Gov. Paterson Highlights Speakers at Business Council Annual Meeting in Rochester

ALBANY, NY (09/15/2009)(readMedia)-- Gov. David Paterson will address The Business Council of New York State's Annual Meeting being held in Rochester on Sept. 30, 2009. The Governor is expected to address the opening dinner meeting Wednesday evening at the Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside.

"As the state faces great economic challenges, The Business Council is pleased that Gov. Paterson will come to Rochester to speak to our members," said Kenneth Adams, president & CEO of The Business Council of New York State.

The Wednesday night program will also include remarks from Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, Rochester Mayor Robert J. Duffy, Danny Wegman, CEO, Wegmans Food Markets Inc. and Sandra Parker, president and CEO, Rochester Business Alliance.

Other highlights of the Annual Meeting in Rochester will include:

• State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli who will speak to the meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1.

• Professor Steven Landsburg, author of "How to Fix Everything" and "More Sex is Safer Sex". He will speak on how a transparent and open economic policy can get our economy back on track. He is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday

• Community Collaboration in Health Care: Rochester's Story will be led by Paul S. Speranza, Jr., vice-chairman, general counsel and secretary, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. on Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m.

• Friday morning, Oct.2, will feature a presentation by Empire State Development Chairman & CEO Designate Dennis M. Mullen on the future of economic development efforts in New York.

• On Friday morning there will be an update on Marcellus Shale led by Jennifer K. Levine, founder, Marcellus Communications with a panel of David P. Flynn, partner, Phillips Lytle, LLP, Shawn Griffin, partner, Harris Beach, PLLC, Brian Grove, Director of Corporate Development, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Dale Rowenkamp, assistant vice president, Seneca Resources Corporation a subsidiary of National Fuel and Mark Scheurman, general manager, government and media relations, Fortuna Energy, Inc. The panel will begin 10 a.m. Friday Oct. 2.

• Friday morning will also feature presentations by legislative leaders. Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos will speak at 8:45 a.m. Assemblyman Joseph Morelle and Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb will each speak beginning at 11 a.m.

Media are welcome to cover all of these sessions.

Council members and future members are welcome to attend the meeting. A full agenda and registration information can be found at: http://www.bcnys.org/events.htm

The Council's Annual Meeting attracts hundreds of top business and government leaders in the state for discussions of policy issues that matter to the state's business community. The Business Council is New York's largest broad-based business group. Headquartered in Albany, it advocates for economic growth, good jobs and stronger communities across the state. The Council's more than 3000 members represent employers of well over 1.2 million New Yorkers in all parts of the state and all sectors of business, industry, education and not-for-profit activity.

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