State Senator Patrick Gallivan Invites Monroe and Livingston Businesses to Participate in Small Business Summit at Rit

New York State Senator Patrick M. Gallivan (R-59th District) is hosting a “Small Business Summit and Networking Event” on June 27th from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM at the Rochester Institute of Technology’s state-of-the-art Golisano Institute of Sustainability on the RIT campus in Henrietta.

(Check out the new Golisano Institute of Sustainability at RIT here)

The summit will include presentations from Senator Gallivan; the President and CEO of the Greater Rochester Enterprise, Mark S. Peterson; and private sector business development consultant and current member of Gallivan’s staff, Frank Swiatek.

The event is free of charge for business owners in the area who wish to attend but space is limited to 65 attendees so those interested should register immediately with Gallivan’s Office. Interested business owners can register by contacting Annie Chwiecko, Senator Gallivan’s Community Representative for Monroe and Livingston Counties, at chwiecko@nysenate.gov or reserve directly by calling (585) 746-2807.

Parking for the event is free and light refreshments will be provided. Following the presentations, time will be afforded to network and discuss individual topics with the speakers and fellow attendees.

When: Thursday, June 27th 2013, 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM

Where: The Golisano Institute of Sustainability at the Rochester Institute of Technology, located on the north-west side of the RIT campus (building #81, labeled SUS in section C-5 on the campus map), 111 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623.

Campus maps are accessible at maps.rit.edu.

Parking is available at no cost in Parking Lot T. Signage will be posted around campus directing participants to the appropriate lot.

Presentations will include:

The Small Business Climate In New York State – State Senator Patrick M. Gallivan

Senator Gallivan was first elected to the Senate in 2010, representing all or parts of Erie, Wyoming, Livingston and Monroe Counties. He serves on the Senate’s Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business Committee and is Deputy Leader of the Republican Conference for Economic Development.

Senator Gallivan is also a member of the following Senate Committees: Science, Technology, Incubation and Entrepreneurship; Higher Education; Transportation; Infrastructure and Capital Investment; Housing, Construction and Community Development; Agriculture; and is the chairman of the Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee.

Prior to serving in the Senate, Senator Gallivan was twice elected Sheriff of Erie County. He also founded his own private sector investigations firm.

Read the Senator's full biography here.

The Greater Rochester Region – Poised for Greatness! – Mark S. Peterson

Rochester is known as an innovation hub thanks to its smart workforce, new emerging businesses, entrepreneurial spirit and creation of patents. Mark will discuss how community engagement from the small business community can also help strengthen the Rochester Region’s economy.

Mark Peterson has an outstanding background in regional economic development, financial administration, and high-value fund raising. He joined the Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE) in 2005 and became President & CEO in April, 2009.

Mark has proven himself to be a strong advocate for the Greater Rochester region, building a reputation amongst his colleagues as an exceptional leader and proactive change agent. He is strongly invested in promoting the area, attracting quality businesses, and changing lives through job creation.

In 2011 Mark was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo as a member of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council. Mark serves as a member of the council’s Executive Committee.

Read Mark Peterson's full biography here.

High Impact Ideas To Grow Your Business – Frank Swiatek

This presentation will help businesses examine their marketing process and identify both weaknesses and opportunities. It will teach them to identify, underutilized or underperforming marketing assets in their businesses that may be lying dormant and hurting the bottom line.

It will also help businesses develop a systematic approach to their marketing strategy and help generate increased sales and profitability.

Senator Patrick Gallivan has appointed Frank to his staff as the Senior Advisor – Small Business.

Frank has conducted over 3450 presentations for organizations throughout the US and Canada. He has worked for numerous small businesses, and for over 25 Fortune 500 companies. He has conducted marketing boot camps for small businesses in WNY, NYC, CT and NJ.

He has co-authored a book with Denny Strigl, the former President and CEO of Verizon Wireless. The book is entitled, “Managers, can you hear me now? – Hard-Hitting Lessons on How to Get Real Results!” It is published by McGraw-Hill, and is available in over 40 countries.