation”™s most important hub in the new economy,” he said.
Brett said the approximately 600-member WCA is developing a new strategic plan it expects to unveil this fall. She said she and the organization will especially focus on the health tech sector, whose innovations to date in health care and biotechnology and whose economic impact and promising future growth in Westchester were spotlighted at the WCA”™s two-day Health Tech ”™14 conference in May.
“That really was a transformational conference not just for us at the WCA but for the whole county,” Brett said. “I think that”™s our job, to keep driving that.” The conference was “a first step in that whole effort,” she said.
Mooney said he”™ll be less of a public presence for the WCA, though internal operations of the seven-member WCA staff will not change. “It”™s a nice transitional thing,” he said of Brett”™s promotion to president. “When you give a title like that, it tells the rest of the world she”™ll be the future leader of this organization.”™
Mooney said Brett”™s new appointment also was made to keep her at the WCAÂ when she might receive attractive job offers elsewhere and to ensure “an orderly transition” of leadership in the organization.
“I think she”™s done a fabulous job since she”™s been here,” Mooney said. “I think she”™s a good choice to succeed me.”
“She”™s probably the best person I”™ve worked with in 25 to 30 years,” Mooney said. “She”™s a take-charge kind of personality. She”™s intellectually smart. She can talk at any level.”
Brett said Mooney”™s continued role at the WCA as CEO will allow her to draw on his experience and business relationships for guidance while she leads the organization. “To me it”™s the best of both worlds,” she said.
Brett for six years was vice president of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. in New Windsor. She joined the WCA in 2011 as executive director for economic development and led its Blueprint for Westchester partnership to attract and retain innovative businesses and reduce Westchester County”™s inventory of vacant commercial office space.
Brett said the Blueprint Accelerator, which has grown to include 10 active companies in its support network, “was my baby to begin with. That will continue to grow and prosper.”
A Carmel resident, Brett serves on the board of directors for the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, as a trustee of the College of Westchester Charitable Foundation and on the Leadership Council for the YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester.
Congratulations, Marissa Brett as the New President of Westchester County Association! We, here at MACsWomen wish you all the best with this amazing platform to meet the new needs of entrepreneurs and businesses here in Westchester County.