NCA news & updates
July 2022
NCA Board Meetings

The North Country Alliance Board of Directors meets monthly on the third Wednesday at 11:00am. All members are welcome to join.
Board meeting minutes and agendas are posted on the NCA website. The next board meeting is: July 20 at 11:00am at this link.

Join the NCA: Please consider joining the NCA. For membership questions, contact Matt Siver at [email protected].

Member Events
List your events in this space: Send your listings to [email protected]

July 14, 5:30pm to 7:00pm
Business After Hours; BBG/Kavanaugh Realty/Lomanto Provost Financial

July 13, 9:00am to 3:00pm, Lowville
July 14, 9:00am to 3:00pm, Canton
July 27, 9:00am to 3:00pm, Saranac Lake

July 27, 2022, 9:45am, Virtual
The NCA Adopts a New Strategic Plan
The strategic plan was adopted by the board at the Annual Meeting on June 22, 2022 at the Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid. A tour of the ski jump facility followed. Thank you again to event sponsors, National Grid, Atlantic Testing Laboratories, and the Development Authority of the North Country. 
The plan calls for more member engagement.
 
The NCA began a strategic planning process at the Fall Forum in October with a SOAR analysis led by Victoria Zinser-Duley. With the base from that member exercise, a task force, led by board members Eric Virkler and Rob Aiken, began the work of developing some strategic initiatives, objectives, tactics, measures, and accountability. The plan is available on the website at this link.

The task force developed a clear mission statement which now reads: The North Country Alliance promotes economic and business growth in New York's North Country region through collaboration, financing, and advocacy.
 
The new strategic plan will allow the organization to leverage the unique nature of the Alliance as a public/private partnership to support business growth as well as regional economic development initiatives.

The key to the plan is increased member engagement. If you would like to lend your expertise to the NCA by serving on one of the committees (linked here), please reach out to the committee chair. 

A special thanks to the task force for their focused, deliberate work. The resulting guidance will help the NCA continue to work toward its mission.
Rob Aiken, Michelle Capone, Victoria Zinser Duley, Aviva Gold, Patrick Kelly, Marijean Remington, Eric Virkler, Tricia Wilson, and Dave Zembiec.
NCA Repays USDA $1 Million!
The NCA paid back its first loan to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in March 2022. 

The NCA borrowed $1 million in 1992 through the Intermediary Relending Program to capitalize its loan program. Over the years, the NCA has borrowed an additional $3.5 million from USDA to increase its loan fund. 

Since the first loan from USDA in 1992, we have lent over $10.3 million from the Intermediary Relending Program to projects across the 7-county North Country region.
COVID-19 Tax Credit Up to 25K
Businesses are encouraged to apply soon. Funds will be awarded on a first come, first served basis until funds run out.

The COVID-19 Capital Costs Tax Credit Program provides tax credits to New York State small businesses burdened with a range of operational costs stemming from pandemic, from structural changes and building upgrades to health-related supplies and materials. 

Small businesses can receive a tax credit of 50% of qualifying expenses up to a maximum of $25,000 in tax credits based on qualifying expenses of $50,000. Learn more at this link.