Javier Silva, Associate Director for Community Engagement, and Betsy Bourassa, Media Relations Associate, Communications and Outreach

President Williams’ final regional visit of the year was to the Bronx, a borough that has made great strides since a period of declining population and rising crime that stretched from the 1970s into the 1980s. The progress of the last few decades notwithstanding, the Bronx still lags economically behind the rest of New York City, with the lowest median household income and highest poverty rate among the five boroughs. During his daylong visit, President Williams met with local nonprofits, businesses, and community leaders to discuss efforts to strengthen the local workforce, challenges facing small businesses, strategies to promote development without displacement, and the importance of anchor institutions and public-private partnerships.

Javier Silva, Associate Director for Community Engagement, and Brian Manning, Media Relations Associate, Communications and Outreach

President Williams’ second visit into the district took him to Buffalo and Niagara Falls, where he discussed the Western New York economy with local officials, private sector representatives, and community leaders. A number of common themes emerged over two days of engagements, including the need for investment in new infrastructure and transportation, the reuse of existing resources, the importance of the Buffalo Niagara region’s relationship to Canada, and the value of cooperation between public institutions, private interests, and nonprofit organizations.