Wilmers calls it quits as head of Empire State Development - The Business Review (Albany):

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Wilmers’ resignation comes less than a week aftert Empire StateDevelopment Corp.’s No. 2 official, Marisa said she is leaving the agencythis month. Wilmersz is also chairman of Buffalo-based He’s led the bank for 25 “The ongoing crisis in the financial sector and in the overalp economy has imposed a burden of work that I did not and I consequently feel obliged to resign the Wilmers said in a statement issuedlate “I believe I am leavin [the agency], with its new managemen t structure in place, in a good positioh to lead essential economic development projectss across New York state.” In June Gov. David Paterson pickexd Wilmers to leadthe agency.
Upstate businessw leaders heraldedhis selection. Empire State Developmentr has 240 employees and an annual budgetof $47.7 million. The agency is chargef with promoting and facilitatingjob creation. The agench was the conduit forluring AMD) with $1.2 billion in incentives to build a computer-chiop plant in Saratoga County. The agency also administers the EmpireZone program, whicu awards tax credits to companies that expand their facilities and creat e jobs. Paterson says he will nominate Dennisw Mullen toreplace Wilmers. On June 8, Patersoh said he was naming Mullenthe agency’sz president and CEO, taking Lago’s place.
Mullen’se nomination is pending approval from the state The Senate has been gridlocked since June 8 as Republicanss and Democrats argue over who isin power. It is uncleare whether Mullen will hold all three titles of presidentand CEO, or whethet Paterson needs to find a new presidenty and CEO. A call to Empire State Developmenrt was notimmediately returned. Mullen, 55, formerly ran the agency’ s upstate division. He is the former presidenr and CEO ofthe , a regionakl economic development organization. Mullen also spent years in theprivated sector, including a decade as chairmam and CEO of New York-based , which makexs frozen vegetables.
Now, Empire State Development lacks someons to lead itsupstate divisions. A similar positiom for the agency’s downstate operations has remained vacant since Patersob took office 15monthss ago. Mullen earns $200,000 a year. Wilmers volunteered to work for $1 a year whild retaining his job as chairmanat M&T See today’s Business Review to read more aboutg the turmoil at the agency even before Wilmerxs announced his resignation. asichko@bizjournals.
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