New York Gov. David Paterson continued his restructuring of the Empire State Development Corp. yesterday by choosing its acting president and chief executive officer, Marisa Lago, to also be commissioner of the state's Department of Economic Development.
ESDC spokesman Warner Johnston said the nomination is a continuation of Paterson's policy goal of unifying the department and corporation into a single entity.
Former governor Eliot Spitzer had split the ESDC agency into upstate and downstate divisions, which proved unwieldy.
Daniel Gunderson served as de facto upstate chairman of the agency, though his official title was commissioner of the Economic Development Department. Patrick Foye had served as chairman of the ESDC but covered the downstate region and lower Hudson valley. Both resigned earlier this year.
Paterson appointed M&T Bank Corp. CEO Robert Wilmers to be chairman in June and Lago to be president and CEO in August. Lago oversees day to day operations at the agency as well as economic development issues throughout the state. Wilmers' role is more strategic. An upstate president, Dennis Mullen, was also chosen in August and a downstate president who has yet to be chosen. The upstate and downstate presidents serve under Lago.
