Wednesday, August 13, 2008 State hires tourism consultant The Business Review (Albany)
The state's leading economic development agency has agreed to hire a consultant to help improve cultural tourism efforts across New York.
The New York State Urban Development Corp., an affiliate of the Empire State Development Corp., decided today to hire Heather Hitchens as a consultant to focus on increasing cultural tourism and the I Love New York outreach efforts. Hitchens is the executive director of the New York State Council of the Arts.
Hitchens, who will be working on a one-year, renewable contract, will be paid $2,100 per month for her services.
The hiring follows through on an initiative that began in former Gov. Eliot Spitzer's administration.
"This was a decision that was made before I came on board," said Robert Wilmers, Empire State Development Corp. chairman.
Wilmers, M&T Bank chairman and chief executive officer, was named to the Empire State Development chairmanship in June by Gov. David Paterson.
Wilmers said it makes sense to support New York's tourism industry, which is the second-largest industry in the state.
"New York state has a lot of attractions from Buffalo to Niagara Falls to Corning to New York City," Wilmers said. "Tourism is obviously a high priority and needs focus."
Wilmers also confirmed that he is still working his way through the process of hiring a chief operating officer for the agency as well as Upstate and Downstate presidents. The hirings could take place within the next few weeks.
Hey, New York State is so much bigger. Why is this person getting paid less than the Schenectady County patronage job? Maybe Paterson will immediately squash this pork barrel spending?
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