40 Below to build on success with second summit

40 Below to build on success with second summitSeptember 23, 2005Matthew R. Snydermrsnyder@syr.edu

On Oct. 7, more than 1,000 young professionals from Central New York are expected to come together for the second annual 40 Below Summit, a full-day event featuring panel discussions on professional and civic development, high-profile speakers and a report on the activities of 40 Below’s task forces since last year’s summit. The summit, which is sponsored in part by Syracuse University, will take place at the Oncenter from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; tickets and information are available athttp://www.40belowsummit.com, and more details will be announced in the coming weeks.

According to Jessica Crawford, associate director of government and community relations at SU, more than 900 tickets have already been sold. “This year’s summit will be bigger and better than last year’s,” says Crawford, who was named chair of the 40 Below Steering Committee in June. “We are very excited about sharing our progress with the community, as well as building on our action agenda with new ideas and fresh talent.” Some 630 people attended the summit in 2004; organizers expect as many as 1,200 people to attend this year’s event.

“40 Below has generated a tremendous amount of momentum over the past year,” says Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. “The many connections and partnerships being forged now will bring benefits to our community for some time to come. For this-and many other reasons-we are extremely proud to continue our sponsorship of the 40 Below Summit.”

In a highlight of the conference, five panelists will engage in a town hall-style conversation about the issues facing Central New York. Rep. James Walsh will discuss neighborhood development, the Rev. William Lott will speak on public safety and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry President Cornelius B. Murphy will address environmental issues; Ithaca Alderman Gayraud Townsend and another speaker to be named will also take part in the conversation.

Following the summit, 40 Below will host a networking event at the Landmark Theatre, beginning at 5:30 p.m. On Oct. 8, 40 Below will showcase Central New York’s rich diversity of natural and community resources in a variety of venues with “Discover Your Community Day,” which will include wine tours, horseback riding, film screenings, music, theater and other activities. A complete schedule and more details are available. More details and highlights will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for the summit are $30 for the general public and $20 for students with I.D.; they can be purchased athttp://www.40belowsummit.com/summit/register.php.

Major sponsors include ClearChannel, KeyBank, the Metropolitan Development Association of Syracuse and Central New York, the Syracuse Post-Standard and Time Warner Cable.