With this year’s legislative session underway at the State Capitol, we are speaking with stakeholders about the bills and policies they are working to move forward.

JoDee Kenney was joined by Dottie Gallagher, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. This chamber of commerce group, Gallagher said, brings together public and private sector partners with the common goal of growing economic opportunities across the region. While development projects play a role, Gallagher said policies that support workforce development, like job training programs and extended benefits for new employees, provide a solid foundation.

The Buffalo Niagara Partnership is also working to grow a tech hub in the region, that Gallagher said will capitalize on state and federal programs supporting chip manufacturing and AI research. Housing is another important component to economic growth, and Gallagher pointed to projects in Downtown Buffalo that convert vacant office space into apartments in a walkable neighborhood.

You can watch the full interview with Gallagher above. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting upstate New York, on In Focus with JoDee Kenney — every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.