Governor Kathy Hochul and Micron Technology, Inc. on Friday, April 28, announced the members of the Micron Community Engagement Committee, representatives from Central New York and Micron that will support the company’s community investment strategy. The Committee is made up of local stakeholders to ensure meaningful, ground-up participation and discussion of Micron’s implementation and investments in the region, and will also include five ex-officio members. The formation of this group is a critical component of the Community Investment Framework agreement made between New York State and Micron in October 2022.
“Micron’s historic investment in Central New York will bring transformational growth to the region and to our state, and for a project of this magnitude, it is critically important that local residents have a seat at the table,” Governor Hochul said. “The committed educators, advocates, and community leaders who make up the Micron Community Engagement Committee represent the very best of Central New York and will work to ensure that Micron’s investment – including the $500 million Community Investment Fund – meets the needs of this community. I look forward to a continued partnership with Micron, the committee, and all of our local, state, and federal partners as we work to build a global chip-making hub in New York State.”
Micron’s historic planned investment of up to $100 billion over the next 20-plus years to construct a new megafab in Clay, New York, which is expected to help create 50,000 direct and indirect jobs, was made possible by the Governor’s Green CHIPS program and the anticipated federal grants and tax credits from the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act. The Committee will work with Micron, Empire State Development (ESD), local governments and regional stakeholders to develop a Community Priorities Document – a guiding strategy for investing funding allotted in the Micron Community Investment Framework into existing and new opportunities for residents, including specific priorities for underrepresented communities.
Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said, "We are delighted to be in Central New York to celebrate with Governor Hochul, the newly appointed members of the Micron Community Engagement Committee and other local partners the remarkable progress that has taken place since we announced the site of our leading-edge memory megafab here six months ago. The $500 million Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund will help build and transform a workforce for the future, and the Micron Community Engagement Committee will ensure that the wide-ranging benefits and opportunities our investments will bring to Central New York are available for all.”
Melanie Littlejohn, Vice President for New York Customer and Community Management at National Grid, and Tim Penix, Vice President of the Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center, have been selected as the committee co-chairs due to their proven public service track records and expertise and will assist in the management of this fund to better the lives of Central New Yorkers. In addition to the co-chairs, the members of the Committee are:
- April Arnzen – Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer, Micron
- Karen Belcher – Executive Director, Food Bank of Central New York
- Donna DeSiato – Superintendent, East Syracuse Minoa School District
- Bishop Ronald Dewberry – Senior Pastor, New Life Temple of Praise
- Kristi Eck – Chief of Staff, SUNY Oswego
- Courtney Geduldig – Corporate Vice President, Global Public and Government Affairs, Micron
- Mark Hall – President and CEO, Syracuse Community Health
- Jasenko Mondom – Employment Specialist, Refugee Assistance Program at Syracuse City School District
- Meg O'Connell – Executive Director, Allyn Family Foundation
- Hazel Powless – Haudenosaunne Environmental Task Force, Onondaga Nation
- Kerry Quaglia – Founder and CEO, Home HeadQuarters
- Sheena Solomon – Executive Director, The Gifford Foundation
Ex Officio Members
- Rob Beard – SVP and General Counsel, Micron
- Kevin Younis – COO and Executive Deputy Commissioner, Empire State Development
- Isabelle Harris - Director of Strategic Initiatives, Onondaga County
- Sharon Owens – Deputy Mayor,City of Syracuse
- Damian Ulatowski – Supervisor,Town of Clay
The Committee will focus on workforce development and diversity in the labor force; education and training in STEM fields to create opportunities for good paying jobs at Micron and supply-chain partners; expansion of safe and affordable housing; breaking down barriers to the workforce such as child care and transportation and improvements to community assets and institutions that contribute to civic identity and well-being. This will ultimately inform a document that will be used as a road map that allows for participation and/or enhancement beyond the initial objectives of this effort.
The Committee’s work will also complement the newly announced Governor’s Office of Semiconductor Expansion, Management and Integration (GO SEMI), which will be led by ESD and supported by experts from numerous state agencies. The office will work in coordination with federal and local partners and coordinate investments in the semiconductor industry, shaping and implementing a broader, national model for maximizing industry and community returns on such public/private partnerships.
About the Co-Chairs
Melanie Littlejohn serves as the Vice President for New York Customer and Community Management at National Grid, where she is responsible for leading stakeholder management statewide to ensure processes, planning and best practices are delivered consistently to National Grid’s New York customers. She has been with the company for nearly 30 years, and previously served as the Director of Inclusion & Diversity for U.S. Operations. Littlejohn was also the Executive Director of Urban League Onondaga County. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management. Littlejohn resides in Syracuse and currently serves as the Trustee/Officer of Onondaga Community College, Business Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Board of Directors and Executive Committee of CenterState CEO, Board of Directors of Manufacturers of Central New York, Consensus CNY (Commission Member) and SUNY Morrisville Business School Council of Advisors.
Tim Penix is Vice President of the Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center, which provides innovative academic and vocational training programs for the urban community of Syracuse. Previously, he served as associate vice president for academic enrichment at Morrisville State College. Under Penix’s leadership, the college implemented numerous scholarships for students and administered programs to promote access and diversity, creating the Sheila Johnson Institute and the Academic Enrichment Center on campus. He also directed the college's Collegiate Science Technology Entry Program and Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program.
About Micron Technology, Inc.
We are an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions, transforming how the world uses information to enrich life for all. With a relentless focus on our customers, technology leadership and manufacturing and operational excellence, Micron delivers a rich portfolio of high-performance DRAM, NAND and NOR memory and storage products through our Micron® and Crucial® brands. Every day, the innovations that our people create fuel the data economy, enabling advances in artificial intelligence and 5G applications that unleash opportunities — from the data center to the intelligent edge and across the client and mobile user experience. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), visit micron.com.
prnygov230428
No comments:
Post a Comment