Catharine Young
Director, New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech
“We are the Food State and that opens the door for great economic growth through the Center of Excellence in Food and Agriculture. The stage is set for us to grab onto this economic development and maximize it to its fullest.”
- Served in the New York State Legislature for two decades, as both a member of the Assembly (1999-2005) and a senator (2005-2019) representing most of the western Southern Tier and parts of the western Finger Lakes region.
- Held a variety of leadership positions, including Agriculture chair, and in January 2016 made history by becoming the first woman to hold the position of chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance.
- Recognized as a champion for growing manufacturing jobs and small businesses.
