Member Events

Business Resource Connections BOCES Spotlight on Southwest Tech

Part of the St Lawrence County Chamber's SL-L series to show how BOCES programs can help meet the workforce needs of your business.

Tuesday, February 4th | 8:30am - 11:00am

Learn more and register here.

State of the County, City and Town

Join the North Country Chamber for a morning forum featuring presentations on the State of Clinton County, and the Town and City of Plattsburgh.

Tuesday, February 4 | 7:30am to 9:00am Butcher Block, Plattsburgh

Learn more and register here.

St Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours 

at 11 West in Canton.

Tuesday, February 11 | 5:00pm

Learn more and register here. 

To learn more about how you can participate in Next Move NY, contact Ben Cruz, Next Move NY Program Administrator, at bcruz@danc.org.

NCA member Development Authority of the North Country is excited to announce Next Move NY, a new initiative launched on behalf of the North Country Regional Economic Development Council. Funded by New York State, Next Move NY aims to retain transitioning soldiers from Fort Drum and their families in the North Country by connecting them with local employment opportunities.

As part of this initiative, the Development Authority is exploring how a CRM/job portal could best serve businesses and partners—and they need your input! Please take a few moments to complete this quick survey.

Stay tuned for the full agenda in the coming weeks.

NCA members joined the Outreach and Education committee on January 30 to discuss the organization's 2025 outreach agenda. The focus was to further sharpen previous priorities based on recent progress and current challenges. Affordability, especially in relation to workforce, remains a focus with a push toward industry- and business-specific training, as well as broad childcare concerns. Housing affordability also remains a top priority. 

While New York State lawmakers have limited influence over federal policy, the group emphasized the need to highlight the impact of tariffs and ongoing uncertainty on border communities. They stressed the importance of being prepared to respond to potential trade disruptions.

Members of the North Country Alliance participated in a Zoom roundtable with the New York State Economic Development Council and the The Business Council of New York State as part of the Economic BluePrint initiative.

Both councils, supported by member businesses and organizations, have partnered to host listening sessions across New York State. These sessions will inform a competitiveness report to be shared with local and state elected officials, including Governor Kathy Hochul. The report will outline actionable solutions and policy recommendations aimed at fostering a more business-friendly environment in New York State.

During the session with NCA members, key topics discussed included state regulations and mandates, childcare regulation challenges, business attraction strategies, MWBE certifications, DEC regulations, and other pressing issues. The NCA proudly served as a financial supporter of this initiative and remains committed to advocating for a more business-friendly North Country.

NCA Annual Meeting

June 18, 2025

10:30am to 1:30pm

Mirror Lake Inn, Lake Placid

If your organization would like to help sponsor the event, email Aviva Gold gold@citec.org for more information. 

Workforce challenges continue to impact businesses and hinder growth in our communities. As organizations work to address these issues through various strategies and programs, it is crucial to understand what the labor market data reveals and how we can use this information to better support North Country businesses.

Konstantin Sikhaou, the NY Department of Labor’s Labor Market Analyst for the North Country, will provide valuable insights during this event. With his extensive expertise in collecting and analyzing regional workforce data, Konstantin will highlight where the strongest opportunities exist for finding experienced workers and identify the most significant challenges businesses face.

If you have specific questions you’d like addressed during the event, feel free to email Aviva Gold at gold@citec.org.

If you're interested in contributing to this important work, please email Michelle Capone for more information. mcapone@danc.org

Business representatives from across the region are especially encouraged to apply.

The NCA's Loan Review Committee is, in many ways, the driving force behind the organization, playing a vital role in fostering economic growth in the North Country. Tasked with reviewing and recommending actions on applications to the NCA Regional Revolving Loan Fund, the committee ensures that resources are directed where they are most needed.

Under the long-standing leadership of Brian Gladwin of NBT, the committee has struck a careful balance—embracing risks that other lending institutions avoid to support growth in our communities. This unique role makes the NCA an essential economic development agency in the North Country.

According to NCA bylaws, the Loan Review Committee must include at least seven members: three regional bank officers, three representatives from the business community, and the ESD Regional Director or their designee. With several members serving for many years, the committee is now looking toward the future by seeking new members to enhance its diversity and ensure strong succession planning.