ALBANY—The new head of the state's Department of Labor and the new regional chairmen of the Empire State Development Corporation will be among the speakers at The Business Council's Annual Small Business Day, March 27 at the Empire State Plaza in Albany.

"The agenda will allow small business leaders to connect with representatives from the new administration," said Business Council President and CEO Kenneth Adams. "This is a great opportunity for participants to network with administration officials as well as get information on what's happening at the state level."

Small Business Day, which is hosted each year by The Business Council and its affiliate the Chamber Alliance of New York State, is designed to give small-business operators a chance to discuss priority issues with key lawmakers and staff.

Participants will hear from newly-confirmed Department of Labor Commissioner, M. Patricia Smith, as well as the new regional chairs of the Empire State Development Corporation, Daniel Gundersen and Patrick Foye.

The agenda also includes includes:

• A presentation of the Senate’s small business tax package by Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno.
  
  
• Remarks from Assemblyman Mark Weprin (D-Queens), chair of the Assembly small business committee, and Senator James Alesi (R-Rochester), the chair of the Senate's economic development and small business committee.
  
  
• Robert Ward, director of research at the Public Policy Institute and author of New York State Government; What it does and how it works, will discuss the growth of small business in New York State.

In past years, these meetings have been instrumental in business' efforts to convince lawmakers to make more affordable health insurance available to sole proprietors, reduce taxes, reform workers' compensation, cap county Medicaid costs, reduce unemployment insurance, and make other critical improvements to New York's business climate.

A complete agenda and registration form can be found on the Council's Web site at www.bcnys.org/whatsnew/events/sbdprogram.htm.