The Corporate Citizen, June 2008

Section:  News

Corporate Community Investment in Rochester

Communication and collaboration were the themes of the day on June 19, as the most recent Corporate Community Investment Focus Forum took place in Rochester, N.Y. The meeting was co-hosted by the Business Civic Leadership Center and PAETEC, a Rochester-based communications solutions provider.

Attendees included representatives from Monroe County, the Rochester Downtown Development Center, Xerox Corp., University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology, the United Way of Greater Rochester, and other public and private organizations.

As with other Northeast cities, Rochester is facing many challenges, including a shrinking talent pool, high child-poverty rate, and a transition from a manufacturing base to a variety of other industries.

A recurring theme during the 3 ½ hour conversation was the need for, or lack of, visionary leadership. Rochester is somewhat unique in that there are separate (and not necessarily cohesive) county and city political bodies. Although the current county executive and mayor appear to have a good working relationship, that has not always been the case.

This disconnect has in the past hurt the ability to push initiatives and projects through various approval and funding roadblocks, oftentimes leaving Rochester behind other regional municipalities.

The importance of young workers was raised several times, as was the ability to recruit and/or retain these important 25-35 year olds who would both be interested in a vibrant downtown today and raise families here down the road. One participant raised the concern of recruiting a talented prospect and then experiencing frustration when trying to find a suitable job for his or her spouse.

One of the agreements in the room came from the acknowledgement that there has to be a better link between business and education, but the question is how? Many organizations represented at the meeting were involved in helping schools through volunteerism, mentoring, financial means, etc., but there were frustrations that those offerings could not be effective if the basics of food, shelter, and clothing were not being addressed.

Again and again the conversation returned to the need for vision, or as one participant explained, "We need to read the tea leaves better." One example raised was of three different campaigns focused on attracting businesses and visitors to Rochester, and the sometimes contradictory message the campaigns carried.

While those in attendance may have differed on the priorities facing Rochester, the overwhelming sense was that the city is a great place to live and raise families, the cost of living is affordable, and prospects are bright. Additionally, good news has been occurring lately. For example, two local companies (PAETEC and ESL) have announced plans to move their headquarters from local suburbs into the downtown Rochester area. Also, there has been a push in recent years to attract younger workers by building loft-style housing in the city.

Rochester has long held a strong tradition of corporate citizenship, dating back to Eastman Kodak Co. founder George Eastman. The question is how to transition from the legacy of the "Big 3" (Kodak, Xerox, Bausch & Lomb) and cultivate the next generation of corporate community champions.

Learn more about BCLC's Corporate Community Investment program.

BCLC is a 501(c)(3) affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Contributions are tax deductible as allowed by law.