MAY
6 2022
Mark Geise Receives Award from Small Business Development Center at JCC
Photo Submitted Pictured Left to Right: Courtney Curatolo, Mark Geise, PJ Wendall
The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Jamestown Community College recognized Mark Geise with the US Small Business Administration Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery during National Small Business Week on May 2, 2022. As the Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and CEO of the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA), Geise’s leadership helped many small businesses throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Mark Geise and his team at the CCIDA have been at the epicenter of business relief measures in Chautauqua County, especially during the pandemic. He has been able to secure funding in loans and grants for businesses in diverse
industries, helped manufacturers develop PPE to give to other businesses throughout the region, assisted businesses through employment issues, and showed his commitment to the community with the investment of his time and energy. He has been successful in leading the staff at the CCIDA and helping local businesses because he truly wants our community, our businesses, and our county to be successful. According to Courtney Curatolo, Director of the SBDC, “The CCIDA is known as a strong pillar of the Chautauqua County community and Mark Geise deserves recognition for his tremendous dedication and leadership, not only with the county IDA but also in his neighborhood, among friends, family, and through collaborations he instigated. In addi-
tion, his support of the SBDC has helped hundreds of businesses in our county.” Through his leadership and dedicated efforts during the worldwide pandemic many businesses have been able to not only survive but also thrived and attracted more talent to the area. Geise was successful in expeditiously establishing an emergency loan fund with funding obtained from the US Economic Development Administration, and in four short weeks, the IDA had assisted 24 local small businesses with $10,000 each to provide much needed working capital to weather the COVID crisis. The CCIDA also established a revolving loan fund after they were awarded $10.5 million in 2020 as part of the EDA’s Cares Act Stimulus funding which could be used for working capital and equip-
ment purchases. This funding was committed within nine months of its launch, and benefited more than 50 companies. In April 2020 he also led a partnership to ensure all essential businesses were able to provide for the health and safety of their employees with personal protection equipment (PPE). He was able to secure local philanthropic funding to provide 50/50 matching grants to businesses to purchase PPE and provide technical assistance to businesses to help them re-configure their workspaces in order to provide appropriate social distancing and other protocols to protect workers and customers. While many of the programs he implemented helped businesses in the first year of the pandemic, he is still working on long term goals to help the community. For example, in February 2022, the CCIDA announced a collaboration with the Chautauqua Chamber and the Small Business Development Center at Jamestown Community College to provide marketing grants to small businesses with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Under Geise’s leadership, several new programs were quickly established for small businesses during the pandemic. He remains dedicated to the long term recovery and future disaster preparedness for the county. Administered by the US Small Business Administration, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Jamestown Community College (JCC) vision is to create economic sustainability for all New Yorkers – one business at a time. The SBDC delivers high quality business counseling and training to clients looking to start a business or improve the performance of an existing business. Services are free and confidential and include a range of management and technical assistance from business plan development, account-
Photo Submitted The Eastern Bluebird is native to New York State.
CREATING A POLLINATOR HABITAT CCE to host L.E.A.F program on Natural Pollinators
creases vegetable and fruit BY EMILY REYNOLDS JAMESTOWN, NY production and birds and — Cornell Cooperative Ex- other small mammals can tension Chautauqua Coun- help control pests. Natural ty’s Agricultural Program is surroundings can be as large excited to announce the Cre- as a pollinator strip in agriating a Pollinator Habitat for cultural fields or just small Growing Workshop, as part patch at your house. CCE of the L.E.A.F. (Learn. Em- Master Gardener volunteer power. Achieve. And Farm) Pat Martonis will help you Program. On Tuesday, May explore a variety of ways to 17th from 6- 8 pm at the build an environment for Jamestown Community Col- the wildlife you WANT to atlege Carnahan Center you tract in the setting in which can learn how to develop a you live, work or play. The LEAF (Learn. Empollinator habitat from CCE Chautauqua Master Garden- power. Achieve. Farm.) Seer Volunteer, Pat Martonis. ries is open to beginning As Pat said, “creating a hab- farmers, established farms itat for wildlife is beneficial looking to diversify and grow, agriculture enthusiand enjoyable” asts, homesteaders, and EVWhether you are a farmer ERYONE in between! Worklooking to pollinate crops, a shops are $5 per participant landowner looking to make Pre-registration is reuse of a fallow field, or a quired, to register visit homeowner interested in http://chautauqua.cce.cordeveloping a small patch of nell.edu/agriculture/2022natural habitat. Creating a l-e-a-f-workshop-series or habitat for wildlife can be call 716-664-9502 ext. 209 beneficial to humans and or email lpc33@cornell.edu the environment. Attract- for the registration informaing native pollinators in- tion.
10294 Rt. 60, Fredonia | 716-673-1371 Check us out online at www.fredoniacdj.com
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