Reaction to Adams nomination to head ESDC

There has been lots of reaction to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s nomination of Kenneth Adams as President and CEO of the Empire State Development Corporation. Here is just a small sampling.

Linda Sanford, Senior Vice President for Enterprise Transformation at IBM Corporation – “Kenneth and I worked in close partnership on the Business Council of New York for many years. He is a proven leader, and that’s exactly what New York needs at this critical time. Governor Cuomo has outlined a vision of making New York State business-friendly, and I can think of no one better to make that vision a reality than Kenneth. I commend the Governor on his selection and look forward to working with Kenneth as he embarks on this new endeavor.”

Kirk P. Gregg, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for Corning, Inc. – “New York is poised for great things with the addition of Ken Adams to state government. He is a true professional who will work diligently to achieve real results for struggling communities across New York. We applaud Governor Cuomo’s emphasis on job-creation and transforming New York into a business-friendly destination for everything from entrepreneurs to major global corporations.”

Tom King, President of National Grid in the U.S. and member of the Business Council’s Board of Directors – “As New York’s economy works to emerge from the recent recession, we need quality individuals at the helm who understand the tools and resources necessary to spur growth across the state. Kenneth’s strong background in economic development from a state wide perspective makes his appointment a natural fit. As a utility company that serves families and businesses from Niagara Falls to Montauk Point, National Grid congratulates Kenneth on his nomination and applauds the Governor’s choice. We stand ready to work with Kenneth and the Administration to move New York forward.

National Grid is an international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers.”

Mike Elmendorf, State Director of National Federation of Independent Business/New York – “The appointment of Kenneth Adams to lead the Empire State Development Corporation is one more indication that Governor Cuomo is truly committed to improving New York’s economy and reducing our devastating tax burden and cost of doing business.

Kenneth Adams has been a strong partner and friend to NFIB and a tireless advocate for New York’s business community. He will bring to ESDC a clear, firsthand understanding of the very real challenges facing New York’s economy. We have worked closely with him to defend the interests of New York’s job creators over these past four years, and look forward to continuing those efforts in his new role.”

F. Michael Tucker the President of Center for Economic Growth – “Kenneth is a good friend and an excellent choice to head Empire State Development. His extensive knowledge and experience of the issues that impact economic development and job growth will give ESDC a head start on moving the state’s economy forward. The Center for Economic Growth looks forward to working with the Governor and President Adams to advance the Cuomo administration’s NY Works agenda.”

Here is a sampling of some of the media coverage on the nomination from across the state.

Main Streeter joins state (Times Union)

New Leader for State Development Agency (New York Times)

Gov. Cuomo names new CEO of Empire State Development Corp. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Head of state business council to run New York’s economic program (Journal News)

Cuomo picks new ESDC head – (Long Island Business News)

Ken Adams to lead Empire State Development (The Business Review/Bizjournals.com)

Cuomo Picks New Economic Development Chief (WNBC-TV New York)

AP News Brief Adams nomination (North Country Public Radio)

Ken Adams, former head of Brooklyn Chamber and MetroTech BID, named new CEO of ESDC (Atlantic Yards Report Blog)

Business Council CEO nominated to lead ESD (Central New York Business Journal)

Adams will be Empire State Development CEO (Innovation Trail)