NEW OPPORTUNITIES FORUM

FOR TECH VALLEY

A Policy Forum for Building Pipelines of Opportunity

April 14, 2009 1-5pm Albany Crowne Plaza Hotel, State & Lodge

Defining public policies and community partnerships that will make sure the rising tide of economic prosperity lifts ALL boats

REGISTER ONLINE

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The Concept

 

In 2003, ARISE organized a major Regional Forum attended by 150 leaders in the Capital District.  It was dedicated to raising the question:  “How can Tech Valley come to include minorities, the disadvantaged, and poor neighborhoods in a more unified regional plan for growth?”

Since that time, ARISE and our allies in many community groups and organizations have developed some very specific and proven answers.  Since then, too, the AMD computer chip plant in Malta has solidified from a plan to a reality.

NOW is the time to move from brainstorming and dialogue toward action planning and implementation. The New Opportunities Forum is where we can make this transition.

To view a more detailed concept paper, CLICK HERE

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An Invitation from Bishop Hubbard and Congressman Paul Tonko

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Download ARISE Advertisement Sales Form

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AGENDA  1pm          OPENING PLENARY:  Rev. Victor Collier, ARISE President                       “The ARISE Vision for Tech Valley:  Social Uplift and Regional Unity”                         Honorable Paul Tonko, US Congress 21st District “Stimulus Jobs, Energy, & a Regional Urban Agenda”                 Steve Groseclose, Global Foundries                       “Fab2 in Regional Perspective”                         Bruce Herman, Deputy Commissioner of Labor for Workforce Development                               “Workforce Development for the 21st Century”                 Judith Saidel, SUNY Albany, Tech Valley Civic Forum                       “A Rich Social Fabric:  The Role of Non-Profits in Tech Valley”   2:15          BREAK w Light Refreshments   2:30pm     CONCURRENT WORKING GROUPS Each group will open with testimony from a person directly affected by the issue at hand, then move to a 30-min. expert panel presentation followed by moderated discussion and formation of a work-plan.  Moderator will be responsible for ensuring that the work-plan is prepared for the closing plenary.   1.    Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) – A Proven Workforce Solution - Good for Developers, Governments, & Citizens Amy Lavine, Staff Attorney and Researcher, Albany Law School, Co-author w Patty Salkin of a recently published national survey of CBAs Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, CBA Coalition leader from Bronx, NY – Kingsbridge Armory project Carolyn McLaughlin, Albany Common Council & CEEEJ CBA coalition Colleen Gardner, NYS Dept. of Labor, “CBAs and PLAs”   2.    Regional Transportation and Sustainability Plan:  Getting Workers to Jobs with the New Visions Plan John Poorman, Cap. District Transportation Cmte (CDTC), will present an overview of “New Visions:  Choosing our Future” our region’s 30-yr. plan for growth Ray Melleady, Cap. District Transportation Authority, “100-mile Plan for Bus Rapid Transit” Mayor John McDonald of Cohoes, Chair of CDTC board Moderator:  Deb Stacey, Director of CDTC 3.    Re-Entry Jobs and Education:                             Strengthening Families & Communities by Enabling Integration Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Chair, NYS Senate Cmte. On Children and Families [confirmation pending] Rosemarie Longo, Esq., Deputy Sec’y of State for Business & Licensing Elaine Kost, NYS Dept. of Labor, “Workforce Strategies for Re-Entry” Glen Martin, Vice-President of Development and Public Affairs, The Fortune Society, “Successful Models of Re-Entry Programs from NYC” Judy Troilo, Director of Employment Services, The Altamont Program, “Supporting Aftercare Services” 4.    Stimulus Funding for Green Jobs:                             Creating a Workforce Pipeline for Energy Efficiency Jobs Penny Hill, Capital District Director of the Workforce Development Institute, “Elements of a Green Jobs Pipeline” Tony Joseph, NYS Dept. of Labor, “Stimulus Funding for Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Rehab Training and Jobs” Rev. Edward Smart, Israel Community Services, Inc., “Connecting the Community with Green Jobs and Training”   4pm          CONCLUDING PLENARY:  Next Steps                     Work-Plans and Meeting Schedules from Groups 1-4*** Who is on board; Where and when is next meeting; Who will chair or convene the meeting and circulate an agenda and reminder in advance?   6-9pm    ARISE Annual Banquet with Silent Auction      ***NOTE:  Under the title, “New Opportunities Action Plan,” ARISE will produce, publish, and circulate a concise summary of the proceedings of the day, contact information for key leaders, and the follow-up work-plans for participants as well as persons not able to attend. Click to register online

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THE ARISE  MISSION: to build an organization made up of congregations and other community groups to both revitalize their own memberships and to improve Capital District communities, especially our distressed neighborhoods.

ARISE  is a coalition of local congregations and community groups who are taking a proactive approach toward helping the poor and revitalizing our region.  Rather than running soup kitchens or homeless shelters, we are empowering the poor and people of conscience to connect with their governments to get training, jobs, housing, quality education, and equal justice. 

ARISE currently has 35 organizations in Albany, Rensselaer, and Schenectady counties whose memberships total more than 12,000 people.  Our member congregations include Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Muslim, Presbyterian and Unitarian, among others.  We include neighborhood groups as well.

 

OBJECTIVES:

o strengthen community and build leaders in member organizations,

o mobilize people of faith to be leaders in the reshaping of public policy,

o empower economically distressed and politically marginalized people, and 

o unite suburbs and cities in an agenda for shared prosperity and social justice

ARISE ’s recent accomplishments:

     HOUSING:  ARISE is a founding member and a lead partner in the Empire State Housing Alliance, working to create and preserve more affordable homes.  This two-year campaign has resulted in the Governor recently announcing a $400 million Housing Opportunity Fund, the largest increase in housing investment in
New York State in over 10 years.  Locally, the Albany County Housing Trust Fund has already begun building 64 new units of affordable housing in the South End, Arbor Hill, and in
rural areas of the county.

 

 

      JOBS AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS:  ARISE has been a founding member and lead partner in CEEEJ, which has begun the process  of negotiating the first Community Benefits Agreement in the Capital Region, making sure that the disadvantaged residents of Albany seenew jobs, training, local art and culture, youth programs, and economic development connected with the Albany Convention Center.

    REGIONAL PLANNING FOR REVITALIZATION:  ARISE has been the leading grassroots voice in the state for regional planning and anti-sprawl development policy, and has supported and promoted the proposals of David Rusk, a national expert and partner with ARISE, for regional collaboration as a key to upstate revitalization.  Governor Spitzer has met with Mr. Rusk and ARISE, and agreed to incorpo­rate these ideas in a new effort to improve local government efficiency and competitiveness.

    STATE ECONOMIC POLICY:  At its Action Meeting last October, ARISE received commitments for ongoing meetings with the Departments of Transportation and Labor, the Empire State Development Corporation and the governor's top economic staff., to craft state policies for training, jobs, and Community Benefits Agreements as avenues for economic opportunity in state-supported projects.

    EDUCATION:  ARISE partnered with BOCES and Questar III (BOCES of Rensselaer) very early in the process of conceiving Tech Valley High, as a way of making more Capital Region students "job ready" in a high-tech age.

     VOTING SYSTEMS: ARISE members have kept on top of developments in voting techno-logies, and met with legislators and members

of State and County BOE offices, offering their informed  preference for paper-based, verifiable voting systems.  The decisions are in, and the less-transparent DRE’s have been almost unanimously rejected by NYS counties!

ARISE accomplishments over several years:

   JOBS:  Convincing the Albany School Board to hire a Minority Hiring Coordinator for its recent $187 million school construction project.  This has resulted in the hiring of an unprecedentedly high percentage of minorities and women into this project.

     EDUCATION:  ARISE successfully lobbied the NYS legislature to increase the funding for the Liberty Partnership Program by $1 million!  This program works with high school students at risk of dropping out of school, to get them through high school and into college.  The program has the phenomenal retention rate of  98 percent per year.

    LOCAL ISSUES:  Conducting 'Holy Ground' walks of poor neighborhoods in Albany, Schenectady and Troy, identifying residents’ fears and needs, and presenting them  to their local mayors.

    LEGAL REFORM:  Working with legislators and law officials to revise the Rockefeller drug laws, so as to give more discretion to judges in individual sentencing.