Spitzer Names Upstate Development Tsar
ALBANY — Governor Spitzer has tapped an economic development official from Pennsylvania to head a new Buffalo office that will spearhead efforts to revive the upstate New York economy.
Daniel Gundersen joined Pennsylvania's economic development office as a top executive in 2003 and had worked previously in similar jobs in Maryland and Philadelphia, the Buffalo News reported in its Sunday edition.
Mr. Gundersen, 46, will become co-chairman of the state's Empire State Development Corp. and lead the upstate office, the governor told the newspaper in an interview. The official announcement of the appointment is expected today in Buffalo.
Mr. Spitzer said he chose Mr. Gundersen from a large group of development experts after a national search. He'll be paid $190,000 a year.
Reviving upstate was a major theme in Mr. Spitzer's successful run for governor last year and will be "the single most important test or failure" of his administration, he said.
Mr. Gundersen's job is "pure dedication to the upstate economy," Mr. Spitzer said, and he will have the power and resources to reverse the state's loss of young workers and the frustration of businesses facing high taxes and other competitive disadvantages.
"I have a deep appreciation for the problems. But I also have optimism that we can tackle these issues," Mr. Gundersen said.
"He's a doer," Mr. Spitzer said.
