So, does Bruce Bernstein want to push New York’s Silicon Alley ahead of California’s Silicon Valley?

“That would be a gross simplification,” said the energetic techie, fidgeting through an interview.

Then he paused, smiled, and flashed a twinkle that any reporter in town would write down as a solid “Maybe.”

As president of the New York Software Industry Association (Nysia), he would be the man to do it, if anyone could.

The Nysia, with 600 member companies is New York’s largest high-tech trade association. It helps members help each other to keep up with, and surpass the highly movable high tech standards. It also trains folks in software and information technology.

Mr. Bernstein took a break before a graduation class for 29 students – 27 of whom have already been placed in high tech jobs – to explain his mission.

“The object is economic development,” he said, “and development is about jobs. And that means helping companies.

“What we’re really fighting for is a piece of the mindshare of the industry,” he said. “It is the belief of the industry’s leadership and the government officials that New York should be a player.”

Which is why they pay Mr. Bernstein and his staff of 13 to organize conferences and seminars for information-technology techies throughout the area. Nysia has some 15 special interest groups (SIGS) that meet every month or so to nail down the latest in technological information and to help each other on the newest challenges.

“We call it ‘coopetition,'” he said. “Sometimes the companies go after jobs together, in partnership.

“In fact our last general meeting was on just that, partnerships,” he said.

The SIGS narrow the field even tighter, recently holding meetings on sales and marketing, wireless technology, and the future challenges for technology CEOs and CFOs.

Then there’s the straightforward training for which he handed out certificates Tuesday night.

“These people,” he said, his arm gesturing to the soon-to-graduate technicians, mostly minorities from Brooklyn and Queens, “are all getting very good jobs.”

Thirty more have been trained in a Labor Department sponsored program that aims at graduating 80 persons who were previously either unemployed or underemployed.

Mr. Bernstein, a Bayside, Queens, native who has worked for big and small companies and has had his own firm, said that although he’s not making as much money as he did in the old days, he likes his job.

“I am still in the industry. I have a lot more contacts, I like helping the city, and I like helping the industry grow. I like having an impact. There is no more central issue in New York City than jobs,” he said.

“I think I have the best job in the city, he said. “Oh, and I want to plug the Web site: www.nysia.org.”

He did. With the same twinkle.