City and State New York recently published the “2024 Trailblazers in Economic Development” and the Orange County Partnership’s Conor Eckert was among the selections of movers and shakers in the economic development sector.
City and State honored 100 “New Yorkers who are on the front lines, creating jobs and spurring economic growth on the local, state and national levels." Eckert, Senior Vice President of the Orange County Partnership, joined the Partnership in March 2022. Shortly after, he was honored as the sole recipient of the Rising Star in Economic Development Award, presented by the New York State Economic Development Council. He has worked tirelessly on the major development and lease transactions closed in Orange County since then, including Poly Craft Industries, Kedem/Royal Wine, Tesla, Prime Source Group, and Skyview Skylights.
Additionally, he has played a key role in advancing development projects including the Golden Triangle in Wallkill, 700 South Street in Newburgh, and securing state grant monies for shovel ready site development at Aden Brook Montgomery. He has also helped secure grants for redevelopment analysis of the Roseton and Danskammer power plant sites, aimed at positioning the Newburgh area as a clean technology and offshore wind supply chain hub.
Eckert has been keenly involved in a number of ground-breaking initiatives undertaken by the Partnership, including its latest efforts to focus on attracting companies in the pharma, food and beverage, clean technology and semiconductor industries to locate operations in Orange County. These efforts include building strategic relationships across the Northeast to position Orange County as an emerging location for industrial innovation.
Eckert is widely known and respected in the business and economic development communities in Orange County and the Mid-Hudson region. He came to the Partnership after serving two years as the Executive Director of the Town of Montgomery Industrial Development Agency and Director of Economic Development for the Town of Montgomery where he was involved in significant development. He was responsible for the business attraction, retention and expansion efforts in the Town of Montgomery, managing a diverse portfolio of projects across industry sectors, including the site selection for the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley and the 300,000 square foot expansion of Cardinal Healthcare on Neelytown Road. He also managed the public and community affairs and operations of the IDA.
During his time with the Montgomery IDA, he spearheaded new marketing initiatives, site development efforts, community engagement events and initiated and implemented successful economic development strategies. At the time of his departure, the town and the IDA had a development pipeline of more than 1 million square feet of industrial space.
Eckert, an Orange County resident who was born and raised in the Town of Montgomery, attended SUNY Orange. He then graduated from SUNY Binghamton with a bachelor’s degree in public policy and government and earned his master’s degree of Public Administration from SUNY Binghamton, College of Community and Public Affairs. Recently, he received a certificate in Real Estate Development from Cornell University.
“Conor is the new generation of economic development leaders. His intelligence, energy and drive to make sure Orange County is prepared to accommodate the growth industries of the future has been invaluable and critical to the successes the Partnership and Orange County have enjoyed,” Maureen Halahan, president and CEO of the Orange County Partnership said. “We at the Partnership are extremely proud of Conor and his many achievement.”
