The Leading EDGE Awards luncheon on Tuesday at Hart’s Hill Inn in Whitesboro covered a broad range of economic issues facing Upstate New York.
Keynote speaker Governor David A. Paterson started his address with an anecdote about being passed while running in a race.
The overall message of the luncheon seemed to be about the state of New York avoiding the same fate.
Taking office during the Bear Stearns financial crisis in March, the governor had been placed in a difficult economic situation. 
Paterson warned the audience of a reality facing the state, “We are just beginning to go into our recession.” The financial circumstances suggest it is important to do everything possible to ensure the future of the state’s economy.  
Citing the strength of the recently passed state budget, Paterson said it is now the time to start paying down a debt that is projected to total $21 billion over the next three years.
The well-being of the Upstate economy is going to play a vital role in reaching this goal, and there are some promising signs if you look in the right places. 
Jobs have increased from ten years ago in the Mohawk Valley, said Steven J. DiMeo, president of Mohawk Valley EDGE, Economic Development Growth Enterprises Corporation.
This growth trend will continue through efforts to develop, attract and retain a skilled work force, according to DiMeo. “This region has gone through the remorse and is poised for the rebuilding.”
Paterson proposed an explosion of economic development in New York in the mid-1800s from 3  percent of the business done in the country to 47 percent can be used as a lesson. This increase in productivity and population was required to build the Erie Canal and Lackawanna Railroad. “The people moved to where the jobs were.”
Now, the opposite is happening because of prohibitive state and local taxes, according to Paterson. People are instead moving to places like North and South Carolina.
The governor provided several steps to remedy this quality of life discrepancy.
Paterson said the allocation of a recent $700 million investment for the region needs to avoid the problems created by a wasteful government, and also rely heavily upon the opinions of those that will be affected.
Making the Empire State Development agency more efficient would go along way towards improving business opportunities, said Paterson. The best way to accomplish this may be to eliminate the practice of replicating positions for Upstate and Downstate in this agency.
He announced on March 27 the establishment of a permanent Upstate ESD headquarters in Buffalo, according to his Web site.
As it has worked in the past, Paterson explained that having hundreds of meetings with Upstate officials is the only way to appropriately spend the recent investment. “Local input gave us the direction on where to spend our money.”  
The governor said there is potential in researching bio-technology, nano-technology, and stem cells and their development through colleges.
“We didn’t invest three quarters of a billion dollars just to run away from our neighbors.” said Paterson.
In other action at the luncheon, New England Wood Pellet, 172 Diamond Drive, Schuyler, received a 2008 Leading EDGE award.
Gabriel Vincelette accepted the award and praised EDGE. He emphasized the importance of the strengthening of the local business community through building mutually beneficial relationships.
EDGE representatives also named Nail Creek Services the winner of the 2008 Mohawk Valley Business Plan contest.
The business is headquartered in Clinton, N.Y., and makes operating and training manuals for industrial manufacturers.
Frank Vlossak operates Nail Creek. He received a check for $10,000 and $10,000 in services and goods as the winner of the contest.