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volume 9 issue 3 march 2009

Capital Region expanding Hail to the chief

Frameworkfor successBeam by beam, Christina Steel Inc. builds up Tech Valley

Construction and architecture firms capitalize on potential of Albany market Einhorn Yaffee Prescott prides itself on Presidential Library work

Christina Audi, president, Christina Steel Inc.

Our offices are located at One Computer Drive South, Albany, NY 12205. Telephone: 518.431.1400. Fax: 518.431.1410. To reach the Chamber on the WorldWide Web, go to acchamber.org. Comments about the publication should be directed to John Spadafora at 518.431.1413 or [email protected]. For infor-mation about advertising, contact Don McCormick at 518.783.9368 or [email protected]. Annual subscriptions are available for $335.

is a monthly publication of albany-colonie regional chamber of commerce

markeaganpublisher

johnspadaforaeditor

christopheriulalayout & design

paulquiriniwriter

newyorkpress&graphicsprinting

colleenbresciaphotographer

donmccormickadvertising sales

paulasegal advertising sales

Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Business Services Corporation and their representatives, employees and agents are held harmless from any claim, demand, liability or actionon account of or in any way arising out of the client’s advertising, products and services, or its participation in visions. © visions 2009. Chris Iula

march 2009 / volume 9 / issue 3

For the past nine years, ChristinaSteel Inc. has been building itsbusiness from the ground up by,literally, building other businessesfrom the ground up. For ChristinaAudi, who is president of thecompany, working in the steelerection industry provides herwith a unique perspective of thegrowth in real estate and devel-opment across Tech Valley, onestructure at a time.

acchamber.org :: techvalley.org VISIONS 3

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valleyspeak

Albany Academies give students a career head startSeniors gain real-world experience through May Projects

Cultural diversity resource availableLook to Cultural Diversity Business Advisory Group for guidance

Learn what’s new on “Chamber Chat”Weekly radio show covers Chamber events, business topics

Discounts available as Chamber’s Annual Dinner nearsMembers offer reduced rates on services leading up to March 12 event

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5in every issuechambercalendar

communitycircuit

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newmembers

features Business is booming at Watervliet ArsenalPrivate enterprise thrives under unique partnership

Relocation, relocation, relocationLooking for a new home? Real Estate Plu$ can help

Capital Region offers many reasons for expansion Construction and architecture firms capitalize on potential of Albany market

Cruising alongDOT restores bridge, improves roads at busy Exit 6 intersection above Northway

Hail to the chiefEinhorn Yaffee Prescott prides itself on Presidential Library work

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Frameworkfor success

Ray MelleadyExecutive DirectorCapital District TransportationAuthority (CDTA)

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Michael Keegan :: President :: M & T Bank :: 2009 Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber Board Chair

chair’snote | march

Tech Valley depends on robust real estatemarket and developmentA thriving real estate market and continueddevelopment are crucial to the progress ofTech Valley. The presence of attractive resi-dential, commercial and retail propertiesmakes this region a desirable location to live,work and recreate, and numerous businessesare helping to reinforce our area’s “place onthe map,” so to speak.

In this issue of Visions, we examine the cur-rent and future state of Tech Valley, in termsof its real estate and development potential.

Companies with offices elsewhere in NewYork state or along the East Coast oftenchoose Tech Valley as a place to open up oper-ations. Those companies bring employeeswith them, and real estate professionals are

prepared to help individuals and families withpurchasing a home and getting comfortablein their new community.

One local women-owned steel erectioncompany is experiencing so much growth inher business that she’s expanding her head-quarters, a good sign for her and for the com-mercial construction prospects in this region.

The Watervliet Arsenal is successfullyattracting high-tech companies to its sitethrough a unique partnership with the U.S.Army that’s proving to be mutually beneficialfor businesses and the military alike.

In order to accommodate the increasingnumber of motorists along the Northway atExit 6 and over the bridge linking Routes 7

and 2 in Latham, the New York StateDepartment of Transportation is building afirst-of-its kind interchange that will ease traf-fic flow while complementing the businessesand neighborhoods located nearby.

Real estate and development remainstrong areas of our region’s economy, despitethe toll that the recession has taken on hous-ing sales here and throughout the nation. Onthe positive side, a recent article in Forbesmagazine lists the Albany region as one of theTop 25 strongest in the nation.

Although 2009 will present its share ofchallenges, Tech Valley is strategically posi-tioned to weather the storm and emergestronger from it, as a result.

tuesday

3Times Union Site Visit & News Editors’ Meeting presented by Colonie Business Council / Sponsor: First NY FCU

Join us for a tour of the Times Union’s headquarters. We will start with the news editors’ meeting from 3:30 – 4:30pm. Networking and registrationwill begin at 4:30pm with the tour beginning at 5pm. We will learn how the newspaper’s content is determined, what they look for when puttingthe articles together, and how you can use the Times Union to help grow and market your business!3:30 – 4:30pm News Editors’ Meeting (optional, limit of 20 people) / 4:30 – 5pm: Registration/Networking / 5 – 6pm: Site Visit andTour/Times Union Building, 645 Albany Shaker Road, Colonie / Cost: $10; Chamber members only

friday

6Leadership Tech Valley Information SessionLeadership Tech Valley provides opportunities for outstanding individuals from diverse fields and backgrounds to address regional challenges, enhancetheir leadership network, foster creative problem solving and shape a progressive future for Tech Valley. Join us for this information session and learnwhy you should apply for our Leadership Tech Valley Class of 2010.8 – 9am / Chamber office, One Computer Drive South, Albany

tuesday

10Beyond Social Networking presented by: Small Business Council Sponsor: TD BankNorthDo you keep hearing that you need to socially network your business on the internet? Do you cringe when someone asks you if you are on Facebookand LinkedIn? Not sure how to use utilize social networking to generate revenue for your business? Join the SBC and Melissa Ward of New WardDevelopment for an interactive program that will demonstrate how to utilize Facebook and Linked In for your business.7:30 – 9am / Chamber Office, One Computer Drive South, Albany / Cost: $5; Chamber members only

The Chamber’s Annual Dinner — A Quadricentennial GalaSponsor: NBT BankEach year, the Chamber’s Annual Dinner brings out more than 1,000 leaders in business, government, education andthe community. Join us for this gala event as we continue the tradition of celebrating the individuals and institutionsmaking history and shaping Tech Valley’s future. We will present the Envoy Salute and Arthur R. Kapner Spirit of theChamber awards, while also commemorating the Quadricentennial of our region. In addition, there will be extend-ed networking at this year’s event, followed by a brief program and dinner. Video sponsor: Working Pictures, Inc.5:30 – 8:30pm / Empire State Plaza Convention Center, Albany / Cost: $160

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acchamber.org :: techvalley.org 5

Please register and pay by credit card online at acchamber.org/events.aspx Or, make checks payable to the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce and mail to: OneComputer Drive South, Albany, NY 12205. Pre-payment is required. CANCELLATIONS MUST BE MADE 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE. Walk-ins will be charged an additional $5 fee.All events are for Chamber members only. For more information on councils and committees, call 518.431.1400.

to register visit acchamber.org/events.aspx or call 518.431.1457

VISIONS

chambercalendar | march

2 16 Business Referral Group 4 / Noon – 1pm / Chamber office, One Computer Drive South, Albany



10 24 Toastmasters / Noon – 1:30pm / Chamber office, One Computer Drive South, Albany / Open to club members and guests

11 25 Business Referral Group 2 / 8 – 9am / Chamber office, One Computer Drive South, Albany

wednesday

4Chamber Breakfast — Beyond the Headlines: What Will Really Happen to the EconomySponsor: Time Warner Cable Business ClassYou've heard this is the worst economy in generations. You've heard it isn't bad as we think. You've heard the downturn will last anywhere from a few years to severalmonths. You can't plan your business around speculation and sound bites. Get the straight facts on what's happening now and where we are heading so you canproperly prepare your business for what's ahead. Hear from our panel of economic researchers and ask the questions that are important to you and your business.Our panel of economic experts include Don Levy, director of Siena Research Institute; James Weyhenmeyer, PhD, senior VP for research and economic developmentat SUNY Research Foundation; and Gary Keith, vice president and regional economist at M&T Bank. The panel will be moderated by CBS6 News Anchor Greg Floyd.7:30 – 9am / Holiday Inn Albany on Wolf Road / Cost: $25; Chamber members only

wednesday

4Internship Fair presented by: Tech Valley Global Business Network (TVGBN)This Internship Fair is a great opportunity for Capital Region employers active in global business to connect with students seeking internships at area colleges.Participating colleges include: the University at Albany, the University at Albany School of Business, Siena College, The College of Saint Rose, RensselaerPolytechnic Institute, Union College and Union Graduate College. TVGBN is a collaboration of the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce, the RensselaerCounty Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County, the Chamber of Schenectady County and the Center for Economic Growth.4 – 6pm / Citizens Bank, 833 Broadway, Albany / Contact: Susan Bernardi, 518.388.6239 or [email protected]


Seminar: Real World Network Security presented by: Peter Russo, Russo Computer Consulting, Inc.There’s the corporate network security that vendors push to get companies to buy –– and then there is what businesses need in order to protect theirnetworks and data. In this presentation, you will learn why there are so many different types of security, how good your current security policy is, whyyou need to protect yourself from the outside and inside, and what are some of the steps you can take to improve the protection of your data.11:30am – 1pm / Chamber Office, One Computer Drive South, Albany / No cost; Chamber members only

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VISIONS acchamber.org :: techvalley.org6

chambercalendar | march continued

tuesday

17Seminar: Asset Allocation: Constructing an Investment Portfolio and New ERA of Investment Planning Presented by: Robert Fowler, American PortfoliosLearn how to construct an investment portfolio based on your risk level, view lists of investment alternatives, and learn how to use your investmentportfolio for retirement purposes.11:30am – 1pm / Chamber Office, One Computer Drive South, Albany / No cost; Chamber members only

wednesday

18Roundtable Discussion – “Technology for the Small Office” Solo Entrepreneurs ForumSponsor: Capital BankJoin other solo entrepreneurs for an open roundtable discussion about technology that you can use for your small office. We have invited our round-table technology experts, Cody Anderson of Evenerable Group and Michael Howard of At Your Service, to help answer all your questions! 7:30 – 9am / Chamber Office, One Computer Drive South, Albany / No cost; Chamber members only

wednesday

18Seminar: “Skyrocketing Your Sales” Presented by: Kat Koppett, Koppett & Company & Lorraine Ferguson of Direct Impact Associates/The Tech Valley Sandler Sales InstituteUsing the power of improvisation and the proven selling process of Sandler, we will explore the underlying psychology behind every sales transaction, andexamine why the traditional approach of selling features and benefits can be a turn-off to your prospects. The session will focus on building rapport withprospects, how to establish mutual agreement, how to move the selling process forward, and the power of asking questions to problems you can fix. 5:30 – 9pm / Chamber office, One Computer Drive South, Albany / Cost: $35 / Seating is limited, please register early

thursday

19Hang In There, We’re All In This Together presented by: Business Council of CohoesSpeakers: Kathy Van Aken & Phil Rainer, LCSW-R, from Capital Employee Assistance Program & Laura Connell, M.A., Mental Health CounselorSo, you think times are tough? You’re not alone. With the uncertainty in our local and national economy, everyone is feeling a bit uneasy these days.But never fear, help is here! This program is designed to assist you and your employees in dealing with the economic downturn while maintaining apositive outlook. Don’t despair, look on the bright side –– and learn how to make the most out of work and life, in good times and not-so-good times.7:45 – 9am / Harmony House Marketplace, 188 Remsen Street, Cohoes / Cost: $5; Chamber members only

thursday

19Advocacy 101 for Young Professionals presented by the GenNEXT CouncilSponsor: BlueShield of Northeastern New YorkSo you want to make a difference... but you're not sure where to start? Then this is the event for you! Join us to get the information you need to effectivelyadvocate and make a difference in the future of the Capital Region. Come and learn from some of the area’s professionals that advocate on a daily basisand make your “toolbox” that much stronger. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity!Time: 11:30 – 1pm / Location: Albany Airport Observatory, Albany / Cost: $15; Albany-Colonie and Schenectady County Chamber members only

tuesday

24Improve Your Bottom Line presented by Women’s Business CouncilSponsor: The Bonadio GroupPlease join us for a panel discussion on expanding your market share and strategies you can use to increase efficiencies, especially during these eco-nomic times. Our panelists include Patty Fusco from Fusco Personnel, Lisa Frisch from The Legal Project and Marie Bettini from Albany Realty Group.They are prepared to discuss a variety of topics including cost control measures, customer service strategies, marketing strategies and more.7:30 – 9am / Wolferts Roost Country Club, 120 Van Rensselaer Boulevard, Albany / Cost: $9; Chamber members only

18 Executive Dialogue / 8am / Chamber office, One Computer Drive South, Albany / For confidentiality reasons, only group members may attend this meeting

20 Executive Dialogue / 7:30am / Chamber office, One Computer Drive South, Albany / For confidentiality reasons, only group members may attend this meeting

friday

25Leadership Tech Valley Information SessionLeadership Tech Valley provides opportunities for outstanding individuals from diverse fields and backgrounds to address regional challenges, enhancetheir leadership network, foster creative problem solving and shape a progressive future for Tech Valley. Join us for this information session and learnwhy you should apply for our Leadership Tech Valley Class of 2010.5:30 – 6:30pm / Chamber office, One Computer Drive South, Albany

thursday

26Log On, Link In & Join the New Marketing Generation: Part II Presented by: Tech Valley Nonprofit Business CouncilSponsor: Pioneer BankIf you enjoyed the first portion of this Web 2.0 program, you certainly don’t want to miss this event! Join us as we delve deeper into the world of Web2.0 with Brendan Kennedy of Eric Mower and Associates, and discover how some nonprofits are implementing Web 2.0, social networking, and newmedia into their marketing campaigns through a case study presentation. Want to follow along? Bring your laptop and connect to the network fora hands-on approach to this invigorating topic!7:30 – 9am / NYS Nurses Association, 11 Cornell Road, Latham / Cost: $10; Albany-Colonie and Schenectady County Chamber members only

EXPERIENCE

THE REGION

INStyle.

For more information or to register, call 518.431.1457 or visit acchamber.org.

major sponsor video sponsor

The Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce continues its tradition of celebrating the individuals and institutions that contribute to the vibrancy of our community. At this year’s Annual Dinner we will honor the Golub Family, owners of Price Chopper,and John F. Murray, president and CEO, Rose & Kiernan, while also commemorating the Quadricentennial of our region. Join morethan a thousand community and business leaders in reflecting on our remarkable past and envisioning what lies ahead for Tech Valley.

EMPIRE STATE PLAZA CONVENTION CENTER / ALBANY, NY / THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2009 / 5:30pmThe Annual Dinner is a black tie event and is open to the public


Collaboration on the part of local officials,the U.S. Army and the private sector has ledto a renaissance at the Watervilet Arsenal,where high-tech companies such as VistecLithography and M + W Zander have flour-ished, thanks to the Arsenal Business andTechnology Partnership.

After a visit to the arsenal by ArmySecretary Pete Geren in December, the Armyreleased 63 acres of underutilized landunder the Enhanced Use Lease (EUL)Program for development by private compa-nies; so far, 22 companies employing a totalof 220 workers have capitalized on theopportunity, according to Tony Gaetano, thepartnership’s president.

“The objective is to make more land andbuildings available for commercial develop-

ment and to take that portion of the arse-nal’s overhead off the Army’s books and outof the cost of cannon and the other productsmade by the arsenal,” he said. “The arsenalis a very unique enterprise because it’sowned by the Army but it’s operated like abusiness. It bridges another $40-$50 millionannually in terms of services, and it has avery significant economic impact on theregion.”

Although terms of the EUL are still beingnegotiated, the lease payments would bemade over at least 50 years and would likelybe put into an escrow account for futureimprovements at the arsenal.

The not-for-profit partnership wasformed in 2001 amid a recent round of Armybase closings, a shrinking workload, skyrock-

eting prices and complaints from defensecontractors.

“That dynamic was putting the arsenalitself in jeopardy,” Gaetano said. “When wetalked about commercial development ofthe site, we put together a plan for creatingan organization like the partnership, work-ing with the arsenal on commercial develop-ment and preventing the base closing itself.It was the marriage of those two needs thatled to the creation of the partnership.”

The governor, Assembly speaker andSenate majority leader appointed the part-nership’s board, presenting a united front inan attempt to save the arsenal. Planning andpreparation have been critical in meetingthe Army’s needs and attracting the rightmix of private companies.

Business is booming at

WatervlietArsenal

Private enterprisethrives under

unique partnership

Vistec became the first nano-equipment supplier tolocate its entire global operations in Tech Valleywhen it opened at the Watervliet Arsenal

“Since 2001, we’ve been renovating propertyand putting companies in the arsenal,” Gaetanosaid. “We had a very strong development teamthat included Clough, Harbour & Associates LLP,CB Richard Ellis and M + W Zander. We gave theArmy a proposal that combined very specific proj-ects that we wanted to pursue on the site and alsoaddressed critical infrastructure problems for thearsenal. We had a very strong team of profession-als that knew the site, the conditions, the commu-nity and how to work with the Army and the EULteam.”

True partnershipGaetano gives tremendous credit to former U.S.Senator Chuck Schumer, recently retiredCongressman Mike McNulty and New York StateAssemblyman Majority Leader Ron Canestrari forbeing vocal supporters of the arsenal and staunchadvocates of the partnership’s pursuits. Each ofthe three elected officials also spoke highly of thepartnership.

“The Army’s selection of the Arsenal Businessand Technology Partnership to run the EUL proveswhat we already knew: that Tony Gaetano and histeam are a tremendously talented and visionarygroup,” Schumer said. “They have already createdhundreds of jobs in limited space and are perfect-ly situated to tap into the high tech growth thatwe have seen throughout Tech Valley.”

“The arsenal is about to enter a new era. Newhigh tech companies and jobs are going to jointhe arsenal’s cannon experts to create a great newenterprise,” McNulty noted. “For the past fiveyears, we have been working together with theArmy to plan the best way to make this happen.Over the last year, the partnership has reshapedour vision and won the Army’s vote of confidence.Now, the entire Army command and our entirecommunity are jointly committed to a single blue-print for the future.”


Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari;Vistec Chairman/CEO Papken DerTorrosian; andTony Gaetano, Arsenal Business and TechnologyPartnership president, played significant rolesin Vistec’s relocation to the arsenal


“Vistec’s success at the Arsenal makes it clearthat this region has the capability to attract andsupport companies that use the latest and mostsophisticated technologies,” Canestrari pointedout. “Vistec’s new headquarters and manufac-turing facilities are breathing new life into alarge building that was previously underutilizedat the Watervliet Arsenal. The collaborationbetween the Arsenal Partnership and theCollege of Nanoscale Science and Engineeringof the University at Albany, with support fromother institutions in the region, is a roadmap forfuture economic growth and attracting andretaining a highly educated workforce.”

The arsenal offers numerous advantages tobusinesses interested in relocating there,Gaetano noted. “It’s a great location, only a traf-fic light or two from Interstate 787, and just afew minutes from Albany International Airport,Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and theUniversity at Albany. It’s secure, and because weonly have one security gate, it defines what kindof business site you’re going to have. You canconduct business with like-minded professionals,because the security presence really sorts outwho wants to be here.”

The relocation of Vistec Lithography’s globalheadquarters from Cambridge, England, to thearsenal speaks volumes about the site’s appeal.“The partnership took an old industrial hulk andturned it into Vistec’s global headquarters and13,000 square feet of clean room,” Gaetanosaid. “Through the conversion of an historicstructure, Vistec manufactures nanolithographyright here in Watervliet, and our marketingeffort now has people involved who know thenanotech business base in Europe.”

Despite its location and high level of security,the arsenal isn’t designed to house just any busi-ness. “It’s a manufacturing and research anddevelopment site. The companies that havecome here are state-of-the-art manufacturing;this is not a one-size-fits-all business park,”Gaetano said. “You can’t do a warehousingoperation here; there’s not enough space and itwould be totally inconsistent with a communitylike Watervliet. You can’t do retail here becauseit’s a defense site and is still owned by the feder-al government.”

Thanks to the forward-thinking approach ofthe partnership at the outset, business prospectsfor the arsenal remain strong for the short- andlong-term future.

“We anticipated all of this back when we puttogether the partnership, because the core ofour board of directors knew exactly what theywere doing with the site, and the strategy theyput together is absolutely consistent since then,”Gaetano said. “They identified every single pos-sible obstacle and what we had to do to be suc-cessful, and the overarching strategy hasn’tchanged. The Army is absolutely committed tomaking the EUL Program a success, and I thinkwe’re positioned to realize the larger goals wehad when the partnership began.”

For employees of Chamber memberorganizations who are consideringbuying or selling a home, the RealEstate Plu$ program available throughColdwell Banker Prime Properties, Inc.is an ideal way to save time and effort,while letting experts do the work.

“Our goal is to provide them with aworry-free relocation and let us takecare of the details for them,” said TomFaughnan, general manager, PrimeCompanies. “There’s a great deal ofjob satisfaction that goes along withhelping someone settle into their newcareer and providing them and theirfamily with a place to live.”

Coldwell Banker Prime Propertiesoffer professional real estate help,community and school information andaccess to concierge services exclusivelyto Chamber members using the RealEstate Plu$ program.

“We affiliate with a lot of relocationcompanies,” Faughnan said. “We’reseeing more and more people movingto this area, especially with larger, tech-nology companies coming here. Our


Relocation, relocation, relocationLooking for a new home? Real Estate Plu$ can help


company is in a position to help themfind temporary housing while they’rehere, whether it’s in a hotel for a short-term stay because they haven’t found ahouse yet, or in apartment complexeswhere we’re providing them with corpo-rate apartments.”

Through its concierge service, repre-sentatives help select pre-screened,qualified service providers in the area.After reviewing everything you want tohave done, the representative will rec-ommend vendors who can meet yourneeds and make appointments withthose vendors, for such services asremodeling, repairs, painting and floor-ing –– even doctors and dentists.

“Our concierge service helps you finda house, so you can get settled into yourjob. We’ll take care of everything else,”Faughnan said.

By working with Real Estate Plu$,home buyers and sellers also can receivea substantial cash rebate after closingon their new home, as well as $300toward closing costs when obtaining amortgage through Home FundingFinders and other refinancing options.

Despite the current economic down-turn, the local real estate market hasn’tsuffered nearly as much as other areasof the country, such as California, Florida

and Las Vegas, according to Faughnan.“Is it a great time to buy? Absolutely.

Is it a good time to sell? It’s a good time

to use a professional real estate agent.Housing prices are relatively stable; thisarea hasn’t seen the same kind of appre-ciation as other parts of the country, sowe haven’t seen the same kind of down-turn. There’s a lot of inventory outthere, and it’s a great time for a buyer tostep in and buy,” he said.

Michelle Raymond, president ofHome Funding Finders, agrees that thelocal real estate market is stable andimproving.

“We are still seeing homes that arepriced realistically, homes that haven’tbeen sitting on the market for monthsthat are going on the market now thatare in good shape,” she said. “They’reappealing to a buyer, and they’re pricedright. There are still multiple offer situa-tions going on, and while that’s not thenorm, there’s still quite a bit of activityfor that kind of inventory.”

For more information on Real EstatePlu$, call Coldwell Banker PrimeProperties at 518.640.4025 or800.456.7839, ext. 4025 or email [email protected].

Housing prices are relatively stable;this area hasn’t seen the same kindof appreciation as other parts ofthe country, so we haven’t seenthe same kind of downturn.There’s a lot of inventory outthere, and it’s a great time for abuyer to step in and buy.

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visit acchamber.org/events.aspx for a complete listing

event sponsor location contact

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Confections in Chocolate

Epilepsy Foundation ofNortheastern New York

Wolferts Roost CountryClub, Albany, NY

Susan Kaczynski518.456.7501

Fourth Annual Warmth of Wine

Colonie Senior Service Centers

Blu Stone BistroColonie, NY

Danielle Simons518.459.2857 ext. 301

Friends RecognitionBreakfast

Northeast Parent & Child Society

Mallozzi’s, 1930 Curry RoadSchenectady, NY

Pattie Welek Hall518.579.3505

Saratoga SipThe Cystic Fibrosis

FoundationVapor Night Club

Saratoga Springs, NYNicole Matyas518.783.7361

5th Annual NortheastFamily Chocolate Festival

Addictions Care Center ofAlbany

Washington AvenueArmory & Sports Arena

Karen Karl518.465.5470

28 15th Annual Community Auction

Food Pantries for theCapital District

St. Francis de Sales ChurchLoudonville, NY

Lynda Schuyler518.458.1167

eba’s 4th Annual BENEFIT CABARET

eba educational programseba Theater, 351 Hudson

Ave, Albany, NYJenn Newman518.465.9916

2009 Capital Region Heart Ball

American Heart AssociationHall of Springs

Saratoga Springs, NYKelly Heaney518.869.4051

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communitycircut | march


Capital RegionexpandingConstruction and architecture firms capitalize on potential of Albany market

When building and design firms based elsewhere inNew York state look for markets in which to growtheir business, Albany is a logical choice.

Its prominence as the state capital and itspotential for continued growth are among the rea-sons that two such firms cite as factors for theirrespective moves into the Capital Region.

LeChase Construction Services, LLC had beensteadily involved in construction projects in theCapital Region for two or three years before open-ing its Schenectady office in 2003, according to BillGoodrich, president and CEO. The firm has donework in this area for more than 20 years overall,including a variety of parking structures and othersmall projects.

“We had done some projects here, but as wegained a greater appreciation and understandingof the market, we felt it was important to becomea greater part of the community versus just manag-ing from afar,” he said. “So, we committed to theCapital Region by opening an office over six years

ago, hiring employees and building a strong clientbase.”

In addition to Schenectady, the firm has NewYork offices in Rochester, Corning, Ithaca andBinghamton, along with two offices in NorthCarolina. The move to the Capital Region madesense for several reasons, Goodrich said.

“In the 1990s, we looked at the growth of ourbusiness and the types of services we could pro-vide,” he said. “We methodically reviewed andanalyzed markets, and when we looked at theAlbany market, we saw the Capital Region as theparamount region for growth in New York state,from an opportunity standpoint, for our firm to beable to provide services.”

One advantage of having a presence in theCapital Region is the diversity of business opportu-nities in the area, according to Rick Sugg, executivevice president.

“Our firm has a great deal of experience inhealth care, higher education, technology and

process industrial,” he said. “We have a stronginternal group that services those needs, and whenyou look at the Capital Region, it has all of thosethings, probably in a larger scope than you’d findanywhere else in the state. It matches our experi-ence level and the services that we’ve developedover the years.”

Unlike other markets, the Capital Region isn’tdefined by one primary institution or client, Suggpointed out.

“In Ithaca, you think of Cornell University; inCorning, it’s Corning, Inc.; and in Binghamton, youthink of Binghamton University, all of which areour clients,” he said. “Those institutions are main-stays of those economies, but here in the CapitalRegion, there’s a broader spectrum.”

LeChase has achieved long-term growth andsignificant repeat business, forging relationshipswith such companies as GE and Golub Corporation.Sugg anticipates that business will remain brisk,especially as our nation’s newly elected president

David Ball, AIA, president, BL Companies; Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings; and TimothyO’Brien, director, Albany office, cut the ribbon for BL Companies’ Albany location

Above, Bill Goodrich, president and CEO;below, Rick Sugg, executive vice president,LeChase Construction Services, LLC

launches his initiatives.“We believe our business is going to continue

to grow within this market, and we’re very bullishon the Capital Region,” he said. “Being near thestate capital, there’s a lot of activity, as it is. We’refully expecting that as projects and programsemerge, as they often do out of new administra-tions, we will be on the front line, from a state per-spective, to make the most of these opportunities.”

Another advantage of the Capital Region is thenumber of highly skilled professionals in the con-struction field. “We’re fortunate in that we’ve beenable to find and attract top-quality people,” Suggsaid. “There’s an abundance of excellent skilledworkers in the Capital Region. This has allowed usthe opportunity to expand on our self-performedcapabilities with work on projects such as EmpireGenerating Co, LLC. This is a 635 net megawattcombined cycle, natural gas-fired power plant inRensselaer where LeChase is self-performing theconcrete foundations. When completed, this willhave involved the placing of more than 28,000yards of concrete and 2,800 tons of reinforcing.

LeChase develops long-term relationships withits customers and employees, and instills an entre-preneurial spirit by facilitating the personal andprofessional growth of its staff, Goodrich noted.That commitment and drive manifest themselves inthe firm’s strategic decisions, including its move tothe Capital Region.

“We’re not here just to do a project and leave,but to establish long-term relationships,” he said.We intend to be a part of our clients’ business andpartner with them for years to come.”

Looking upstateLast September, BL Companies moved one of itsoffices from Poughkeepsie to Albany, and thechoice of the state’s capital was no coincidence,according to Tim O’Brien, principal and director ofthe firm’s Albany operations.

“We try to stay in state capitals, and that’s themain reason we’re in Albany,” he said. “We cancover the Southern Tier of New York state from ouroffice in Manhattan, and now with our Albanyoffice, we can reach out to clients in Buffalo and upto the Canadian border.”

Since its founding more than 20 years ago, BLCompanies has built an integrated slate of servicesfor clients, including architecture, engineering,environmental sciences, land surveying, landscapearchitecture, planning, transportation engineering,structural engineering, MEP engineering and sub-surface utility engineering.

An employee-owned firm, BL Companies main-tains its headquarters in Meriden, CT and also hasregional offices in Hartford, CT; Harrisburg andPhiladelphia, PA; Baltimore, MD; New York City andAlbany.

The Albany office represents a strong invest-ment in the future of BL Companies and the CapitalRegion; the objectives of the move are to betterserve BL Companies’ current client base, expand itsservice territory and seek new business opportuni-ties in the Capital Region.

“Our move from the Mid-Hudson Valley was a

strategic move, which is tough in this type ofeconomy, but we think Albany is a better loca-tion,” O’Brien said.

The presence of state offices, including theDepartment of Transportation, the Departmentof Environmental Conservation and the Office ofGeneral Services, made Albany an attractivelocation, and BL Companies hopes to expandupon the growth it has achieved elsewhere.

“We do a lot of private sector work in NewYork state, and the main thing we’re lookingfor in the Albany area is someone with contactsin the city in either the architecture or engineer-ing field,” O’Brien said. “We team with otherengineering firms where they have a local pres-ence and partner with them, so that we put thebest team together and each project has the

best outcome.”As schools and municipalities compile their

wish lists of projects, in anticipation of state andfederal funds designed to help rebuild theregional and national infrastructure, O’Brienbelieves that BL Companies will be able to cap-italize on potential opportunities.

“As funding becomes available this area isonly going to grow,” he said. “You’re definitelygoing to see more companies coming in here.”

The hospitable reception BL Companiesreceived upon its relocation to Albany wasgreatly appreciated, O’Brien noted.

“We received a warm welcome from AlbanyMayor Jerry Jennings and the Albany-ColonieRegional Chamber of Commerce, and we’rehere to stay,” he said.



The bridge replacement and interchangeimprovements on Routes 7 and 2 in Latham overInterstate 87 at Exit 6 are progressing ahead ofschedule, and the road to the project’s 2011 com-pletion appears smooth, indeed.

“We tried to segment construction to mini-mize the effects on the traveling public and onadjacent commercial and residential entities atthe interchange,” said Dan Moore, New YorkState Department of Transportation (DOT) projectmanager. “We’ve opened auxiliary lanes betweenExits 5 and 6 for the 100,000 cars traveling that

section of the Northway, and we haven’t closedany lanes during peak hours.”

The primary objective of the $41.9 millionproject is to replace the bridge linking Routes 7and 2, which was built in the late 1950s and hasclearance that’s two feet below current standards.“There’s no issue of immediate safety concerns,but we try to be proactive so nothing becomes asafety concern for the traveling public,” Mooresaid. “The bridge has been struck by oversizedvehicles over the years, and while we’ve donerepair work on the beams, we want to prevent

further damage in the future.”In replacing the bridge, DOT also took into

consideration the needs of the surrounding road-ways and wanted to alleviate the traffic conges-tion that’s common at the interchange.

“It’s a highly traveled region, with a lot of res-idential and commercial development,” Mooresaid. “When we were developing the project, wedidn’t want to be remiss and just replace thebridge. We wanted to look at whether or not wecould do improvements to any of the traffic con-ditions and congestion at the interchange, along

Cruising along

DOT restores bridge and improves roads at busy exit intersection above Northway

More than 100,000 cars travel the Northwaybetween Exits 5 and 6 daily

Above: An aerial photo of the existinginterchange; below: An aerial visualizationof the proposed interchange


with replacing the bridge. We looked at alternatives andwhether we could increase capacity and reduce delays fordrivers.”

Additionally, each quadrant has a business entity, from ahotel and commercial development to a gas station or resi-dential area, all of which reduced the number of optionsthat DOT could pursue.

Ultimately, DOT chose a Single Point Urban Interchange(SPUI) as the preferred feasible alternative for the project,the first overhead SPUI in New York state.

“The SPUI tries to reduce congestion and delay by reduc-ing the number of signals you have at the interchange,”Moore said. “It sits on the same footprint as the currentinterchange, so you don’t need to obtain any additionalright-of-way in order to build. That’s always the dilemmaDOT and state engineers face –– we have to be stewards,socially and economically, to gauge the type of impacts andimprovements we make. The SPUI minimizes the environ-mental impact, the impact to business and provides incre-mental traffic improvement.”

The main difference between a roundabout and an SPUIis in configuration and traffic control; a roundabout is a cir-cular intersection with no traffic signal, while an SPUI is sim-ilar to a standardized intersection and is controlled by astandard traffic signal.

Planning aheadConstruction began last summer, and although there will beno lane closures on Routes 7 and 2 in 2009, three of theseven lanes will be closed in 2010. “Closing lanes usuallymeans you’re backing up traffic even more, but DOT hasbeen doing a lot of legwork over the past few years to reg-ulate and mitigate congestion and traffic delays in 2010, byencouraging alternate travel routes and work schedules,and offering real-time traffic transportation informationonline,” Moore said.

The bridge replacement and interchange improvementsare being made not only to bring the area up to present-daystandards, but also to anticipate future development in theimmediate vicinity and the I-87 corridor, Moore pointed out.

“With the bridge itself, we wanted to be able to accom-modate future improvements to the Northway,” he said.“We’re not sure what they could be –– light rail, an addi-tional lane on the Northway, E-Z Pass –– but this project isimportant because it allows for future improvements on theNorthway without us knowing what that future improve-ment could be. We designed the project so as not to con-strict the ability to expand the Northway in the future.”

In addition to the bridge replacement, the project willreconstruct Route 7 from the Wade Road intersection to justeast of the Latham Farms Intersection.

Motorists aren’t the only ones who will benefit; pedes-trian improvements will include a new sidewalk along bothsides of the road and the installation of a mid-block crossingjust west of Rensselaer Avenue. There will also be bicyclistfacilities and landscape improvements, along with upgradesto street lighting, pedestrian signals, traffic signals and sig-nage.

DOT should be commended for pursuing the SPUI proj-ect, according to Peter Melewski, a principal with BergmannAssociates, an architectural and engineering firm with 10offices in the eastern and midwestern United States, includ-ing Albany.

“That’s a forward-thinking, smart way to try and movecontinued on page 35

Beam by beam

building up Tech ValleyChristina Steel providesprofessional servicesincluding structural erection, fabrication, welding and ornamental.We have the experience and capacity to meet themost demanding projectrequirements and schedules.

p. 518.861.6042 / christinasteelinc.com

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George and Christina Audi combine their passion for ironworking and business

For the past nine years, Christina Steel Inc. hasbeen building its business from the ground upby, literally, building other businesses from theground up.

Based in Guilderland Center, the structuralsteel erection company began in March 2000 byerecting stairs for New York State and AlbanyCounty government buildings. The company hassince worked on such large-scale projects asRensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s ExperimentalMedia and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) inTroy and GE Healthcare’s Digital X-Ray facility inNorth Greenbush; recently, the firm startederecting the Golub Corporation’s new head-quarters in Schenectady.

For Christina Audi, who is president ofChristina Steel Inc., working in the steel erectionindustry provides her with a unique perspectiveof the growth in real estate and developmentacross Tech Valley, one structure at a time.

“We get on the job early on, when there’sjust a foundation in place,” she said. “It’s justfascinating how, when the iron goes up, theother trade workers come in and finish the job.”

Christina Steel Inc. was founded whenChristina, who had sold real estate and earnedan insurance broker’s license, and her husband,George, a union ironworker for 10 years, decid-ed the time was right to go into businesstogether.

“Since my husband had a passion for iron-working and I had a passion for business, wedecided to form a structural steel erection com-pany,” Christina said.

Christina handles all internal aspects of thebusiness, including marketing, bid execution,contract negotiation, project coordination,accounting and payroll, while George spends histime in the field. “He’s the superintendent wear-ing the hard hat and gloves, but you’ll also seeme at the job site,” she said. Their GuilderlandCenter home serves as the company’s headquar-

ters and features a stand-alone shop whereemployees perform welding and ornamentalwork.

Test of mettleEarly on, the company erected stairs and miscel-laneous iron for several Office of GeneralServices (OGS) projects and structural steel forprivate owners out of state, but finding clientswasn’t always easy.

“Being a woman and not having construc-tion experience, other than selling real estate, Imet many challenges,” Christina said. “Mostpeople knew George from his time working forhis previous employer, but not many local, struc-tural steel fabricators were interested in open-ing their doors to a new steel erector, let alonga women-owned company. They weren’t tooeager to go out of their comfort zone.”

In 2001, Christina Steel Inc. became certifiedwith New York State as a Women-Owned

Business, a move that proved fortuitous.“That opened the door for many public

works projects,” Christina said. “There havebeen a lot of public works projects in which uti-lization of the Women-Owned BusinessEnterprise (WBE) has been high. We worked atthe Albany County Justice Building and erectedthe Albany County Family Court Building.”

One of the more special projects in whichChristina Steel Inc. was involved was The WorldTrade Center: Rescue, Recovery, Response exhib-it at the New York State Museum, whichincludes the heavily damaged Engine 6 pumperand a large steel column from floors 7-9 of theSouth Tower following the September 11, 2001terrorist attacks.

“We had to bring in iron shipped over fromthe World Trade Center, bring them inside themuseum and erect them as part of the exhibit,”Christina said. “It’s really a sight to behold, andthey did a fantastic job putting everythingtogether.”

Steel citiesIn addition to its work on EMPAC, the GEHealthcare Digital X-Ray facility and GolubCorporation’s headquarters, Christina Steel Inc.has erected steel at Albany Medical Center, theCranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club in Lenox,MA and a police station in Queens, among otherprojects. Christina estimates 75 percent of thecompany’s work is in the Capital Region, whilethe remaining 25 percent occurs downstate.

Business is strong, with $3 million in receiptsin 2008, and Christina Steel Inc. is expanding itsoperations in 2009. “We bought 65 acres ofproperty in Guilderland Center, and we’re mov-ing during the summer,” Christina said. “It has astructure that we’re renovating, and we’ve builta new, larger shop. We’ve outgrown our currentlocation, and we need more staff.”

The company typically employs 10 ironwork-


This region is known for attractingand retaining companies that usethe most sophisticated technology. Idon’t see a slowdown, and with allof the technology parks around us,the construction work is out there. I feel that we are so fortunate to behere in Tech Valley, and I am proudto call Tech Valley home.

“

”

Frameworkfor successBeam by beam, Christina Steel Inc. builds up Tech Valley


ers at a time, although that number could swellto as many as 26, depending on the scope ofthe project. “We have a good core group, andeven when there are ironworkers from anotherjurisdiction, there’s a brotherhood amongthem and great camaraderie, whether the proj-ect lasts one week or three months,” she said.“They have to be aware of their surroundingsand look out for their fellow ironworkers,because this is one of the most dangerous jobsout there. You’re 30 feet up in the air and it’s abig risk.”

Christina Steel Inc. is a member of theNational Association of Women in Construction(NAWIC), an organization responsible for unit-ing women who are actively employed in theconstruction industry and providing educationand awareness of many issues as they relate tothe construction industry. “I’ve hired womencrane operators for projects, and there arewomen ironworkers in the industry,” Christinasaid.

Despite the recession, Christina sees contin-ued growth for her business and for the realestate and development landscape across TechValley.

“Even with the economic downturn theregion is experiencing, construction drawingscontinue to arrive, and we are lucky enoughthat we can still be selective on the projects wechoose to bid,” she said. “I get bid notificationson a weekly basis, and I am not seeing a slow-down, locally or downstate.”

All projects start with the bidding process,and Christina thrives in this aspect of her work.“I find it to be a very challenging, intense, excit-ing process to submit your number and seewhat happens,” she said. “You never know ifyou’ve got the right number or not, but every-body has to bid. Nothing gets handed to us.”

Christina owns a copy of the famous photo-graph depicting ironworkers on the 70-storyRCA building in Rockefeller Center eating theirlunch while sitting on a steel beam, with a drop

Gogi Gwardschaladse, Foreman, burningsteel plates with oxygen & acetylene cutting

torch at Christina Steel’s fabrication shop

Two views of the one-of-a-kindcatwalk at RPI’s ExperimentalMedia and Performing ArtsCenter (EMPAC)


of more than 800 feet. “That would never beallowed today,” Christina quipped. “There’s a lot thatgoes into the steel erection business, in terms oftraining, certification, OSHA guidelines and safetyissues. Once someone becomes an ironworker,they’re in it for the long haul.”

Christina Audi embraces the opportunities thatcome with being a women-owned business –– and asteel erection business, at that –– and she plans tocontinue building her own business by enhancingTech Valley’s overall business climate, beam by beam.

“I have been fortunate enough to be involved insome of the largest and most diverse constructionprojects in the region,” she said. “Tech Valley offersgreat opportunities for growth, including educationand careers. This region is known for attracting andretaining companies that use the most sophisticatedtechnology. I don’t see a slowdown, and with all ofthe technology parks around us, the constructionwork is out there. I feel that we are so fortunate tobe here in Tech Valley, and I am proud to call TechValley home.”

Stairs and stainlesssteel railings at RPI’sBiotech Center

An aerial view of GE HealthcareDigital X-ray’s 260,000-square-footfacility in North Greenbush

Need to reach unique markets?

…advertise in visions. To advertise in visions, contact Don McCormick at 518.783.9368 or [email protected].


on the move

Bartel Communications, Inc.: PaulineBartel, president and chief creative officer,re-appointed to serve as publicist for theConsulting AllianceBig Brothers Big Sisters of the CapitalRegion: Natasha Pernicka, CEOBST: Charles Amodio, partner in the firm’sValuation, Forensic and Litigation Supportunit; Carolyn Houck human resourcesdirector; Kimberly Frisbee, tax departmentassociate; Ashleigh Martel, financial servic-es department associate; Patricia Jackson,administrative assistant in the Valuation,Forensic and Litigation unitExcelsior College: Wayne Brown, vice pres-ident of information technologyHomeless and Travelers Aid Society: LizHitt has joined the agency as assistantexecutive directorLiving Resources: Meredith Attanasio, pro-gram manager; Christine Bryant, StephanieCarpenter, Kelly McCrea and LavandaSontag, habilitation specialists; KellyWright, site supervisor; Tamara Wong,Medicaid service coordinator; Mary AnneBarber, development associate; BiancaDilella, residential habilitation manager;Amy Macey, county manager of theSchenectady Day CommunityOpportunities Program; Patrick Tefft, assis-tant director of training and staff develop-ment; Belinda Jeffries, Heather Rollins andAlicia Sturdivant, team leaders; JennyWiegert, residential habilitation managerMassMutual: William Van Evera, vice pres-ident of the board of directors, The DownSyndrome Aim-High Resource Center; PaulWajda, board chair, Alzheimer’sAssociation on Northeastern NYNixon Peabody LLP: Daniel Hurteau, apartner in the firm’s Albany office, hasjoined the Albany County BarAssociation’s board of directorsPalace Theatre: William Piskutz Jr., directorof developmentPeopleWork: Bonnie Edelstein, president,has been appointed an adjunct instructorin the master’s degree program in organi-zational development (MSOD) sponsoredby Pepperdine University’s School ofBusiness.Tully Rinckey PLLC: Maria Tebano, Esq.,partner

kudos

Albany Law School: Associate DeanPatricia Salkin was recently reappointed tothe Environmental Protection Agency’s(EPA) National Environmental JusticeAdvisory Council (NEJAC) for a second con-secutive three-year term. The NEJAC pro-vides independent and expert advice onenvironmental justice issues that is inte-

grated into the EPA’s programs, policiesand day-to-day activities.Pleasant Valley Kitchen Company, LLC:After just six months in business sellingSugar & Spice Sweet Sauce, new businessowner Carolyn Barrett, proprietor ofPleasant Valley Kitchen Company, LLC, haswon honors in the 2008 Hot PepperAwards for Best Dipping Sauce. Sugar &Spice Sweet Sauce Hot won second placeand Sugar & Spice Sweet Sauce Mild wonthird place in an international competitionthat drew entries from as far away asAustralia, Europe and Africa. Siena College: Ronald Moore was namedMAAC Player of the Week for the firsttime in his career in January. Moore aver-aged 14.7 points, 6.7 assists and fiverebounds in three games that week forthe Saints.Tully Rinckey PLLC: Greg T. Rinckey, Esq.has been approved to serve as civiliandefense counsel to the suspected militarycombatants currently detained atGuantanamo Bay. He is one of few civilianattorneys in the U.S. approved by theDepartment of Defense to serve asdefense counsel at a Military Commissiontrial.

more

Albany Medical Center: A team of special-ists at the hospital is the first in the regionto save the life of a sudden cardiac arrestvictim using therapeutic cooling, a processby which the temperature of the body islowered to a near-hypothermic state inorder to prevent or reduce brain damage.Studies have shown that with careful mon-itoring, therapeutic cooling can signifi-cantly reduce the amount of neurologicaldamage that can result from traumaticconditions such as stroke, cardiac arrestand brain injury. Albany Med initiatedtherapeutic cooling protocols in fall 2008.Albany Memorial Hospital: Unveiled its$14 million, newly renovated and expand-ed emergency department at an officialopening ceremony on January 21. Thenew 30,000-square-foot emergencydepartment, which is nearly triple its orig-inal size, offers 31 patient rooms and fea-tures a patient-centered design that canaccommodate 40,000 patient visits a year.Capital Bank & Trust Company: Has elect-ed to participate in the Federal DepositInsurance Corporation’s (FDIC) TransactionAccount Guarantee Program. Under theprogram, all non-interest-bearing check-ing accounts at the Bank are fully guaran-teed by the FDIC for the entire amount inthe account through December 31, 2009.C.T. Male Associates, P.C.: Has opened itsfourth branch office in New Paltz andnamed Jim McIver regional manager.

Guilderland Agency, Inc.: Proudly celebrat-ed 35 years of providing quality insuranceservices to the Capital Region in JanuaryHudson Valley Community College: Theschool, in conjunction with the U.S. GreenBuilding Council New York UpstateChapter and the Associated GeneralContractors of New York State, hosted theNortheast Green Building Conference2009 from February 12-13 at the ClarionHotel in Albany. The conference featuredspeakers representing design professionalsfrom leading architectural and engineer-ing firms, state government, “green busi-nesses” and advocates for sustainabledesign and building practices.Profitable Speech: Owner Dale Klein, wasquoted in the Nonprofit CommunicationsReport (January 2009) regarding her tipsfor public speaking. Klein also had hermost recent article, titled Sensible CellPhone Usage: How to be Enlightened vs.Entrapped, published in ADVANCE (12/08),a trade publication for Speech & LanguagePathologists.Siena College: The men’s and women’sbasketball teams spent an afternoon visit-ing with three of its “adopted” localschools. The Saints split up into threegroups, visiting Mont Pleasant MiddleSchool in Schenectady, St. Gregory’s Schoolfor Boys in Loudonville and DelawareCommunity School in Albany as part of theAdopt-A-School program.SEFCU: Partnering with SAGE Scholars tooffer guaranteed scholarships given astuition discounts at more than 225 partici-pating private colleges. The size of thescholarship, up to one full year of tuition,is based on the balance in SEFCU members’accounts. Interested families can enrollstudents for free in the SAGE (Savings andGrowth for Education) program at anytime before the beginning of the student’sjunior year of high school.SUNY Cobleskill: Hosted a communityviewing for Barack Obama’s inaugurationon January 20 in its Bouck Hall auditorium.The free event was open to the public aspart of SUNY Cobleskill’s “communiversi-ty” initiative.Sunmark Federal Credit Union: Willdonate home energy kits to Schenectady-based Better Neighborhoods, Inc. Theenergy kits are being donated throughSunmark’s Members Helping Members ini-tiative. In an effort to expand MembersHelping Members beyond its existingmembership, Sunmark will donate 150home energy kits to the organization.Tech Valley Office Interiors: Was recentlynamed a Diamond level dealer for theAlbany area by the HON company. TheDiamond level assures the customer thatthe dealer has attained the highest levelof sales, receives the best discounting and

chatroom | march acchamber.org


represents a commitment to the cus-tomer for a quality buying experience. Tully Rinckey PLLC: Mathew Tully, Esq.and Samuel Wright, Esq. were recentlypublished in The American Veterans andServicemembers Survival Guide. The pub-lication, released by the nonprofit advo-cacy group Veterans for America,describes the issues facing today’s veter-ans and provides realistic, effective adviceon how to effectively handle them.

datebook

Academy of the Holy Names: Will hold anOpen House for prospective students onSunday, March 1 for grades pre-kinder-garten – 8 at 1 pm and Wednesday,March 4 for grades 9-12 at 7 pm. TheEntrance Examination for students will beheld on Saturday, March 7 at 8:15 am. Allstudents in grades 2-12 interested inapplying for admission to AHN must takethis exam. The exam fee is $10. To regis-ter, call the Admissions Office518.438.7895. Also, the Spring Soiree willtake place on Friday, March 27 at 6:30pmat Franklin Plaza, 4 Fourth Street, Troy.For information or to make a reservation,call Colleen Ward at 518.438.7895.Albany Law School: Nell Minow, named

“the queen of good corporate gover-nance” by BusinessWeek Online, willdeliver the keynote speech at the 15thAnnual Kate Stoneman Day on March 3at Albany Law School. She will alsoreceive a Kate Stoneman award, givenannually to individuals who are commit-ted to actively seeking change andexpanding opportunities for women inthe legal profession.AXA Advisors: Learn about the excitingopportunities in the financial servicesarena –– opportunities that can meanmore professional satisfaction –– duringthis AXA Advisors Career Seminar onThursday, March 12 from 6 – 7:30 pm at 5Maxwell Drive, Suite 100 in Clifton Park.Find out how AXA Advisors, LLC is posi-tioned to provide you with a total sup-port system that can give you the com-petitive, winning advantage in today’smarketplace. For more information, con-tact, Kim Gadwah at [email protected] or 518.373.7330.

To get your information into Chatroom,email Paul Quirini at [email protected] or fax him at 518.431.1410. Thedeadline for the May issue is March 10; forthe June issue, the deadline is April 10.

chatroom | march

The tax mancometh

Imagine my surprise when I opened a piece of mail dur-ing the holidays from the IRS stating that At Your Servicewas being audited. Me? My little business? Not BernieMadoff? Not the Big Three automakers? Yes, indeed.The audit would be for 2006, my start up year.

The first call I made was to a small business attorneyI had met through the Chamber. He talked me down andtold me not to do anything until we hired a CPA. He rec-ommended a CPA with whom we felt comfortable work-ing, and he now knows every aspect of our lives.

Feeling like a big business with my own lawyer andCPA, we got down to work –– and I mean WORK.

My husband and I spent hours in the evenings and onweekends digging out receipts, counting every mile Idrove, looking for bank and credit card statements, find-ing copies of advertising, working with my wonderfulbanker to get archived reports, and more.

All the while, we were getting more and morerequests for documentation from our CPA. The auditreport needed to be airtight, so as not to trigger an auditof 2007. My favorite question from the CPA was, “Doyou have a second home?” My comical response was“Yes, it’s on that offshore island where I put all my firstyear profits that I am hiding from the IRS!”

So what’s the bright spot in all of this?I have always said that owning your own business is

“on the job training” every day, and this audit is noexception. While it has been unpleasant and time con-suming, it also has been an incredible learning experi-ence in the not-so-fun parts of owning a business. It’s likethe Tim McGraw song “Live Like You Are Dying,“ onlyit’s “Run your business like you are going to be audited.”

Here are the most important lessons I’ve learned:

:: Keep EVERY receipt and piece of paper, no matterhow insignificant it may seem at the time

:: Document everything:: Keep up with your bookkeeping:: Know when you are in over your ability level and

hire professionals

As of this writing, the actual audit has not yet takenplace. It is still several weeks away and we are still dig-ging up paperwork, copying, and making notes. I’ll besure to keep you posted.

women’s business council

Pamela HowardAt Your ServiceChairSmall Business Council


The inauguration of Barack Obama as ournation’s 44th president was an historic event,and when it comes to preserving the legacies ofour former commanders-in-chief, EinhornYaffee Prescott, Architecture & Engineering, PC(EYP) knows exactly how to keep their place inhistory intact.

The firm has a contract with theNational Archives and Records Administration(NARA) to perform work on all 12 of thenation’s Presidential Libraries, from theFranklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library andMuseum in Hyde Park, NY to the William J.Clinton Presidential Library & Museum in LittleRock, AR and everything in between.

Joe Volpe, EYP principal and contractmanager, finds his work on the PresidentialLibraries satisfying, from both a personal and aprofessional standpoint.

“I like American history, and these projectsare very exciting,” he said. “We’re helping pre-serve a lot of important correspondence andfacilitating access for the public to learn more

about our presidents and what they did.”EYP has performed work on Presidential

Libraries for 20 years, providing a broad rangeof expertise with archival storage, building con-ditions assessments and presidential librarydesign, Volpe said. Project teams come fromfour of the firm’s five offices, bringing a widescope of specialized knowledge, from historicpreservation architects to modern movement,life safety and fire protection.

The firm offers numerous services, fromexpertise surrounding the addition and consid-erations relating to the seawall at the John F.Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum inBoston to helping identify future areas of workat the LEED-certified Clinton Library. EYP alsoexamines existing wall systems to determinehow best to improve efficiency, in terms ofheating, cooling and lighting.

“We look at what the clients want to havein the building for the public to see, and we’reon call to complete renovation projects largeand small,” Volpe said. “Every five years, we do

a building conditions report to identify the lifespan of the property and assess the structuralcomponents. We identify those needs as we gointo the building and do our investigativework, then we identify the deficiencies andissue a report, so NARA can decide which proj-ects take priority.”

At the FDR Library, for example, EYP workswith the New York State Historic PreservationOffice so as not to make modifications that areoutside the agency’s requirements, whileincreasing public accessibility at the site.

“We’re looking to do more visible storageand enable people to get in and have betteraccess to FDR’s book collection,” Volpe said.“There are different levels of heating, coolingand humidity that we need to keep in mind.”

The FDR Library presents a unique set ofchallenges, since it was originally built duringthe 1930s and has since had two wings built asadditions, according to Christopher Tavener, anEYP architect who has worked extensively onthe facility.

Hail to the

chiefEinhorn YaffeePrescott prides itself

on PresidentialLibrary work

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Libraryand Museum in Hyde Park, NY


“The original building had stone walls fromlocal field stone and were two feet thick, whilethe newer wings were built from pre-stressedconcrete. It’s two different buildings masquerad-ing as one,” he said.

The FDR Library is not just a museum, it’s alsoan archive housing FDR’s and Eleanor Roosevelt’soriginal papers, Tavener pointed out. “Thearchives had not been upgraded, they wereseverely overcrowded, and we needed toimprove security and the environment and maxi-mize space,” he said.

EYP was able to achieve that by not onlyrevamping the exhibits but upgrading all of thearchival facilities. “The challenge of archives ismaintaining a constant climate,” he said. “Thearchives are kept less humid inside during thesummer and more humid inside during the win-ter. By doing this, the archives will be better pre-served.”

Visible storage has emerged over the last 15years, enabling the public to see more items inthe Roosevelts’ collection. “It doesn’t have thesame level of exposition as an exhibit, but it givesthe public an opportunity to see campaign mem-orabilia and family paintings that they wouldn’totherwise see,” he said. “Increasing public accessis an equal priority to making sure the archivesare in optimal condition.”

Tavener has had the opportunity to see vari-ous items that aren’t on public display, includinga letter from Albert Einstein to EleanorRoosevelt, in which he jokes that if he wants aserious answer on a subject, he’ll talk to her,rather than the president. Another letter waswritten by a 10-year-old Robert Kennedy, thank-ing FDR for some stamps he sent him as a fellowstamp collector.

“It’s always a delight because these docu-

ments are quite extraordinary,” he said. “Theopportunity to see objects like these is rare anddelightful. Museums are places that are naturallydear to my heart, and it was wonderful to see theextraordinary wealth of materials hidden there.”

EYP must constantly balance historic preserva-tion with preparation for future renovation,meeting the challenges of a geographicallydiverse group of buildings.

“We look at each building from a holisticapproach, not just the architecture or the engi-neering, but how it relates to the needs of thespace,” Volpe said.

As President Obama began his term, EYP had

a role in that, as well; EYP designed the platformon which he took the oath of office during hisinauguration. Volpe hopes that the new com-mander-in-chief will support the continuedrestoration and renovation of our nation’sPresidential Libraries, even in these difficult eco-nomic times.

“With a new president comes new policiesand added excitement. Hopefully, he’ll be able tosupport the National Archives and RecordsAdministration and the National Parks Service,”he said. “Presidential Libraries are extremelyimportant facilities, and EYP is honored to havethe opportunity to work on all of them.”

Keith McAfee, vice presidentof operations; and WilliamFlaherty, regional executivedirector, played key roles for National Grid in theaftermath of the ice storm

Top: The John F. Kennedy PresidentialLibrary and Museum in Boston; bottom:The George Bush Presidential Libraryand Museum is in College Station, TX


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valleyspeak | march

A Career head startSeniors gain real-world experience through May Projects at the Albany Academies

Each May, seniors at The Albany Academiesare allowed to miss class for the entire month,

but for good reason.They participate in May Projects, which are

full-time, unpaid internships with local for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations.

“It’s very wide ranging, and there aresome really interesting projects,” said AnnWendth, The Albany Academies’ director ofmarketing and communications.

The Albany Academies began offeringMay Projects eight years ago as a way to wardoff the symptoms of “senior-itis” among stu-dents while providing them with practical,real world job experience, preferably in a fieldthey intend to pursue after college.

“We try to find a placement in an areathey’re interested in,” Wendth said.“Sometimes, they may think they’re interest-ed in one thing, but it turns out they’re not,and that can be a real eye-opening experi-ence.”

Students create their own resumes andmake contacts with employers as part of theoverall learning experience. They also havewritten guidelines detailing what the schooland the employer expect from them duringtheir month on the job.

The school reaches out to parents andalumni for potential May Project placements.Students may work as close as the campusitself or halfway around the world; last year,one student worked in the school’s marketingdepartment, while another student complet-ed his May Project in China, Wendth noted.

“It’s a nice opportunity for a school likeours to connect with our alumni,” she said.“People in private independent schools have

small networks, and we have a lot of strongalumni connections. We’ve reached out to alot of people who are well established in busi-ness or other industries to make those connec-tions back to the school. Sometimes, they’rethe ones who mentor these students for MayProject. They enjoy doing that and giving backto the school in that way.”

May Projects give students a comprehen-sive look at the operations of a business ororganization, and not just within the walls ofa cubicle.

“We encourage the person at the businessor organization to not only give studentssome very specific projects, but also to invitethem to meetings and outside events,”Wendth said. “Most of the organizations arevery receptive to that and have given the stu-dents some very interesting experiences.”

Upon completion of their May Project, stu-dents design poster boards depicting some ofthe highlights of their internship and give apresentation to faculty and parents.

Whether they’re aspiring lawyers whowork in the district attorney’s office or bud-ding pastry chefs who work in a bakery, thestudents gain a wealth of knowledge andexperience by participating in May Projects.

“It’s time well spent at a time when they’reat the end of their high school career, and itgives them some real, tangible, hands-onexperience,” Wendth said.

Chamber members who are interested inoffering a May Project internship should con-tact Ann Wendth at 518.429.2385 [email protected].

Kathleen Tucker (left) completed her MayProject at First Playable Productions in Troy,a game development company with a focuson handheld games, such as NintendoGame Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, MicrosoftXbox, as well as other embedded gameplatforms. She worked closely with TobiSaulnier (right), an entrepreneur andfounder of the 52-employee company


Tune in to TALK 1300 AM for “Chamber Chat”every Tuesday night from 6-6:30 pm for the lat-est news and happenings at the Albany-ColonieRegional Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber representatives will discussupcoming events and programs, as well as busi-ness development initiatives and economicdevelopment in the area. Recent guests haveincluded: Mark Eagan, Chamberpresident/CEO; John Spadafora, director ofcommunications; and Kevin Catalano, loanofficer.

“TALK 1300 has the most local talk,” saidPatrick Ryan, vice president of sales for TALK1300. “When you tune to 1300, you’ll hear oneof a kind local conversations on politics, local andnational news, and lots of information aboutsuccessful local businesses. ‘Chamber Chat’ giveseach of the major Chambers a powerful plat-form to share their good news about their mem-bers and events the Chambers are presenting.”

In addition to the Albany-Colonie RegionalChamber of Commerce, executives from theChambers of Commerce of Rensselaer County,

Schenectady and Southern Saratoga participateduring the same time slot each Monday,Thursday and Friday, respectively.

“I work with many of the Chambers in an‘Ambassador’ capacity, attending ribbon cut-tings, calling and welcoming new members,”Ryan said. “There is a lot of great local busi-ness news going on every day. It needs to beshared on the air, and I’m making it my per-sonal mission to do so. TALK 1300’s leadershipin ‘local’ is the perfect place to do so.”

For more information, visit talk1300.com.

Learn what’s new on “Chamber Chat”Weekly radio show covers Chamber events, business topics

Word on the streetQ: I owe tax due to “capital gain distributions” reported on my mutual fund’s 1099-DIV, even though thefund value has plummeted significantly. How can this be?

James DanielsManaging DirectorUHY Advisors

This is actually a commonscenario many taxpayersencounter in a bear market.When mutual funds sell secu-rities that have realized a

gain –– remember, they could have been pur-chased years ago –– any gains are required to bepassed along to current account holders as taxabledistributions by year end. These gains are distrib-uted without any offset for losses incurred on posi-tions still held. This is how you see capital gain dis-tributions in a fund that has lost significant netasset value. Of course, there is no tax consequenceif the fund is held in a 401(k), IRA or equivalentinvestment account. If you are concerned overpaying such distributions in the future, you mayconsider mutual funds that focus on a marketindex like the S&P 500. Such funds tend to havelower turnover of their portfolios. Be sure to con-sult your financial advisor.

Rudy Quirini, CPAOwnerConfidential Tax &Accounting

In 2008, several funds soldinvestments, which they hadowned for several years, at aprofit. Many of these sales

occurred in early 2008 before the stock market suf-fered severe losses late in the year. As a result ofthese profitable sales, owners of the fund shareswill be required to report capital gains on their2008 personal tax returns (Form, 1040 Schedule D)and pay income taxes thereon, generally at 15 per-cent federal rates and up to 6.85 percent Staterates. Many investors choose not to take capitalgains as cash distributions but, rather, reinvestthem in additional shares of the same fund. Thus,certain fund owners will be faced with theunpleasant task of reporting gains from sales earlyin 2008 and forced to pay the resulting taxes withassets from either funds that had been severelyreduced by the fall of the stock market or fromother personal funds.

Jim ColePartnerBST

If you sold out as the mar-ket crashed, you may haverecognized net capital lossesfor the year well in excess ofthe $3,000 limit that can be

used to reduce your ordinary taxable income. Inthe good years, the government has no problemtaxing all of your gains, but when the tide turns,your net losses over $3,000 get carried over tofuture tax years, subject to the same annual limit.Perhaps, you may have hung in with that mutualfund that had a 30-40 percent drop in value, onlyto discover the mutual fund is reporting a capitalgain distribution to you for 2008. For example, theNew Perspective Fund started 2008 with a value of$33.35 per share but ended at $18.62, for a declineof $14.73 per share. However, the fund is report-ing a taxable distribution of $1.88 per share thatcould increase your taxable income. This is theresult of the mutual fund selling some of its long-term holdings at a gain, even while the total fundvalue was declining. Unfortunately, you can’tdeduct your loss on the stock until you sell it.

The Chamber’s 109th Annual Dinner is

quickly approaching, and several

Chamber members are offering dis-

counts on a variety of services that

attendees may need as they prepare for

this year’s event on Thursday, March 12

at the Empire State Plaza Convention

Center.

The following discounts are available

to Chamber members…

Concierge services:: Members will receive a 10% dis-

count on concierge, errand and per-sonal assistant services from LennoxConcierge. Contact Bonnie Lennox at518.326.3824.

Garment Care:: Best Cleaners is offering a complimen-

tary upgraded garment care service toall attendees of the Annual Dinner.Call (518) 438-3400 for details.

Discountsavailable as Chamber’s

Annual DinnernearsMembers offer reduced rates on services leading up to March 12 event

valleyspeak | march


Transportation:: Receive 20% off transportation to the Annual

Dinner from Christopher Limousine.

:: Think smart, arrive safe and enjoy this special eventin pure sophistication with Premiere TransportationGroup. Reserve a limousine, van or mini coach andreceive $75 off your reservation. Call (518) 459-6123and reserve today.

Tuxedo rental:: Receive a $10 discount on your tuxedo rental from

Waldorf Tuxedo Company Inc. at 204 Lancaster Streetin Albany. Call 518.449.5011 for more information.

:: Receive 10% off your tuxedo rentals from Choppa &Son located at 1020 Central Avenue in Albany. Call518.453.2202 for more information.

Tuxedo pick-up and return:: At Your Service will pick up and/or return your tuxe-

do for $15 one way or $25 both ways. Contact PamHoward at 518.470.2035 for more information.

More discounts will be posted at www.acchamber.orgas they become available. If you are a Chamber mem-ber and wish to offer a discount on your services, con-tact Carissa Rosato at 518.431.1438.

Golub family, Murray to be honoredDuring this year’s event, the Chamber will bestow itshighest honors upon the Golub family, owners of PriceChopper, and John Murray, chairman/CEO of Rose &Kiernan, Inc.

The Golub family will receive the Envoy Salute,which recognizes an individual or group whose lead-ership, vision and contributions have made a positiveand significant impact on the quality of life for resi-dents in our region.

Murray will receive the Arthur R. Kapner Spirit ofthe Chamber Award, which is presented to an individ-ual whose dedicated service and efforts have broughtcredit to the Chamber and enhanced the Chamber’sstanding in the community. The award is named inmemory of Arthur R. Kapner, who died in June 2004after five decades of volunteer service to the Chamber,including a stint as president of its board of directors.

Each year, the Chamber’s Annual Dinner brings outmore than 1,000 leaders in business, government, edu-cation and the community. The black tie affair beginswith a 5:30 pm cocktail reception and is followed by abrief program and dinner at 7 pm.

This year’s event will celebrate A History ofDiscovery. A Future of Innovation, as we take a uniquelook at 400 years of inventions and advancementsmade in the region and also look ahead to the nextinnovations to emerge from Tech Valley.

Join us for this gala event as we provide even moretime for networking and continue the tradition of rec-ognizing the individuals and institutions making histo-ry and shaping Tech Valley’s future.

The Chamber thanks NBT Bank, the major sponsorof the Chamber’s Annual Dinner, and WorkingPictures Inc., the video sponsor.

To register for the Annual Dinner, visit www.accha-mber.org.


valleyspeak | march

Going forward, the Chamber’s Cultural DiversityBusiness Council will no longer meet on abimonthly basis.

Instead, the Council, which will be known asthe Diversity Business Advisory Group, will workwith all Chamber councils regarding program-ming, presenters and ways to disseminate diver-sity-related information to a broader audience.In particular, the Group will serve as a valuableresource for all planning committees of theChamber’s councils.

The Council’s founding mission was to pro-mote an inclusive business community that wel-comes, respects and embraces individual differ-ences within our region’s workforce. As ourregion has become more diverse, the Council hasfostered a spirit of cooperation and acceptance,with outreach programs, educational initiativesand as an informational resource. For more infor-mation contact Jennifer Sims at 518.431.1418.

Diversity resource availableLook to Diversity Business Advisory Group for guidance

Lisa Austin, Girl Scouts of NortheasternNY, Co-chair, Diversity Business AdvisoryGroup

Marie Bosman, TD Banknorth, Co-chair,Diversity Business Advisory Group

Confidential Nomination Application Form

Application must be received no later than 5pm on Friday, March 20th / Nomination Forms are also available online @ acchamber.org

Award NomineeTitle/organization/address____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Award Category (choose one)_________________________________________

Phone ______________________________ Fax ________________________

E-mail___________________________________________________________

NominatorTitle/organization/address_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone ______________________________ Fax ________________________

E-mail___________________________________________________________

Essay Response Worksheet: Each response to the questions listed below is limited to 250 words.(Please note: the judges will only consider the first 250 words of each response if the word count isexceeded). We highly recommend that the nominator contact the nominee to gain accurate and com-prehensive information relevant to the award category.

:: Describe the nominee’s career progression relating to the award description.

:: Please describe the nominee’s most important professional accomplishment relating to the awarddescription?

:: What has been the nominee’s greatest challenge and how was that challenge overcome?

:: Describe the nominee’s community involvement and volunteer participation.

:: What would it mean to the nominee to win a Women of Excellence Award?

:: Required for the Excellence in Sales and Marketing category only – additional information from thenominee to be attached to this application — Describe the nominee’s sales achievements as evi-denced by industry recognition, company awards or exceeding sales quotas or performance levels.Describe the nominee’s successful marketing strategies, if applicable. Please include measurabledata, i.e. the nominee’s sales production history (directly from the nominee if necessary), relating tothis category.

:: Required for Excellence in Business category only — Please include information such as: Mainproduct(s) or services, Year established, Type of markets in which your company does business,and Number of office locations.

Letters of Recommendation – Letters of Recommendation are not a necessary part of the applica-tion, however they will be considered as part of the judging criteria if attached. If applicable, pleaseinclude the letter(s) when submitting the completed application.

The Women’s Business Council of the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce invites Chamber members to make nominations for the 2009 Women of Excellence Awards.

A luncheon honoring the awardees will be held in June at the Holiday Inn Albany on Wolf Road.

All nominees must be Chamber members in good standing. Please indicate one category in which the nominee should be considered:*

_____ Emerging Professional – The nominee must illustrate that she is making significant progresstoward personal and professional growth, has continually accepted additional responsibilities and hasmade significant contributions to her work environment. Criteria to be evaluated include upward careermobility, leadership skills and a promising future. The nominee must have been in her current profes-sion less than 10 years.

_____ Excellence in Business – The nominee, who must own at least 50 percent of a business thatis at least five years old, will be evaluated on her experience and management of resources to solveproblems and survive business and economic cycles. Her use of human and financial resources willbe evaluated in relation to overall success of her business.

_____ Excellence in Sales and Marketing – The nominee must demonstrate a proven track recordas evidenced by industry recognition, company awards and consistently exceeding sales or marketingperformance goals. The nominee’s overall success and creative approach will also be evaluated.

_____ Excellence in Management: (1- 99 Employees) - The nominee must demonstrate steadygrowth and continued development of management and leadership skills. Criteria to be evaluatedinclude the nominee’s initiative and willingness to take risks, her ability to implement creative solutions

to overcome challenges and her ability to seize opportunities created for herself or her employees.This category should be chosen by the number of employees a woman manages directly, not in theorganization as a whole.

______ Excellence in Management: (100+ Employees) - The nominee must demonstrate steadyprofessional growth and continued development of management and leadership skills. Criteria to beevaluated include the nominee’s initiative and willingness to take risks, her ability to implement cre-ative solutions to overcome challenges and her ability to seize opportunities created for herself or heremployees. This category should be chosen by the number of employees a woman manages directly,not in the organization as a whole.

______ Excellence in the Professions - The nominee may be an employee of an existing for-profitor non-profit organization or company or a self-employed professional. She must demonstrate leader-ship and a willingness to teach and mentor others in her profession and consistently uphold the stan-dards and ethics that govern her field. A professional license is not required for this category.

______ Distinguished Career - The nominee must have at least 25 years of experience. Criteria tobe considered equally include her work experience and personal development.

Please note: Multiple nominations received for a nominee will not influence the judges decision. *Judges reserve the right to re-categorize the nominee.

Please submit completed application to: Carissa Rosato, Events and Program Manager, Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce One Computer Drive South, Albany, NY 12205 / p: 518.431.1438 / f: 518.431.1402 / e-mail: [email protected]

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VISIONS acchamber.org :: techvalley.org32 VISIONS

WBC Displays “Power of Positive Action”The Women’s Business Council (WBC) introduced its new adopted nonprofit,Dress for Success, and unveiled its 2009 theme, “The Power of Positive Action”during its January 20 breakfast meeting at the Wolferts Roost Country Club.The 2009 WBC Committee chairs also were introduced, with a brief overviewgiven for each committee. The Bonadio Group was the event sponsor.

Nonprofits prepare for uncertain economy in year aheadNonprofit executives gathered to discuss how their organizations can position them-selves to succeed in today’s economy on January 14 at the New York State NursesAssociation in Latham. CarmelMichael C. Tucker, executive director of the Center forEconomic Growth offered strategies that non-profits may want to implement inthese uncertain economic times. Wally Altes, host of WMHT’s The Bottom Line andformer CEO of the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce, moderated theinteractive discussion, presented by the Tech Valley Nonprofit Business Council.Pioneer Bank sponsored this event.

GenNEXT goes to the moviesYoung professionals networked and took in amovie during a GenNEXT event on January 21 atthe Bowtie Cinemas in Schenectady.

photoop | march

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Local market isrelatively stable

Undoubtedly, you’ve seen or heard about all the doomand gloom surrounding the national real estate market.Foreclosures are rising. Home prices are plummeting. Itseems as though the sky itself is falling.

A similar analogy in the stock market would be thewild price swings you experience when you are investingin a high-growth and high-price/earnings stock. The flipside of the coin is investing in “value” stocks that tend tobe slower growth, low-price/earnings, and maybe a littleboring –– those stock prices tend to be much more stablewhen the rest of the market is tanking.

That scenario is what we are experiencing in theCapital Region’s real estate market today. We certainlysaw some price appreciation during the boom years, butnothing that would compare to Florida or Nevada.

Now we’re feeling the slowing of this market, butwithout the crash being seen elsewhere. The stability ofthe health, education and public sectors in this economyhas historically insulated the region from the wildswings seen in most markets. In times like these, boringis beautiful.

On the commercial end where I spend my days, retaildevelopment has seen a big drop, mostly due to the factthat those projects tend to be tied to the halt in newhome construction. Fortunately, industrial and officeproperties are still seeing activity. While older Class Band Class C buildings continue to experience vacancy (asthey always have), the newer Class A buildings tend tobe mostly filled.

There are pockets of growth to which one couldpoint. In fact, a “new urbanism” development that myfirm has been developing in Guilderland is an interestingindicator. Unlike the typical suburban sprawl develop-ment that this region has seen for the past 50 years, thisproject incorporates mixed uses of residential and com-mercial buildings to create a “village within a suburb.”

With more than 300 townhomes, carriages housesand lofts as the residential anchor, there will also be200,000 square feet of retail and office buildings offer-ing restaurants, shops and professional office space –– atotal live/work/play type of environment. There is cur-rently a waiting list of empty nesters looking to down-size, and many commercial users have shown high inter-est, as well.

It’s safe to say the strengths that have carried theCapital Region through previous downturns are still inplace, and there is still demand for the right type ofproject in today’s real estate market in the region.

colonie business council

Felton McLaughlinPlatform Realty GroupChairColonie Business Council

TMP Construction Services, LLCPO Box 4650, Schenectady, NY 12304-0650ph: 518-280-6988 / fx: 518-280-6988cl: 518-429-4991 / [email protected]

Construction Management / General Contracting / Commercial & Residential ConstructionBoth Renovation & New Construction

Thomas M. Picozzi


Cool InsuringAgency offers identity fraud expense reimbursementIdentity theft is one of the fastest growing crimesin the country today. Wrap+ Identity FraudExpense Reimbursement from Travelers Bond &Financial Products provides you, your spouse,qualified domestic partner, children under 18and parents with coverage for only $6.09 peremployee, per year.

For more information, contact Terry Kenny CIC,Cool Insuring Agency, at 518.783.2665 or [email protected], or contact Jennifer Sims, theChamber’s senior membership relations associate,at 518.431.1418 or [email protected].

member benefit

MemberAnniversariesChamber members celebrating inMarch include…

30 yearsSafeguard

25 yearsMatthew Bender IV

20 yearsSargent & Blais

Personnel Services

15 yearsVideo Environment +,

Inc.

Independent PowerProducers of NewYork, Inc.

Twin Rivers CouncilInc.-Boy Scouts ofAmerica

10 yearsSterling

EnvironmentalEngineering, PC

Capital ComputerAssociates Inc.

Travers, O’Keefe

Canine Clippers andBoutique

The Leukemia &Lymphoma Society-Upstate New YorkChapter


not-for-profit exchange

Welcome to these newChamber membersthat joined between January 6 and February 3, 2009

Girl Scouts offer volunteer opportunitiesGirl Scouts of Northeastern New Yorkoffers unique, new volunteer opportunitiesthat foster personal and professional lead-ership. You are invited to participate as avolunteer to share your skills and modelsuccessful strategies for girl development,provide peer coaching, board leadership,support event planning, or advance the suc-cess of our business operations.

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage,confidence and character, who make theworld a better place. Our strategic priority

is to build the best leadership experiencethat defines activities and outcomes, is dif-ferentiated by age level, promotes consis-tency, and offers flexible pathways for par-ticipation for all girls ages 5-17. Our volun-teers play a vital role in promoting a high-quality leadership experience at every levelof the organization, for girls and adultsalike.

For more information, contact DeborahDoolittle at [email protected] or518.489.8110.

Patricia A. DeAngelis, Esq.

Albany Center Gallery

Art Galleries, Dealers &

Consultants

Bioethics Education Network

Publishers, Magazine

Jonathan Di Cesare / Realty

USA

Real Estate

Evident Technologies, Inc.

Nanotechnology

Glenville Communications

Training Programs & Services

Green’s Appliances

Furniture Dealers, Retail

LeChase Construction

Services, LLC

Contractors, General

Mohawk Towpath ScenicByway Coalition, Inc.

Tourism, Heritage

MySmartSimulations, Inc.Training, Program Design &

Development

New Directions Consulting, Inc.

Management Consultants

New York State Speech-Language-Hearing

Association Management

Office Furniture ExpressOffice Furniture

Photographic ExpressionsPhotographers

Socially Grown, Inc.Environmental, Conservation

& EcologicalOrganizations

Sterling Health PlansInsurance, Medicare

Supplemental &Advantage

Tech Professional MagazinesPublishers, Magazine

TechTransformation LLCBusiness Development

Transperfect TranslationsInternational Inc.

Translators & Interpreters

United Parcel ServicePackage Delivery

Workforce Consortium forEmerging Technologies

Not for Profit

World Claim-Global ClaimsManagement

Adjusters, Public

Cruising along

continued from page 17

traffic,” he said. “We’re starting to see more of thatwith smart growth techniques across the country, inwhich we’re using existing footprints for roadwork. Ithink the time has passed to try and build our way outof congestion. People are thinking outside the box inorder to come up with creative solutions, and just try-ing a SPUI is something that should be applauded.”

Melewski, who focuses on transportation andplanning in his current position and worked previous-ly for DOT, said the infrastructure is in place for con-tinued growth and development in the CapitalRegion.

“There are ample highways and lanes in theCapital District for the size of our population,” he said.“As with many areas in the country, the issue is repairand reconstruction, because many of these roads werebuilt in the 1950s. You’re not going to see more high-ways or additional lanes built anymore; we need tomaintain what we have.”

For example, as project manager for the HudsonRiver Crossing Study, a joint effort with DOT and theCapital District Transportation Commission (CDTC),Melewski looked at the needs of the Patroon IslandBridge in Albany and determined that wider lanesweren’t necessarily the solutions.

“We need to do more open modal facilities, withmore of a focus on transit, bus routes and utilizingmore bicycles and pedestrian usage, rather than peo-ple getting in a car and having it sit in a parkinggarage all day,” he said.

Exploring alternativesMelewski believes the time is right for the CapitalRegion, and our nation, as a whole, to explore alter-natives to automobile use –– if the funds are availableto support it.

“Between the current state of the economy andthe change of administration at the state and federallevels, there’s an opportunity to advance those multi-modal opportunities and reduce energy and fuel con-sumption,” he said. “There’s a real backlog of bridgeand highway work that needs to be done, and NewYork is behind that bell curve in trying to catch up.There’s a real need across the system, and it comesdown to managing multiple priorities with finitefunding. We need to become more efficient in ourprogramming and how we coordinate projects, so wecan reduce the amount of time that people are stuckin their cars.”

As the SPUI project continues, DOT is willing tomeet with businesses to discuss its progress andanswer their questions, although feedback thus farhas been extremely positive, Moore noted.

“Depending on where the business is located, theproject could have no effect or substantial effect,” hesaid. “We’re willing to work with businesses to miti-gate any potential impact of this project. We designedthis project with businesses, residents and the travel-ing public in mind. We tried to compromise on a lot ofdifferent fronts and minimize the impact, but we didwant to maximize our traffic improvement, and thepublic is seeing that.”

For more information, contact Dan Moore at518.220.9519 or [email protected] or visitwww.exit6.org.

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Ray Melleady :: Executive Director of the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA)

Investment in mass transit is crucial forCapital Region’s futureThe economy, environmental awarenessand fluctuating gas prices have prompted arecord number of people to turn to publictransportation.

Locally, CDTA has seen a 15 percentincrease in ridership, up to 15.5 millionboardings this year. New ridership gainshave remained even as gas prices have fall-en off. Although this is exciting news, moremass transit investment is needed so CDTAcan provide the level of service that theCapital Region demands and deserves.

To meet ridership demand, offset higheroperating costs, and plan for our future,we need to invest in transit now. Failure todo so will move people back into singleoccupancy vehicles, contribute to ourdependence on foreign oil and, ultimately,cost us and our children far more.

Investing in mass transit infrastructurewill create and sustain jobs and reduce ourbusiness and energy costs in the long term.Every $1 invested in public transportationgenerates an average of $6 in economicreturns.

Our infrastructure investment in thepast 50 years has been built to support onemode of transportation: the car. Traffic con-gestion in the Capital Region costs us $78billion a year and wastes 2.8 million gallonsof fuel. By riding CDTA buses, our cus-tomers save 2.6 million gallons of gas, andreduce emissions by nearly 26,000 tons ayear.

We can no longer build ourselves out oftraffic, and we must rebuild our street andhighway infrastructure in ways that makethem more efficient and effective forfuture generations. People are asking formore mobility choices, and we need torespond quickly.

CDTA has developed a strategic planthat will shape our transportation infra-structure for the future, support growth,maintain quality of life and get peoplewhere they need and want to go.

This includes implementing “shovelready” projects that can quickly providepayback to our region, constituents and

CDTA’s loyal and growing customer base.These projects include:

Downtown Albany Intermodal Center.Constructing an intermodal center indowntown Albany will connect all CapitalRegion transit services in an area concen-trated with workers, businesses, retail andentertainment. This center will includeamenities and conveniences never seenbefore in our area. Mixing retail and com-mercial development with a safe and con-venient place to wait for buses will movetransit into the 21st century.

NY5 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): CDTA plansto establish a BRT system along the Route 5corridor. The corridor generates 25 percentof CDTA’s total ridership, and is home to 15percent of the region’s households and 30percent of the region’s jobs. This premierservice will have 18 waiting stations withlarge shelters, electronic “real time” infor-mation displays, and pedestrian amenities.Establishing BRT in communities is a costeffective way to enhance mobility and isoften the first step toward achieving light

rail, which costs 15 times more. It will trans-form the image of public transit, what itlooks like and how it operates.

Environmental Initiatives: CDTA imple-ments environmental initiatives that saveenergy, reduce emissions and enhanceoperational efficiency. This includes thepurchase and use of alternate fuel vehiclesfor service. We currently have 29 hybriddiesel electric vehicles in our fleet withplans to purchase 13 more this year. Hybridvehicles emit up to 90 percent fewer emis-sions, are fuel efficient and perform better.

Saratoga Facility: A new 55,000-square-foot facility in Saratoga County will supportservice expansions and provide centraliza-tion of CDTA services, including a park andride lot for Northway Express Commutersand car poolers,. This will encourage andease the use of transit service of residentsand travelers throughout Saratoga County.

As the region’s mobility leader, we pro-vide solutions to many major issues ourcountry is facing today, including trafficcongestion, global warming and pollution,foreign oil independence, economic devel-opment and accessibility.

All of these projects symbolize forward-thinking, transit-oriented growth and envi-ronmental responsibility that will benefitboth riders and non-riders, providing sav-ings and bringing jobs to the CapitalRegion.

However, more community and finan-cial support are needed to make them hap-pen.

Everyone in our community has the abil-ity to move the vision ahead and improveour quality of life. The business communitycan play a significant role by participatingin employee transit benefit programs.Everyone who has access to mass transit canmake the cost-effective choice to use it.And, of course, to really advance the CDTAvision, every citizen can advocate for transitfunding by writing to their local legislatorto increase support for mass transit.

Are you on board?

Everyone in our community hasthe ability to move the visionahead and improve our qualityof life. The business communitycan play a significant role byparticipating in employee transit benefit programs.

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opinion | march

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