Adams Tapped to Take Reins at ESDC

ALBANY-Kenneth Adams, currently president and CEO of the Business Council of New York State, has been nominated by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to serve in a similar capacity at the Empire State Development Corp. Adams must still be confirmed by the state Senate; the governor’s press office did not respond to GlobeSt.com’s calls Monday on when the nomination was expected to come up for a vote.

The nomination of Adams, who reportedly helped spearhead the business council’s first-ever endorsement of a gubernatorial candidate this past fall, is part of Cuomo’s plan to change the leadership structure of the statewide economic development agency. The CEO and chairman roles, currently filled at ESDC by the departing Dennis Mullen, will be divided. According to a release, the chairman role will be filled by a candidate “who will bring a specific understanding of the issues facing economic development in Upstate New York.”

Under Adams’ leadership, ESDC “will fuel New York-based innovation and create jobs at home while helping to transform the state into a world-class center for business and new ideas," Cuomo says in a statement. “As I said in my State of the State address, we need a strong voice to help say that New York is ‘open for business.’ A fast growing and forward-thinking economy begins with changing the state’s business climate to attract and maintain cutting-edge companies.”

Adams has led the business council since November 2006. Prior to that, he was president of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and director of the MetroTech Business Improvement District in downtown Brooklyn. Between 1988 and 1994, Adams was founding executive director of New York Cares, the New York City-based volunteer organization.

In order to take the reins at ESDC, Adams is relinquishing his post at the business council. Heather Briccetti, who joined the group in 2007 as VP of government affairs, has been named acting president and CEO.