Job Opportunity: Museum Seeks Executive Director

MUSEUM SEEKS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Irish American Heritage Museum seeks a full-time Executive Director to be responsible for the overall operations, administration and management of all facets of the Museum in Albany, NY, including full- and part-time staff and a corps of volunteers. Candidates should have experience and skills associated with managing curatorial projects, educational programming, communications, long-term strategic planning, administrative management, fundraising, interfacing with government entities, and working directly with a Board of Trustees. Candidates should also have experience in social media and web platforms and in “branding” strategies. The successful candidate will provide a proven record in securing opportunities for displaying a museum’s/institution’s assets in both physical and virtual venues and leveraging such assets for long-term fundraising sustainability. Interested individuals should submit a resume by email to info@irishamericanheritagemuseum.org by Wednesday July 31. Included should be contact information for professional references. Please direct questions to the Museum’s email address or call (518) 427-1916.

The Museum is unique in the United States, where 36 million people claim Irish ancestry. Its new facility in the heart of downtown Albany, New York’s Capital City, features a main exhibit hall, a rear exhibit gallery, the acclaimed Paul O’Dwyer Library with over 1,000 volumes, a theatre setup for films, lectures and genealogy workshops and a small gift shop.  The Museum, with 13 exhibits developed over the years, reaches a national and international audience and is supported, in part by among others, the Irish Government. The Irish American Heritage Museum was created by New York State Legislation in 1986 and permanently chartered by the New York State Education Department in 1992 as a 501c3 non-profit educational institution.  The Museum is committed to the tenet that preserving one’s heritage is vital to providing a cultural and historical foundation to future generations of Americans.  The Museum’s mission is to preserve and tell the story of the contributions of the Irish people and their culture in America, inspiring individuals to examine the importance of their own heritage as part of the American cultural mosaic.  Learn more about the Irish American Heritage Museum at its Web site:http://www.irishamericanheritagemuseum.org

Times Union Article: Return on Investment

Return on Investment

Nonprofits urged to get creative with corporate donor pitch

"With the economic downturn, these are trying times for fundraising among nonprofits seeking corporate donations, but by shifting the solicitation message with a strong, focused emphasis on a positive return on investment, experts said, nonprofits can begin to recover lost ground." 

Read more from this article by clicking on the link below.

View Article Here 

Look for Capital Region Gives on Sunday

Below is a link to the Albany Times Union article on Capital Region Gives. Capital Region Gives, a 16-page special section you’ll get in the Times Union this Sunday, tells you everything you need to know about giving your money and your time. It also announces the winning organizations in our Capital Region Gives promotion. Read more about this by clicking on the link below.

 Article Here

Speak Up for the Arts! Arts Advocacy Day - February 14, 2012

Arts supporters from all around New York State will visit their State Legislators in Albany on Tuesday, February 14 to speak up for the arts on Arts Advocacy Day 2012.

Visual artists, authors, actors, musicians, dancers, and arts professionals of all kinds will join representatives from arts councils, museums, and cultural organizations to request strong support for NYSCA - the New York State Council on the Arts. This is an important opportunity to remind our State Senators and Assembly members how valuable arts and cultural services are in communities from Long Island to Buffalo, and from Plattsburgh to Binghamton. The services and grants provided by NYSCA help to support large and small cultural institutions and arts programs across the State of New York. These organizations and activities create jobs, enhance tourism, and are an essential ingredient in small rural towns and large urban centers.

Join the chorus and let your voice be heard! Plan to be in Albany on February 14 to let your Legislators know that you support State funding for the arts. Please visit www.ArtsNYS.org to learn more about Arts Advocacy Day.

The Truth About Nonprofits: Albany Strip Club Loses Tax Exemption Argument

From www.thetruthaboutnonprofits.com:

Wonder why there is a negative perception about the nonprofit sector? What would you say if you found out an adult entrainment business in your city was tax exempt? Clearly there is a lack of understanding about the value and educational purpose that are the underlying focus of nonprofits. Case in point, an Albany strip club, Nite Moves, argued (with testimony from a cultural anthropologist who has studied exotic dance and visited Nite Moves) that lap dances should be considered choreographed performances (like ballet) and tax exempt.

Right, that makes sense. And why not argue this in the court system because this is an injustice that should be addressed. Too bad the courts (and everyone else...except for the Nite Moves owners) disagreed. As msnbc relates, four Appellate Division justices agreed with a state tax appeals commission's earlier finding that dances onstage or in private rooms at the club Nite Moves in suburban Albany don't qualify for a state tax exemption as "dramatic or musical arts performances."

Just what we need in the news, a strip club making an argument for not paying taxes and comparing themselves to a nonprofit cultural organization. This isn't just silly, it is outright nonsense. Hey Nite Moves's owners, what are those taxable dollars you so strongly are opposed to paying being used for, other than paying your attorneys? Did you know that nonprofits reinvest any revenue into their mission and programs? Here's a quick suggestion for your appeals case. Consider adding some adult dance classes and some outreach programs and emphasize how you serve the needy and unfortunate. Good luck.

eba Announces Sale of Building to Better Address Mission

We’re Selling Our Building
So that we can better serve the Arts Needs of our Community

In 1977, after 5 years in a small loft on Central Ave, eba purchased this beautiful building at 351 Hudson Ave. At the time, it was a great home for us and we took full advantage of the theater and studio. Times have changed though and so have our needs and the needs of our community. We are not leaving - we’re just continuing to adapt to the new Arts world of today.

From our simple beginnings, eba has grown into a multifaceted arts organization that is intrinsically woven into the cultural fabric of our Capital Region Community. As we look ahead - to our 40th Anniversary in 2012- we realize that the building reduces our ability to provide the quality programs and services that you have come to expect from eba. By selling 351 Hudson, we will be able to invest the bricks & mortar dollars back into high quality programming. Our updated model will be more fluid and responsive to community needs - enabling us to continue to provide arts in schools, create new works, perform, and offer dance and fitness education at various locations throughout the community. We are not leaving, we’re just adapting to the changing Arts World--we’re bringing eba to you!

eba is dedicated to cultivating and developing an understanding of and public interest in the arts; through creation, performance, and education.

Of equal importance, we endeavor to cultivate an understandng of the inherent creative potential within each of us and to integrate these creative aims with daily life.

351 Hudson Ave. Albany NY 12210
www.eba-arts.org
(518) 465-9916

Welcome Hamilton Hill Arts Center's New Executive Director

Dear friends and colleagues:

It is with great pleasure that we welcome Doretha “Penny” Holmes, the new Executive Director of the Hamilton Hill Arts Center, beginning Monday, May 2.

Ms. Holmes comes to the Hamilton Hill Arts Center with a strong background in non-profit management. Her skills include Human Resources Management, Fiscal Administration and Oversight, Grant Writing; Public Speaking, Special Events Planning and Implementation, and Fundraising.

Ms Holmes was the Chief Professional Officer (CPO) of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany from 1996-2009. She began her career in human services at the YWCA of Troy-Cohoes in 1990 and rose through the ranks from Executive Assistant to Program Director to Acting Executive Director of the Organization.

A graduate of the Junior College of Albany (Division of Russell Sage) with an A.A.S. in Legal Studies, Penny earned a B.A. in Political Science from Russell Sage College. She is a graduate of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Management Program Class of 2000 and the Upper Management Career Assistant Program in which she also served as a mentor for upcoming Executive Directors. Penny is a graduate of the class of 2002 Capital Leadership Program and a 2006 participant of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Executive Leadership Program.

Penny has received numerous achievement awards for her work in the community: 1998 Special Partner of the Year Award, 1998 - 2000 honored by the family members of the Local Homeschoolers, 2000 Citizen of the Year Award sponsored by the Nu Tau Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., 1999 honored by the Odyssey Ladies Club and 2002 40 Under 40 Award recipient sponsored by The Business Review, and the Harriet Tubman Award.

Although Ms. Holmes career does not include an arts background, she has always had an interest in the arts, particularly African American Arts and looks forward to learning more. We can all be confident in the positive contributions Ms Holmes will bring during her directorship of the Hamilton Hill Arts Center.

Thank you all for your support and your commitment to the Hamilton Hill Art Center. I will always remember my years at the Hamilton Hill Arts Center with pleasure and satisfaction.

Sincerely,

Miki Conn
Retiring Executive Director

Abolishing Slavery in the Atlantic World: the 'Underground Railroad' in the Americas, Africa, and Europe UGRR Conference

The NYS Office of Parks, Museumwise and Underground Railroad History Project
of the Capital Region have partnered to offer a session track geared towards
the needs of museum and historic site staff during the Abolishing Slavery in the Atlantic World: the 'Underground Railroad' in the Americas, Africa, and Europe UGRR Conference.



Full details on the track are below. These sessions will address critical
issues for institutions at all stages of their development. Register online
for the Treasures of History - Museum and Historic Sites (M/H) track at
http://ugrworkshop.com/?page_id=802



Teaching Slavery to Children - Dr. David Anderson, Sankofa, Dir. Of Akwaaba
Heritage Associates, Cynthia Copeland, New School of Social Research

How can we speak with children about slavery with accuracy and integrity
while being sensitive to age appropriateness? Learn from the experts who
have engaged children of various ages around the topic of slavery.



Telling the Story for Today's Visitors: First Person Interpretation and Tour
Development - Dr. David Anderson, Sankofa, Dir. of Akwaaba Heritage
Associates, Cindy Boyer, Director of Museums and Education, The Landmark
Society of Western NY

How can our historic stories be told so as to attract new and returning
visitors in these challenging economic times? Listen to the experts as they
share their words of wisdom.



The International Traveler: Preparing to Enter the International Tourism
Market - Markly Wilson, Director, International Marketing, I Love NY; Lori
Solomon Duell, Director, Heritage Tourism, Erie Canalway National Heritage
Corridor

What attracts the international traveler to visit historic sites in New York
State, and your site in particular? What are the competitive challenges in
the international market? How can those challenges be turned into assets?
How can you develop networking and collaborative partnerships that help
sustain your historic sites place in the international market?



Abolishing Slavery in the Atlantic World: the 'Underground Railroad' in the
Americas, Africa, and Europe and its relationship with us today A Fresh
Interpretation of an Old Story

The 10th Conference on the Underground Railroad Movement

Friday, Saturday, Sunday - April 8, 9, 10, 2011

Organized by: Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region,
Inc.

Co-sponsored by: The Department of History and Society, The Sage Colleges

Hosted by: Russell Sage College, Troy, New York

In collaboration with Rensselaer County Historical Society, Museumwise, and
NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation



Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region, Inc.

URHPCR, Inc. seeks to acknowledge the Underground Railroad movement in our
region, our state, and our nation, to raise awareness about and stimulate
interest in this little recognized part of our history, to understand it in
its historic content, to encourage the recognition of its inspiring historic
figures and the activities in which they engaged, to preserve that history,
emphasizing the participation of African American abolitionists and freedom
seekers, and to relate that history to us today.

URHPCR, Inc. - P.O. Box 10851 - Albany, New York 12201 www.ugrworkshop.com
- (518) 432-4432

New Arts Advocacy Group Launches: ARTS NYS Coalition

Times Square Chronicles featured the following post on a new arts advocacy group:

New York City is the heartland of arts and entertainment including commercial and non-profit theatre. In fact, it is the cultural center throughout the country. However, the NY State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is proposing the largest cuts of any State agency. It seems like a small part of the budget, .0003%, but in reality, with current economic times as they are, perhaps it represents a good portion. Without having a complete budget at hand and someone competent to explain it, I’m like most New Yorkers . . . trying to figure it all out. What is known, however, is that funding for the State Council on the Arts has been consistently reduced by nearly 30% over the past 4 years, representing the largest cut to any state agency. If we’re to continue our place as a major cultural arts center, we must have the funds necessary.

As a state, we have many attributes of which to be proud, but the arts are the soul of New York. Everyday, artists and arts groups throughout the state provide New Yorkers and the multitude of national and international visitors with pleasure, education, new ways of seeing the world, and enormous economic benefits.

Nonprofit cultural organizations in New York City are major contributors to the city’s economy. This sector is the second-largest component of the arts industry and is closely tied to the commercial sector. These organizations also share a labor pool of artists and other creative workers with the commercial sector and often develop artistic products that transfer to Broadway or is otherwise utilized commercially. A similarly complex interaction occurs between museums and commercial galleries and auction houses.

The nonprofit arts industry is labor-intensive. Half of the direct spending by all nonprofit cultural organizations goes to wages and benefits, and about 11 percent is for fees and services, including outside artistic fees. The majority of the employees are city residents, and many of the vendors and workers who supply goods and services to these institutions are located either within the city or in nearby suburban counties.

New York City is also a mecca for those who work in commercial theaters also apply their artistic talent and technical expertise in nonprofit theater and in the motion picture and television industry.

Who is ARTS NYS Coalition?They are a group of colleagues who joined together to ensure that the public has access to information on the state of the arts in New York State. Currently, the coalition includes the New York City Arts Coalition and the Arts Councils of Dutchess, Greene, Onondaga (Syracuse) and Westchester Counties, Huntington, Northern Adirondacks, Saint Lawrence and Southern Finger Lakes regions, Arts Alliances of Harlem and Buffalo, New York Folklore Society, NYS Alliance for Arts Education, and Museum Association of New York.

Thus far, the coalition has established this website, http://www.artsnys.org/, which will be a resource for data on the arts in New York State as well as information on pending legislation at the state and federal level. This website, in partnership with Americans for the Arts, will provide contact level providing information for elected representatives and will allow individuals to send their representatives customized messages.

ARTS New York State Coalition will also plan and coordinate state-wide advocacy events for 2011 which will provide the arts community with opportunities to meet with elected officials to discuss arts funding in the 2011/12 New York State Budget as well as other issues. A designated Arts Day in Albany is scheduled for Tuesday, February 8, 2011 in addition to many arts advocacy events planned in local districts during the week of February 7 – 13, 2011. Today we have a new governor, who is facing serious budget deficits, and we need him and his administration to be aware of the extent of the past cuts and the need for thoughtful care as they develop the budget for 2012.

It is very urgent that the Governor of our state hear from those who enjoy and treasure the arts in New York State. Send your message to Gov. Andrew Cuomo today.

Lest we forget, cuts to the arts is not only state wide, but on a Federal level as well. In addition to contacting your local representatives, do the same with State Senators and Congressional reps.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget plan offers a spectrum of cuts critics say go too far

The Times Union reported on the Governor's recent budget presentation:

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's first budget presentation was brisk, dispensing with the laundry lists of previous years and concentrating on a few simple ideas he has been pushing for months. Key among them: State spending has become a runaway train.

In a 42-minute address at The Egg that was part PowerPoint lecture and part exhortation, Cuomo called the state's long-standing budget process "a special-interest protection program" because of the way it obscures the growth in spending on programs such as Medicaid and education.

"How anybody expected to pay for a 13 percent increase in Medicaid is beyond me," Cuomo said of the most recent built-in increases driving the $53 billion-plus program.

The slumping national economy, loss of federal stimulus funds and Cuomo's determination to rethink the way money is allocated resulted in a budget that for the first time in 15 years has actually shrunk year to year.

Cuomo's budget proposal came in at $132.9 billion, down $3.7 billion, or 2.3 percent, from the current fiscal year's adjusted budget of $136.5 billion.

As he warned, education and health care, which make up the biggest chunk of state spending, will get the largest cuts. School aid would drop $1.5 billion from $20.9 billion to $19.4 billion, based on the school year that begins July 1.

Medicaid is slated to lose $982 million, or 2 percent, while there's another $2.85 billion in "gap-closing actions" that will be coming from Cuomo's Medicaid Redesign Team.

For state workers, Cuomo is proposing a 10 percent agency cut, and seeks savings in unspecified givebacks that need to add up to $450 million. If unions don't agree, the governor warned there could be up to 9,800 layoffs.

Cuomo noted that the state was suffering from a loss of federal stimulus funds, which he explicitly compared to an addictive substance: "We inhaled it and injected it into our body," Cuomo said, and will now have to handle the withdrawal.

As usual, the blizzard of statements decrying the cuts -- from unions, advocacy groups and others -- was almost as ferocious as the snowstorm that raged outside, and kept some people from getting to the budget presentation.

"There is nothing fair nor shared in the proposed state budget," said Danny Donohue, president of the Civil Service Employees Association, which along with the Public Employees Federation, is one of two major state unions.

"The State Executive Budget proposal would cripple public services without asking any sacrifice from businesses, corporations and the millionaires and billionaires responsible for the economic crisis," added PEF's Ken Brynien.

Almost all of the advocates urged Cuomo to extend the so-called millionaires income tax surcharge set to expire at the end of 2011. Cuomo has repeatedly said he'll let the surcharge expire, and most lawmakers have agreed.

Realizing there would be pushback, Cuomo stressed that the heaviest cuts are reserved for the state operations under his control, most of which will sustain a 10 percent reduction compared to the low single digits for overall education and health care.

Much of the education and health care money goes to localities such as counties which operate Medicaid programs or to local school districts. Legislators tend to care more about funding for those locally based programs than for state agencies.

Also being de-funded is the governor's $85 million contribution toward member items, or pork barrel projects that individual lawmakers get for their districts. But Cuomo avoided attacking the Legislature, although he railed against the system of budget-building they have helped create over the years.

Cuomo wants to tie growth to a more objective measure, such as inflation or personal income growth. He also wants health care organizations and schools as well as economic development agencies to compete for money through grant applications.


Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Painful-road-to-recovery-lies-ahead-989491.php#ixzz1CpEVUUAn

Girls Inc. sells Albany building

The Business Review reported that Girls Inc. of the Capital Region has sold its Albany, New York location and now leases space from Northeastern Association of the Blind in Albany Inc.

The new arrangement is expected to save the Schenectady-based nonprofit $10,000 a year in operating costs. Girls Inc. sold its “as-is” two-story, 9,000-square-foot building at 25 Western Ave. to Fairbanks Properties LLC for $80,000, said Gail Wilson-Giarratano, CEO of Girls Inc.

Fairbanks also bought the adjoining property at 27 Western Ave., which it plans to convert to 33 apartments, said Tracy Metzger, senior director at Hunt Commercial Real Estate in Albany.

NABA, at 301 Washington Ave., is less than a block away from 25 Western Ave., in a low-income section of the city.

The Western Ave. building is about 100 years old and required between $200,000 and $300,000 in structural work, including an elevator and accessibility for disabled individuals.

“We needed to stay in the neighborhood, but as a tenant and not a building owner,” Wilson-Giarratano said. Selling to a for-profit company puts the building on the tax rolls, she said. Like most nonprofits, Girls Inc. is exempt from paying property taxes.

Girls Inc. will continue to own its building on Albany Street in Schenectady, home to its administrative offices and program space.

The organization provides programs for 200 mostly inner-city girls at sites in Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Fulton, Montgomery and Schoharie counties. It operates with a $1.8 million annual budget.

Continue reading here

States' desperate times lead to desperate measures

New York: Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed eliminating 20% of state agencies by combining duties, such as merging the Insurance Department, Banking Department and the Consumer Protection Board into the Department of Financial Regulation. It's part of "radical reform" to pull his state out of its fiscal crisis.
New Jersey: Republican Gov. Chris Christie skipped a $3.1-billion payment to the state's pension system in a push to cut benefits for public workers, while proposing higher employee contributions and a boost in the retirement age from 62 to 65.

Georgia: Deep cuts appear to await the state's popular HOPE scholarship program that provides public-college tuition to students who earn good grades. Rising tuition and enrollment have outpaced the lottery revenues that fund the program, and Republican Gov. Nathan Deal has not proposed any additional state money to bail it out.

Illinois: Lawmakers voted for a dramatic 66% hike in personal income tax, from 3% to 5%, in a bid to resolve a $15-billion deficit, which amounts to more than half of the state's general fund. The tax increase will be coupled with strict 2% limits on spending growth. "It's important for their state government not to be a fiscal basket case," said Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat.

Texas: In oil-rich Texas, where education and social service spending is relatively low and Republican Gov. Rick Perry has railed against government spending, hard times loom. The shortfall is projected to be between $15 billion and $27 billion over the coming two-year budget cycle.

South Carolina: Outgoing GOP Gov. Mark Sanford proposed a spending plan that would end funding for museum and arts programs, slash college funding and cut state workers' pay by 5%.

Arts Gains Outweigh Losses According To Capital Region Leaders

The Times Union reported that the arts landscape in the Capital Region is an ever-changing aggregation of openings, closings, cutbacks and expansions. Looking back over the past five years, how have we fared?

"I'd say the last five years have been pretty good for the arts in the Capital Region," says Philip Morris, CEO of Proctors, which completed a $30 million renovation and now operates three theaters and attracts more than 500,000 people per year.

The crown jewel, of course, is EMPAC (Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center), the $200 million, 220,000-square-foot spectacle at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy. It opened in 2008.

The Massry Center for the Arts at The College of Saint Rose in Albany opened the same year. In early 2010, the Arthur Zankel Music Center at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs opened.

"We now have top-notch, world-class performance venues," says Michele Desrosiers, managing director at Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany. "I went to the Joshua Bell concert at EMPAC, when Dr. Jackson had her 10-year anniversary, and he made a comment about how this was one of the top three halls in the world."

Those additions, coupled with Proctors' ability now to present Broadway-quality shows, have changed the nature of arts offerings in the Capital Region, she says; they're increasingly sophisticated, more cosmopolitan.

"The good news is, we've just gone through a major cycle of capital investment in structures," Desrosiers says. "Now, as the economy has faded, we're at a time when we really can't afford those investments."

A cautionary note, Morris and others say, is that most of the major investments happened at colleges. Their priorities tend to be students and faculty, and they don't offer as many mainstream events for the public or involve the community as much as nonprofits or other arts organizations do, they say.

"Placing our cultural life at the college institutions, a migration like that, I don't think is the best thing for the community," Morris says. "It's a positive thing, but colleges are not about community engagement. They might open their doors for performances or exhibitions, which is great. But you don't see community people volunteering. You don't see community board members challenged with tough ethical issues or tough financial questions."

The economy, in the guise of state cutbacks, and scandal involving its director cost us the New York State Theatre Institute and its vast programming for children -- which for 36 years also engaged adults. The Troy-based theater company ceased operations on Dec. 31 and, arts leaders say, will be impossible to replace.

We also lost Revolution Hall in Troy, which held its final concert in June 2010. Tess' Lark Tavern in Albany burned down the month before. Other music venues and art galleries closed, and others opened.

We lost some First Nights but gained monthly Arts Nights in Albany, Schenectady and Troy as well as the Schenectady Art Attack, which in its first year drew 10,000 people to see 500 artists. We lost some summer concert series and some exhibition space, and some museums reduced hours.

But we gained the Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy, which offers an array of arts and music events, and WEXT, which, musicians say, is one of the most significant additions of the past five years. The FM station at 97.7 showcases local music.

"All in all, things do tend to even themselves out in the long run," says Sean Allen, marketing director at the Palace Theatre in Albany. "You lose some great ones, and others come in to fill the gap.

"I think given the size of the Capital Region, we can still consider ourselves very lucky with what we do have. This is not a huge city/area by any means, and I have seen much larger areas that didn't offer half of what we have for the arts."

After losing Gallery 100, an important exhibition space in downtown Saratoga Springs, to closure in 2008, Joel Reed, executive director of Saratoga Arts, says he fears that other arts groups will follow suit.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Arts-gains-have-outweighed-losses-leaders-say-959464.php#ixzz1BJZQD59v

Web Site Seeks Suggestions from the Public and Stakeholders to Reform the Medicaid System and Save Taxpayers Money

News from New York State Office of the Governor
For more information contact: Press Office, press.office@exec.ny.gov, 518-474-8418
Governor Cuomo Announces Medicaid Redesign Web Site to Track Progress and Invite Public Participation

Web Site Seeks Suggestions from the Public and Stakeholders to Reform the Medicaid System and Save Taxpayers Money

ALBANY, NY (01/10/2011)-- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the launch of the State's new Medicaid Redesign Web site to track the progress of reforming New York's costly Medicaid system, and to invite the public's participation in the process.

The Web site, http://governor.ny.gov/medicaidredesign, includes electronic forms for Medicaid stakeholders and the public to suggest reforms to the system. The Web site will be an integral component to the reform process, which includes the Medicaid Redesign Team, created last week through Executive Order by Governor Cuomo. The Web site will also include listings of the Team's public hearings and prepared reports.

"It is imperative for the public, as well as stakeholders and government officials, to be part of the process of reforming the State's Medicaid system, and this Web site will help make that happen," Governor Cuomo said. "The Web site will be a component to developing our plan to reign in Medicaid costs without compromising care."

The Medicaid Redesign Team has been tasked by Governor Cuomo to find ways to reduce costs and increase quality and efficiency in the Medicaid program for the upcoming 2011-12 Fiscal Year. As part of its work, the Team is seeking ideas from the public at large, the health care workforce, and experts in health care delivery and insurance, economics, business, consumer rights and other relevant areas.

The Medicaid Redesign Team will undertake the most comprehensive examination of New York's Medicaid system since its inception, and it must submit its first report with findings and recommendations to the Governor by March 1, for consideration in the budget process. It will also submit quarterly reports thereafter until the end of 2011-12 fiscal year, when it will disband.

The Team will consider reform ideas from health care professionals, administrators, stakeholders, and the general public through regional public hearings and the online survey forms.

More than $53 billion is spent annually on New York's Medicaid program to provide health care to more than 4.7 million people in need. The program is funded through state, county and federal taxes. In effect, Medicaid is the largest health insurance program in New York State.

In a majority of the State's counties, Medicaid costs alone account for more than half of the entire county tax levy. New York spends more than twice the national average on Medicaid on a per capita basis, and spending per enrollee is the second highest in the nation. At the same time, New York ranks 21st out of all states for overall health system quality and ranks last among all states for avoidable hospital use and costs.

New York State Medicaid Director Jason Helgerson will serve as the Team's executive director, and the State Budget Director will serve as a non-voting member.

The members of the team are as follows:
• Michael Dowling, President and CEO of North Shore LIJ Health system.
• Dennis Rivera is the former Chair of SEIU Healthcare and is currently the Senior Advisor to the International President of SEIU.
• Kenneth E. Raske is the President of the Greater New York Hospital Association.
• George Gresham is the President of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.
• Dan Sisto is the President of the Healthcare Association of New York State.
• Frank Branchini is the President and COO of EmblemHealth.
• Eli Feldman is the President and CEO of the Metropolitan Jewish Health System as well as the Chairman of the Continuing Care Leadership Coalition.
• Carol Raphael is the President and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York.
• Linda Gibbs is the Deputy Mayor of New York City for Health and Human Services.
• Ed Matthews is the CEO of the United Cerebral Palsy of New York City as well as the President of the Interagency Council.
• Dr. Nirav Shah is the newly nominated Commissioner of Health.
• Mike Hogan is the Commissioner for the Office of Mental Health.
• James Introne is the Deputy Secretary for Health and the Director of Healthcare Redesign.
• Max Chmura is the Acting Commissioner of the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.
• Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez is the newly nominated Commissioner of the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.
• Lara Kassel is a Coordinator at Medicaid Matters New York.
• Karen A. Ballard is the President of the New York State Nurses Association.
• Stephen J. Acquario serves as the Executive Director of the New York State Association of Counties.
• Dr. Jeffrey A. Sachs is the Co-Chair of the JFK Jr. Institute for Work Education at City University of New York.
• Ann F. Monroe is the President of the Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York.
• Steve Berger is the former Chairman for the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century and a board member for the Partnership for New York City.
• Dr. William Streck is the Chair of the New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council.
• Elizabeth Swain is the CEO of the Community Health Care Association of New York State.
• Senator Kemp Hannon is the former Chairman of the Senate Committees on Health and Housing. Senator Hannon was recommended by the Majority Leader of the Senate.
• Senator Tom Duane is the former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, 2009-2010. Senator Duane was recommended by the Minority Leader of the Senate.
• Assemblyman Richard N. Gottfried serves as the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Health. Assemblyman Gottfried was recommended by the Speaker of the Assembly.
• Assemblyman Joe Giglio of the 149th Assembly District currently sits on the Medicaid Waste, Fraud and Abuse Task Force. Assemblyman Giglio was recommended by the Minority Leader of the Assembly.

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Additional news available at www.governor.ny.gov High resolution images available at http://governor.ny.gov/mediaimages password: cuomo New York State Executive Chamber press.office@exec.ny.gov 518.474.8418

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Cuomo details economic-development priorities in address

The Central NY Business Journal related that in his State of the State address today, Gov. Andrew Cuomo outlined several portions of his economic-development agenda.

He called for creating regional economic-development councils that would work with state agencies to allocate resources. Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy will lead the councils, which will be drawn from the private sector, local governments, state agencies, and academic institutions.
Cuomo also wants changes in the Excelsior Jobs Program, implemented last year as a replacement for the much-criticized Empire Zones. Cuomo's plan calls for restructuring the value and length of tax credits in the Excelsior program to provide more incentives for job creation.

He also called for restructuring incentives for improving properties, paying credits as job-creation targets are met rather than at the end of a proposal, expanding research and development tax credits, and streamlining the program's application process.

In addition, Cuomo advocated for a permanent Power for Jobs program and pushed his proposed property-tax cap, which would limit property tax increases to the rate of inflation or 2 percent, whichever is less.

The governor detailed some of his fiscal plans as well, including an emergency financial plan he said would close the $10 billion deficit in the 2010-2011 budget without raising taxes or borrowing.

"We must transform the state of New York from a government of dysfunction, gridlock, and corruption to a government of performance, integrity, and pride," Cuomo said. "This is not about budget trimming or cutting, it's about looking at how we can fix government and make it work for the people.

"Together, we must take the significant steps needed to reinvent, reorganize and redesign government to restore credibility and to rebuild our economy by creating jobs all across this state."

Governor Paterson Names Advisory Committee to Help Health Care Reform Cabinet

Governor David A. Paterson today named 37 organizations to the Health Care Reform Advisory Committee, which will provide input to the Governor's Health Care Reform Cabinet on the implementation of federal health care reform in New York State. The Advisory Committee includes organizations representing health care providers, consumers, businesses, organized labor, local governments, health plans and health insurers, and health policy experts.

"Federal health care reform will have a significantly positive impact for New York's residents, families, small business owners and the 2.5 million New Yorkers who are currently uninsured," Governor Paterson said. "It is essential that we get health reform right, making the most of this opportunity to improve access to health care while reducing cost. Our broad advisory group will help us achieve this goal."

The Advisory Committee will advise the Cabinet on reform provisions and ensure stakeholder and public engagement in all aspects of federal health care reform. It will support the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act. In addition, Advisory Committee Workgroups will be created to focus on specific issues and additional organizations with expertise will be asked to join those work groups. A series of public forums across the State will also be held to provide opportunities for further stakeholder input.

Wendy Saunders, Deputy Secretary for Health, Medicaid and Oversight and Chair of the Health Care Reform Cabinet, said: "I commend Governor Paterson for his dedication to health care reform and for his efforts to expand access to quality health care for all New Yorkers. Implementing federal health care reform is a complex task, and many decisions must be made by the end of this year. We need public participation and input to help make reform a success and the Advisory Committee is an essential part of that input."

The Health Care Reform Cabinet is responsible for:

• Identifying deadlines for the completion of interim or final steps necessary or desired to comply with the provisions of federal health care reform;

• Determining those provisions of federal health care reform with which the State must comply and those that are optional, and evaluating whether participation in optional programs is appropriate;

• Assessing the State's capacity to carry out those provisions of federal health care reform that affect or potentially affect the State;

• Identifying any changes needed to State statute, regulation, policy or procedure in order to implement such provisions, and facilitating the achievement of such changes as necessary;

• Communicating with the federal government, local governments, other states, health care providers, and other stakeholders as advisable or necessary; and

• Providing public outreach to educate individuals on the implementation of the reforms as necessary.

Under Governor Paterson's leadership, New York State has become a national leader in expanding access to quality health care for children and adults through its public health insurance programs, including Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus, Healthy New York and Medicaid, while implementing efficiencies to ensure that funds are used in the most cost-effective manner. New York is the only state in the nation with both open enrollment and pure community rating and has been a leader in efforts to guarantee access to private health insurance coverage.

Organizations participating in the Governor's Health Care Reform Advisory Committee include:

• 1199 SEIU
• AFL-CIO
• Business and Labor Coalition of New York
• Business Council of New York State
• Centerstate CEO
• Chamber Alliance of New York State
• Children's Defense Fund
• Coalition of New York State Public Health Plans
• Community Health Care Association of New York State
• Community Service Society
• Consumer Directed Choices
• Empire Justice Center
• Family Planning Advocates
• Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency
• Greater New York Hospital Association
• Health Care for All New York
• Healthcare Association of New York State
• Hispanic Federation
• Medicaid Matters
• Medical Society of the State of New York
• Medicare Rights Center
• National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS
• New York Health Plan Association
• New York Immigration Coalition
• New York State Association of Counties
• New York State Association of Health Underwriters
• New York State Conference of Blue Cross Plans
• New York State Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
• New York State Health Foundation
• New Yorkers for Accessible Health Coverage
• Office of the Mayor of New York City
• P2 Collaborative of Western New York
• Partnership for New York City
• Project CHARGE
• United Hospital Fund
• Visiting Nurse Service of New York
• Young Invincibles

For additional information on health care reform implementation in New York State, please visit: www.HealthCareReform.ny.gov.

2010 New York State Grand Rounds on the Abuse of Prescription Pain Relievers

September 20, 2010
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Room MS169
Albany Medical College

Live, Video conference and/or webcast
The streaming link is:
http://streaming.aanet.org/ramgen/amc/AMC_PRC092010.smil

Dial in participants will dial
1-866-719-1998
Pass code 800285.

Your phones will be muted during the panel presentations and will turned on when the panel is open for discussion.

If you have Codecs and want to be active participants via ISDN or IP, that can be arranged as well.

Please contact Joyce Davis with any questions you might have at:
518-686-0221 or jnadine@roadrunner.com.

2010 New York State Grand Rounds on the Abuse of Prescription Pain Relievers
Panel Discussion

Non-medical use of prescription pain relievers rose 111 percent between 2004 and 2008, according to a new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations (SAMHSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In Rensselaer County 4 youth died between September 2009 and April 2010 from abusing prescription pain medications. This CME program is geared to assist medical personnel who prescribe prescription pain medications assure they are not abused by youth and adults.

The training will be offered in four venues: at the Medical College, by video conference and webcast live and an archive stream provided by the Adirondack Area Network. Participants in the webcast will be able to call in and ask questions during the presentation.

PGA Tour's Turning Stone Resort Championship: 100% Ticket Sales Benefit Nonprofits

Good afternoon, Valerie,

I hope you had a nice holiday weekend! I am writing to tell you about a special initiative with which the Addictions Care Center of Albany is involved. We are the only non profit in the Capital District participating in the Turning Stone Resort Championship's Tickets for Charity program. Our involvement allows us to sell tickets to this event (occurring 8/2 – 8/8), with 100% of the proceeds from our ticket sales directly benefiting ACCA’s many programs and services. I am reaching out to you to find out how NYCON could help us to publicize this initiative to your network so that we can sell as many tickets as possible. Below you will find more information about this fundraiser. Please let me know if you have any ideas on how we could collaborate!

I look forward to speaking to you in the near future!

-Francine
Francine Sinkoff
Marketing & Development Coordinator
The Addictions Care Center of Albany
"Healing the hearts of everyone touched by addiction."
(P) 518-465-5829
fsinkoff@theacca.net

Don’t miss your chance to purchase tickets to the PGA Tour’s Turning Stone Resort Championship, August 2-8, 2010!

100% of the tickets ACCA sells will go DIRECTLY to support ACCA!

This FedExCup season event features:
132 PGA players
2 days of practice play, Monday, August 2nd and Tuesday, August 3rd
Pro-Am play Wednesday, August 4th
Competition beginning on Thursday, August 5th through Sunday, August 8th.

Ticket Costs:
Good Any Day Tickets, valid Wednesday through Sunday, are only $25.00 EACH
Weekly booklets are available for $100 each (booklets include 5 Good Any Day Tickets and 2 Practice Round Tickets) for a savings of $25

Purchase tickets by:
Calling Francine Sinkoff at 518.465.5829 or emailing fsinkoff@theacca.net.
Use this link http://turningstoneC14.digbro.com and provide the code 2ACCALBANY
Contact Ticketmaster directly and provide the code 2ACCALBANY

Deadline for ticket sales is July 30, 2010…

SEE GREAT GOLF…SUPPORT A GREAT CAUSE

Bill Passed in Albany to Make Insurers Pay for Autism Care

By Danny Hakim New York Times June 22, 2010
State lawmakers passed legislation this week that would require insurers to cover autism-related screenings, diagnoses and treatments. The move was a relief for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders, but was sure to increase insurance premiums across the board.

The State Assembly passed the measure Monday night, a few weeks after it passed in the Senate. The measure passed unanimously in both houses.

It now goes to Gov. David A. Paterson. New York would become the 22nd state in which insurers are required to cover autism-related treatments.

“We’ll review it once it’s delivered,” said Morgan Hook, a spokesman for the governor.

In a statement, Sheldon Silver, the Assembly speaker and a Manhattan Democrat, said, “It would be unconscionable to force New Yorkers to pay out-of-pocket for this common, chronic condition.”

There have been a variety of estimates of the effect of the legislation on insurance premiums.

“The bill sponsors acknowledge it will raise premiums up to 2 percent,” said Paul F. Macielak, the chief executive of the New York Health Plan Association, an insurance industry group, in a statement earlier this month.

“Each additional coverage requirement, while they may seem well intentioned, also carries a cost,” he said.

His group has criticized lawmakers for proposing a flurry of mandated coverage this year for things like prenatal vitamins, infant baby formula and wheelchair purchases.

“Lawmakers can’t have it both ways,” Mr. Macielak said. “It’s hypocritical for them to criticize insurance premiums as being too high and then turn around and mandate a slew of new benefits that only drive up costs.”

Peter H. Bell, an executive vice president of Autism Speaks, an advocacy group, said, “Our estimate is that it was closer to a 0.5 percent premium increase, and our experience in other states is that the increase is lower than expected.”

Mr. Bell added that the bill was more sweeping than those passed in most other states.

“It has the potential to be the most comprehensive of its kind, because other states have a dollar cap and an age cap, which means that the treatments are only available up to a certain amount of money or for specific ages,” he said. “But the bill in New York does not have those limitations.”

Statistics from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which supports the legislation, found that the autism rate among children in New York has been increasing by about 15 percent annually, now affecting close to 1 in 90 children.

“This is the next step towards making certain that individuals with autism and their families are given the appropriate insurance coverage they deserve and have earned,” said Senator Roy J. McDonald, a Saratoga County Republican who has two autistic grandchildren. “But this is only the beginning, and the state needs to do more.”

Come Together? Right Now? A Discussion of Strategic Alliances and Partnerships

The blog, Done by People, by Joe Brown, Principal and Founder of Slope Resources, LLC, offered the following recap of the "A Conversation with NYS Comptroller Thomas P. Di Napoli and Panel Discussion on Strategic Alliances & Partnerships."

On Monday, I had the opportunity to attend a highly informative and engaging forum which brought together government and nonprofit representatives to discuss the topic of strategic alliances and partnerships among nonprofit organizations. While the discussion focused on New York State’s nonprofit sector, the challenges, considerations, and ideas discussed are applicable to organizations nationwide. In the absence of a video or audio recording of the session, I wanted to share this detailed recap and my impressions of the session.

The event was sponsored by the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region and the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON) and held at the headquarters of New York State United Teachers (very nice digs, by the way) in Latham, New York, a few miles northeast of Albany.


Karen Bilowith, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region, presided over the session. The approximately 75 attendees included representatives of various nonprofits, including arts, cultural, health, and human services organizations, as well as a number of funders and consultants (including yours truly). Following Ms. Bilowith’s welcoming comments, New York Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez provided brief opening remarks. Ms. Cortés-Vázquez assured the attendees that “most in government” recognize the importance of the nonprofit sector and rules and regulations pertaining to the sector should not be so onerous as to provide disincentives for staff, board members, and volunteers to participate.

I’m from the government, and…
Ms. Cortés-Vázquez then introduced the session’s keynote speaker, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The Office of the State Comptroller has responsibility for the review, approval, and payment of the state’s contracts with nonprofit organizations. Mr. DiNapoli noted the importance of the nonprofit sector to the state and its economy, citing 2006 statistics that the state’s approximately 24,000 nonprofits reported revenue of $133 billion and employed nearly 1.2 million people, or 17% of the state’s workforce. He quantified the state’s contractual bonds with the sector as consisting of nearly 31,000 active contracts totaling $14.6 billion, as of June 2009. Read more here.

The balance of the session was devoted to presentations and discussion by a panel consisting of:
■Doug Sauer, who has served as Chief Executive Officer of New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON) since 1980. NYCON’s membership represents approximately 1,600 charitable nonprofit organizations across New York State.
■Cristine Cioffi, who is a partner in the law firm of Cioffi • Slezak • Wildgrube P.C., but spoke primarily in her role as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Ellis Medicine, an organization which resulted from the recent merger of three nonprofit hospitals in Schenectady County.
■David W. Palmquist, who as Manager of the New York State Museum’s Chartering Program, oversees the chartering of museums, historical societies, and similar cultural organizations with educational purposes across the state.
The panelists responded to questions posed by Ms. Bilowith, as well as several questions from audience members.

Doug Sauer
While all three of the panelists presented interesting perspectives on the potential of various collaborative models for nonprofit organizations, I was particularly impressed by Mr. Sauer’s insight and candor on a number of fronts. Early in his presentation, he discussed the recent proliferation of nonprofits, describing the creation of thousands of new organizations each year, many of which are not active, and the resultant saturated environment. (I was reminded of a recent article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, which noted that the number of nonprofit organizations nationwide has increased by 90% to 1.2 million since 1996). Read more here.