Chancellor Syverud Appointed Co-Chair of Regional Economic Development Council

Chancellor Kent Syverud

New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has appointed Chancellor and President Kent Syverud the new co-chair of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council (CNYREDC). Chancellor Syverud will lead the regional council in collaboration with co-chair Robert Simpson, president of CenterState CEO.

“I am proud to appoint and welcome Chancellor Syverud, a highly qualified member of the Central New York community, to serve as co-chair of the council. I am confident that he will contribute greatly to the continued goals, success and redevelopment of the Central New York region,” Gov. Cuomo said.

Robert Simpson, co-chair of the CNY Regional Economic Development Council and president of CenterState CEO, said, “I am thrilled to welcome Chancellor Syverud as co-chair. In accepting this role, the Chancellor is building on Syracuse University’s reputation of dynamic leadership in the region.”

Chancellor Syverud said, “I am honored by this appointment and Governor Cuomo’s confidence in me to serve as co-chair. Given its past success, it is clear that the council has a strong track record of constructing a strategic vision of growth and opportunity for the region. I look forward to working with Rob Simpson and the entire council to build on these efforts and helping the whole world see Syracuse and Central New York as the best place anyone could want to be.”

Earlier this week, Gov. Cuomo launched Round IV of the REDC initiative, officially kicking off the 2014 competition for up to $750 million in state economic development resources. The Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) opened to applicants May 1, enabling businesses, municipalities, not-for-profits and the public to begin applying for assistance from dozens of state funding programs, through a single application, for job-creating and community development projects.

After three rounds of the REDC process, the Central New York region has been awarded over $264 million to support more than 220 projects across the five-county region, with nearly 90 percent of these projects on target for a timely completion.