Gov. Kathy Hochul was the keynote speaker at the Business Council of Westchester’s (BCW) Annual Dinner Oct. 11 and she told the full house at the VIP Country Club in New Rochelle that her staff didn’t think she’d be able to make it. Hochul said that late the previous night she received word that there would be briefings from the federal government on the situation in Israel and her staff determined that in order to take part in those vital briefings Hochul would need to cancel appearing at the BCW event.
As Hochul explained it, “I said, ‘No, I’m going to Westchester.’ Then I was told about a half hour later, ‘No, it really will not work, you’re not going to Westchester.’ I said, ‘I’m going to Westchester.’ It took three times to convince them I’m going to Westchester.”
It also took some juggling of the schedule, including moving up the starting time of the event.
Hochul was honored with BCW’s Global Leadership Laureate Award in recognition of her lifetime of achievement in New York that includes being the state’s first female governor. Hochul began her career in politics and government by serving on a town board, then became Erie County Clerk and served in Congress representing New York’s 26th Congressional District. She served as lieutenant governor, and became governor when Andrew Cuomo resigned, then handily won election to a full term.
Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of the Business Council, praised Hochul as having the “vision and leadership to keep our economy going and growing” and introduced her as the most powerful person in the state.”
“Unemployment today is down 16% in Westchester County since I became governor. It is now 3.5% – never thought I’d see that in my lifetime,” Hochul said. “We have created over 400,000 jobs in the last two years in the State of New York. We have over 13,000 new jobs in this county alone, which is incredible.”
Hochul highlighted the $1.8 billion expansion plan by Tarrytown-based Regeneron along with the construction of movie studios in Yonkers, which has adopted the slogan ‘Hollywood on the Hudson,” as being prime examples of a healthy business situation in the county.
“We also are seeing a real growth in tech businesses. The jobs of the future really are in technology and innovation,” Hochul said. “There’s no reason why New York state, and with Westchester leading the way, cannot be the AI (artificial intelligence) capital of the nation because no one else has claimed that yet. I see some open space there and I know we have the smart enough people and the innovative enough people and companies who can make that happen. That’ll be another magnet for more and more jobs to keep coming here.”
Hochul pointed to housing as an area that needs work throughout the state.
“Counties outside of here, in Connecticut, and New Jersey, they’re building at such a faster rate, that’s where the young people are wanting to work and live because they can afford the housing,” Hochul said. “Supply and demand. If we have more supply, the prices come down, which means more affordable housing.”
“I understand that we are nothing without you, and your success is our success,” Hochul declared. “And that’s how we’re going to continue to lead together into a better future so all of our children will know there’s plenty of opportunities right here where they are blessed to be raised here in Westchester County.”
