KINGSTON – As Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan moves early through his first full elected term, he said he wants to focus on the regional economy in an effort to help future generations.
Ryan was the guest speaker Wednesday at the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s regular monthly breakfast in Kingston, and he touted an economic initiative known as Ulster 2040.
“Ulster 2040 is a group of folks getting together to lay out what should the Ulster County economy and could it look like in 2040,” he said. “What are the industries and sectors we want to invest in to grow an equitable economy? Our goal is to identify four to five areas and focus on them.”
Some of those areas include software, technology, film, TV, the creative arts, advanced manufacturing, and especially the established food and agriculture sectors.
“One of our historic strengths and a huge opportunities for us to invest in further,” he said. “So how can we help local farmers? How can we create better markets for those farmers to New York City and other regional areas? How do we get the next generation of farmers trained and ready?”
