Archive: News

Dryden, NY – On Saturday, April 27, Martha Robertson, chair of the Tompkins County Legislature and candidate for the House of Representatives in the 23rd Congressional District, made a keynote presentation on economic development to the New York State Democratic Rural Conference at the annual meeting in Saratoga Springs. Her speech demonstrated her wealth of experience and success fostering economic development and creating jobs, and illustrating how Robertson’s experience and leadership would benefit all of New York’s 23rd Congressional District.

With unemployment at 5.3% last month, Tompkins County has the lowest rate in the state. Robertson has been a long-time leader in economic development in the county. In addition to her position on the legislature, she has served on the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) since 2006, which she has chaired since 2010, and is a board member of Tompkins County Area Development (TCAD) and the Chamber of Commerce.

Building on her experience, Robertson described "economic gardening," a key strategy for local governments to follow in their vitally important efforts to create jobs and stimulate local economies. She used as examples the work of TCAD and the Tompkins County Tourism Program, which have focused on local entrepreneurs and on businesses that have a strategic reason to be in the county.

Robertson, who grew up in a small family business and has been a business owner herself, explained, "The great majority of new jobs come from small businesses. Economic gardening is a strategy that nurtures local entrepreneurs to create new businesses and expand existing ones. We have amazing assets in upstate New York: an experienced workforce, creative researchers and engineers, a strong educational system, and a high quality of life. Our challenge is to target our efforts to support business growth and job creation where we will get the greatest bang for the buck."

Robertson said local officials should look for the greatest untapped potential. "Displaced workers - engineers, managers, and skilled workers from legacy industries - have the knowledge and skills to become new entrepreneurs. Farmers are the original entrepreneurs, with the independence and pragmatism to explore new ideas to make their businesses more productive. Women have the education and leadership skills, but typically lack the connections to industry and access to mentors that help men succeed as entrepreneurs," Robertson elaborated. "The potential is great for economic growth in upstate New York, and we can maximize that potential with the assets we have right in our local communities."

"Local leaders from across upstate New York greatly appreciated hearing about the smart investments and strategies Martha has developed," said Democratic Rural Conference Chair Irene Stein.  "Martha showed why Tompkins County has been so successful economically under her leadership, and offered local leaders a lot of good ideas to take home."

Robertson also serves on the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council, which brings together representatives from the public and private sectors across the region. She noted the importance of smart state and federal initiatives that complement local efforts.

Robertson explained, “The importance of strategic state and federal initiatives that enhance the opportunities for entrepreneurs cannot be overstated. Every successful businessperson knows that strategic investments are critical. We must restore our investments in areas such as job training and higher education, and expand investments in essential infrastructure like broadband access.”

v9i17