MISSION & HISTORY
MISSION
STATEMENT
To create an economic renaissance for New York State and its
people, by:
- Mobilizing the resources
of a united business community to press for public policies
that will improve the business climate;
- Working with government
to design and implement such policies;
- And helping our member
companies surmount the costs and complexities of doing business
in New York.
HISTORY
OF THE COUNCIL
The
Business Council was founded in 1980 through the consolidation
of what had been the state's two leading business associations,
the Empire State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries
of New York State, Inc.
The founding president
and chief executive officer was Raymond T. Schuler, a former
New York State commissioner of transportation who had served
as president of Associated Industries since 1976.
Daniel B. Walsh, the
former Majority Leader of the New York State Assembly, joined
The Business Council in May of 1987, and became President
of the Council upon Mr. Schuler's retirement in 1988.
Kenneth Adams, previously president of the Brooklyn Chamber
of Commerce, was selected by the Board of Directors in September
2006 to succeed Mr. Walsh as president and CEO effective
November 1, 2006.
The first Chairman
of the Board of Directors was Frank T. Cary, chairman and
chief executive officer of IBM Corporation.
Succeeding chairmen
of the Council have been Amory
Houghton, Jr., of Corning Glass
Works; Walter A. Fallon of Eastman
Kodak; Edmund T. Pratt, Jr., of
Pfizer, Inc.; John Bierwirth of
Grumman; John A. Georges of International
Paper; William C. Ferguson of NYNEX;
John J. Creedon of Metropolitan
Life; James R. Houghton of Corning,
Inc.; James W. Kinnear of Texaco;
William D. Matthews of Oneida Ltd.;
Eugene R. McGrath of Consolidated
Edison; Richard A. Jalkut of NYNEX;
Daniel Gill of Bausch & Lomb;
James H. Cleave of Marine Midland;
Roger Ackerman, Chairman & CEO
of Corning Inc.; Lewis Golub,
Chairman & CEO of Golub
Corporation; Peter I. Bijur, Chairman & CEO
of Texaco; and William F. Allyn,
Chairman & CEO
of Welch Allyn Ventures, LLC; Philip
A. Teel, Sector Vice President,
AEW & EW Systems, Northrop
Grumman Corporation. Currently
we are Co-Chaired by Kirk P. Gregg,
Executive Vice President and Chief
Administrative Officer, Corning
Incorporated and Linda S. Sanford,
Senior Vice President, Enterprise
on Demand, IBM Corporation.
