Successes

LIA Successes

The LIA has been leading this region for over 80 years. During that time, it has acted as Long Island’s regional chamber of commerce, successfully helping to attract businesses and residents from New York City and throughout the country. Over the decades, the LIA has given birth to Long Island Better Business Bureau, its Convention and Visitors Bureau, it small business Health Alliance, and its Housing Partnership, among other organizations. The LIA has grown to become the largest business-related organization in New York, and a model of regional cooperation between business, labor, education, and government. The LIA is Long Island’s principal advocate for change and economic improvement. Described below are some highlights of the LIA’s most recent major successes.

Advocacy

Workforce and Next Generation Housing:

Conceived inclusionary zoning law for Long Island, which has passed the Assembly unanimously.

Organized 750 organizations into Island-wide business/labor coalition on workforce housing.

Moved many government offices to begin to take action on workforce housing, including Nassau and Suffolk Counties, which have active commissions identifying land for development, streamlining approval procedures, and improving infrastructure.

Created the Campaign for Next Generation Housing, which has conducted an advertising campaign on television, radio, and in the print media urging the public to support workforce and next generation housing.

As part of the Campaign, created and launched a new website, www.nextgenerationhosuing.com, dedicated to the issue.

Lobbied successfully for a state law creating a First Time Homebuyers program on Long Island.

Transportation:

Lobbied State government successfully for funding to eliminate many problems on the Long Island Expressway, and the Parkways.

Lobbied successfully on behalf of the East Side Access project that will bring the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to Grand Central Station.

Successfully lobbied the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and state government in support of the construction of a third track for the LIRR.

Education:

Created the Long Island Works Coalition (LIWC) to bring business and education together and help keep young people in Long Island’s workforce.

LIWC has, among many other things, held annual Internship Connection Fairs that have brought well over 10,000 young people seeking summer internships together with Long Island employers.

LIWC also has brought together college and university presidents and school district superintendents to pursue common agendas for education and better connect secondary and higher education.

Published, in cooperation with the Long Island Education Coalition, periodically updated analyses of the cost and outcomes of education on Long Island.

Lobbied successfully for added state aid for Long Island school districts.

Taxes: 

Conceived the idea of and successfully lobbied into law one-day voting on all school district budgets.

Successfully lobbied for an extension of the Federal and state research and development tax credits.

Successfully lobbied for additional Empire Zones on Long Island, most recently in Nassau County.

Successfully lobbied for repeal of, and then lobbied successfully to prevent the reinstatement of, the New York City Commuter Tax.

Energy and the Environment:

Originally proposed and successfully negotiated for the Cross Sound Cable bringing significantly more power to Long Island without building a new power plant.

Successfully lobbied for a new Brownfields Law to help expedite the development of environmentally contaminated property.

Successfully mediated negotiations on the preservation of the Long Island Pine Barrens, bringing together environmentalists, developers, and government.

Successfully supported passage of Nassau and Suffolk County environmental bond acts.

Technology:

Created, funded, and conducted Project Long Island, a two-year economic development project aimed at technology that identified the technology industries best able to flourish on Long Island and initiated over 30 individual projects to help them grow.

Created the Long Island Software and Technology Network (LISTnet) aimed at developing the software industry.

Created the Millennium Centers for Convergent Technologies, which successfully has provided initial funding for several research projects combining bioscience, advanced electronics, and information technologies.

Business Development

The LIA has brought many world and national leaders to Long Island to discuss important and timely issues affecting Long Island, our country and our world. These distinguished speakers have included former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Generals Norman Schwartzkopf and Tommy Franks, and broadcast journalists Tom Brokaw and Tim Russert.

Most recently the LIA hosted , Dr. Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, who was the featured speaker at the 2006 September Luncheon at which the LIA celebrated its 80th Anniversary. During the LIA Annual Meeting & Luncheon, held on February 10, 2006, business legend and Manager of the Century Jack Welch, former Chairman & CEO of General Electric, was the featured speaker.

The LIA Annual Awards Gala is the largest and most prestigious special event of its kind on Long Island. Each spring this event honors people and companies that have made Long Island a better place to live, work, and do business. 2006’s event honored North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System President Michael Dowling and their Systems Employees with the Medal of Honor, and Irving Klein, Retired CEO, Kaufman Enterprises, who received the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award For Community Service.

Previous Honorees of the Medal of Honor have included: OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its Employees; Vytra Health Plans and its Employees; Davis Vision, Inc.; and the Employees of KeySpan, to name a few. Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award honorees have included: Clark Gillies, The Clark Gillies Foundation; Marty Lyons, The Marty Lyons Foundation; Joseph Mancino, Roslyn Savings Bank; and Donald E. Axinn, Donald E. Axinn Companies, among many others.

The LIA also presents dozens of smaller networking meeting throughout the year, many of which have featured leading public officials from all levels of government; as well as seminars on a variety of topics.

Publications/Communications

The LIA’s monthly magazine has received national APEX Awards for Magazine Excellence in Writing and Editing in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006.

Our Annual Business Fact Book received a national APEX Award for Special Publications in 2005 and 2006.

The LIA’s Resource Guide received a national APEX Award for Special Publications in 2005.

The LIA’s Business MVP Award instituted in 2003 has become one of the most sought after awards on Long Island honoring businesses for corporate growth and expansion and service to the Long Island community. To date more than 50 companies have been honored.

Long Island: Reflections on a Miracle, the third coffee table-style book about Long Island published by the LIA, was released in December 2005. The book depicts life on Long Island with more than 2,000 photographs and 300 pages of text highlighting Long Island’s history, famous faces and places and diversified network of communities.

Long Island Guide to Public Officials is a much sought after unique guide of all the political leaders in the region, which is published each March.