BRIAN McMAHON
Executive Director

Albany C L. Michael Treadwell, executive director of Operation Oswego County (OOC), the county=s economic development office, has received the 2004 Economic Developer of the Year award from the New York State Economic Development Council (NYSEDC). NYSEDC also recognized Paul Ganci, who retired this month as chairman of the board of CH Energy Group, as its Volunteer of the Year.

The awards were presented May 26 by NYSEDC at its annual meeting at the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown. NYSEDC is New York=s principal organization representing economic-development professionals.

AFor two decades, Mike Treadwell has offered Oswego County an ideal mix of commitment and creativity,@ said Brian McMahon, NYSEDC executive director. AIt=s no wonder that his reputation as a leader in this field is not only statewide but also nationwide.

AWhether he is closing a major plant-location deal, loaning space to government agencies helping the county recover from an ice storm, or mentoring younger development professionals, Mike Treadwell is a credit to this profession. NYSEDC is privileged to recognize his achievements.@

Treadwell, a Georgia native, came north more than 20 years ago to run Operation Oswego County. He quickly earned a reputation for a pit-bull tenacity in pursuing and closing deals that was belied by a laid-back southern demeanor. Treadwell and his team at OOC worked tirelessly on deals to bring a chocolate manufacturer to the county after Nestle=s announcement last year that it was closing its Fulton plant. Treadwell worked long days and weekends in pursuit of success. OOC offers a full range of development services, including regional marketing, loans, site-selection assistance, business incubation, industrial park development, Empire Zone and IDA administration, planning and technical assistance, and development of incentives and financial packaging.

For 50 years, OOC has tracked how those services have led to job-creation success, and that record during Treadwell=s tenure has been formidable: more than $2.2 billion in capital investments and more than 14,000 jobs created. In 2003 alone, OOC assisted on projects that created 856 new jobs and leveraged more than $87 million in new capital investments. This record received a rare honor this month when Site Selection magazine, a key national trade journal of the development profession, listed OOC among the nation=s top-10 economic-development offices.

Treadwell has long been active in NYSEDC, having served for years on its board and having been active in the organization=s efforts to improve the marketing of New York State as a business location. He is also a tireless promoter of education and training in the economic-development profession.

$ He created the Economic Heritage Committee of the Hudson Valley Greenway, a state agency which tries to facilitate a voluntary regional strategy for preserving scenic, historic, natural, cultural, and recreational resources while encouraging compatible economic development.

$ He also helped launch the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation as a potent eight-county regional marketing initiative, with $7.5 million from Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp.

$ As a result, in less than a year, more than 1.8 million square feet of space has been adaptively re-used in the region, leading to 3,900 new jobs.

Background on NYSEDC: The New York State Economic Development Council is the state's principle organization representing economic development professionals. Its 900 members include the leadership of the Industrial Development Agencies, Local Development Corporations, commercial and investment banks, underwriters, bond counsels, utilities, chambers of commerce, and private corporations. The purpose of NYSEDC is to promote the economic development of the state and its communities, and to encourage sound practices in the conduct of regional and statewide development programs that enhance the professional development skills of NYSEDC members. NYSEDC=s Web site is www.nysedc.org.