Marisa Lago, Paterson’s Development Chief, Quits

Marisa Lago, the state’s top economic development official since August 2008, is resigning from her post, according to multiple people informed of the decision, adding to a growing number of top aides to leave the Paterson administration.

As CEO of the Empire State Development Corporation, her departure adds to the turmoil at an agency that Read More

WTF, ESDC? Recession Twists State’s Economic Development Arm

In February, eight months after M&T Bank chief executive Bob Wilmers was installed as chairman of the Empire State Development Corporation, the state’s main economic development agency, a new organizational structure was announced in a staff memo.

It shifted lines of command: Second from the top in a hierarchical chart, apparently overseeing the agency’s Read More

Upstate Wins in the NYS Development Shuffle

It's been a almost a year now since a newly crowned Governor Paterson — speaking to a handful of reporters tailing him after a Sunday speaking engagement — casually mentioned that he would reorganize the state's main development agency, the Empire State Development Corporation, abolishing the controversial upstate-downstate split among its leaders.

Now, half Read More

Avi Schick Leaves ESDC

Avi Schick, the prosecutor-turned-development official who has served as downstate president of the Empire State Development Corporation for the past two years, will leave his job this week. Mr. Schick emailed a letter on Monday evening to colleagues announcing his departure (a copy of the letter is below).

Mr. Schick’s departure comes more than seven Read More