The Orange County Partnership is pleased to announce the appointment of Lucas Irace as its new Director of Business Attraction & Development. This strategic hire comes as Conor Eckert, the current Director, prepares to transition into the role of President & CEO upon the retirement of longtime leader Maureen Halahan on June 3rd.

Lucas Irace joins the Partnership at a pivotal moment for economic development in Orange County. With a focus on accelerating site development, growing the manufacturing sector, and continuing to serve as a resource for industrial site selection, Irace will play a key role in shaping the next generation of economic development for the region.

“Lucas brings a deep passion for Orange County, a sharp understanding of real estate, and a results-oriented mindset to this role,” said Conor Eckert, incoming President & CEO of the Orange County Partnership. “He’s exactly the type of professional we need as we prepare for a bold new chapter—one defined by strategic growth, targeted investment, international partnerships, and a commitment to impactful economic development.”

The Alliance for Balanced Growth held a highly informative session on April 15 entitled “Preparing Communities for the Future: Advanced Economic Development” that offered a glimpse as to the boundless potential the semiconductor and advanced technology sectors could have for Orange County’s future.

The event held at the Wallkill Golf Club attracted several hundred business, government and economic development officials and featured an expert panel of Jennifer Waters, senior director of industry development for the Governor’s Office of Semiconductor Expansion and Integration (GO-SEMI) and Ryan Silva, executive director of the New York State Economic Development Council.

The session, moderated by Incoming President and CEO of the Orange County Partnership Conor Eckert, also featured an introduction by ABG Co-Chair Dan Depew of Holt Construction, an address by Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, and closing remarks by ABG Co-Chair Andrew Fetherston of Colliers Engineering & Design.

Orange County Executive Neuhaus, fresh off returning from a trip to Taiwan with other county business leaders (including Conor Eckert) to explore possible semiconductor investment in Orange County and the Hudson Valley, was very optimistic that the county will indeed benefit greatly from the growth taking place in the semiconductor and advanced technology sectors in the years to come.

By: Conor Eckert, Incoming President & CEO of the Orange County Partnership

In addition to our trip to Taiwan last month, I also attended the Site Selectors Guild Annual Conference in Florida. This conference is a staple in the national economic development landscape – the top site selectors and real estate consultants in the country attend this event to provide insights on site selection and economic trends, and to connect with economic developers from across the United States. A small team of economic developers from across New York State attended the conference.

There were a handful of unique themes that the site selection community focused on as key drivers of location strategy and industry attraction for modern site selection projects, such as:

• Site readiness remains a critical factor driving location decision-making
• Access to robust infrastructure – especially power and natural gas – is the most sought-after variable in manufacturing centric site selection                                       
• Communities must develop local and regional talent pipelines to fill skills shortage demand
• Domestic production of critical materials including batteries, semiconductors, and aerospace component parts is expected to increase
• Data center projects will continue to grow as AI grows – but siting them will continue to be a challenge given the large infrastructure profile of these projects and NIMBYism

By: Daniel Ortega

Mobility isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. The Hudson Valley is growing—in population, tourism and business relocations and expansions. Our infrastructure needs to evolve with this reality.

Nearly half of New York’s major locally and state-maintained roads are in poor or mediocre condition, according to a new report by TRIP, a Washington, D.C.-based national transportation research nonprofit. Worsening traffic is hindering commuting and commerce, while the traffic fatality rate has risen significantly since 2019, according to TRIP. Motorists are footing the bill, to the tune of $38 billion a year, due to increased vehicle operating costs, collisions, and traffic delays

That’s why we commend Gov. Kathy Hochul for including $800 million in additional funding for roads and bridges statewide in her executive budget. Here in the Hudson Valley, there’s another key piece of infrastructure in need of enhancement: Route 17.