Ulster County Announces Updated Plans for Economic Futures Summit
Published on September 28, 2026
Series of 'Mini-Summits' to Precede Day-Long Convening in Early Spring
KINGSTON, NY - Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger announced today updated plans for an Ulster County Economic Futures Summit: Over the coming months, the Economic Development Department will convene a series of sector-intensive Mini-Summits, beginning with Value‑Added Agriculture & Food Production on Tuesday, October 27, at Ulster BOCES Career Academies at iPark 87. Subsequent Mini-Summits will rotate among Ulster County’s educational partners in Film & Media, Advanced Manufacturing, Health Care, and Green Building & Skilled Trades, culminating in an Economic Futures Summit that convenes all sectors in the spring.
The Mini-Summits will enable deeper, focused engagement among partners in business, education, government, and community-based organizations to identify strengths and challenges in each key industry cluster and opportunities to develop workforce pipelines. The Mini-Summits will lay the groundwork for an Economic Futures Summit in Spring 2027 and will help shape the County’s Economic Development Strategic Framework.
“I’m excited about this extended series of Mini-Summits, which will give the County and our partners the chance to take a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities for each of these key sectors ahead of the Ulster County Futures Summit in early spring,” said County Executive Jen Metzger. “Our goal is to strengthen education-to-career pathways and expand meaningful job opportunities for our residents, and we're fortunate to have so many great educational and industry leaders partnering with us in this work."
“These Mini-Summits give us the opportunity to listen deeply to the businesses, educators, workforce partners, and community leaders who know these industries best — and to connect people who may be working toward the same goals but aren’t yet working together,” said Economic Development Director Leslie Wellington. “We want to understand the challenges and opportunities within each sector, identify where stronger partnerships can make a difference, and turn what we learn into action. Those insights and relationships will help shape both the culminating Economic Futures Summit and a long-term economic development strategy grounded in the real needs and opportunities of Ulster County.”
“The Economic Futures Summit is an exciting opportunity to bring together our educational partners, business leaders, and community stakeholders to build on the strong partnerships already happening across Ulster County,” said Sharon Williams, Director of the Office of Employment and Training. “SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Ulster, and Ulster BOCES have been deeply engaged in shaping this expanded format, and their leadership has been invaluable in creating a structure that truly serves our communities. These Mini-Summits will help us support the businesses already here while creating an environment that attracts new investment, new businesses, and new opportunities for Ulster County’s residents.”
“When our educational partners are connected with our local business community we gain so much more than placing people in jobs,” said Megan Sperry, Chair of the Economic Development, Planning, Education, Employment, Arts & Agriculture Committee. “We have an opportunity to learn about current research trends, public-private partnerships, community needs and areas that require investment. As an educator and a legislator, I’m very excited to see the impact of these events in the near future.”
The updated format preserves the original goals of the Economic Futures Summit — strengthening education‑to‑career pathways, aligning industry and education, and supporting long‑term economic resilience — while allowing for deeper engagement within each sector.
For more information or to sign up for the Summit email list, please visit ulstercountyny.gov/econ-dev/econ-futures