2026 Joint Legislative Budget Hearing - Economic Development/ Arts
February 26, 2026
9:30AM
Hearing Room B, Legislative Office Building, Albany

Transcript Pending
Testimony
Hope Knight
Commissioner, New York State Department of Economic Development
President & CEO, Empire State Development

Kaitlin Asrow
Acting Superintendent
Department of Financial Services

Jeanette Moy     (Testimony Pending)
Commissioner
NYS Office of General Services

Erika Mallin
Executive Director
New York State Council on the Arts

Susan Filburn     (Testimony Pending)
Acting Executive Director
NYS Office of Cannabis Management

Ross A. Frommer
VP for Government Affairs
Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Dr. Sara Martina Parigi
Member
United Postdoctoral Researchers of Rockefeller-UAW

Lucy Sexton
Executive Director
New Yorkers for Culture & Arts

Elizabeth Lane
Executive Director
ArtsNYS

Gully Stanford
Advocacy Co-Chair
New York State Alliance for Arts Education

Dr. Jamie Garcia
Director, Strategic Growth & Quantum Partnerships
IBM

Martin A. Schmidt
President
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Michael Kink
Executive Director
Strong Economy For All Coalition

Andrew Finklestein
President
New York State Trial Lawyers Association

Cassandra Anderson
President
New York Insurance Association (NYIA)

Sean McLaughlin
Regional Vice President State Affairs, Northeast
National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies

Kristina Baldwin
VP State Government Relations
American Property Casualty Insurance Association

Travis Wattie
AVP for Government Relations
Big I

Brad Lachut
Director of Government & Industry Affairs
Professional Insurance Agents of New York (PIANY)

Steve Halton
Vice President
Cannabis Farmers Alliance

John Vavalo
President
Association of New York Cannabis Processors

Herb Barbot
Chair
Empire State Green Standard Alliance

Written Testimony
Associated Medical Schools of New York

Authorities Budget Office

Food Bank of the Southern Tier

National Supermarket Association

New York County Lawyers Association

New York Cures

New York Small Business Development Center (NYSBDC)

NYS Economic Development Council

New York State of Wine Coalition

Pace Energy and Climate Center

Pixie Scout

Sullivan County 1

Sullivan County 2

Sullivan County 3

Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance

Tomkins Food Future

University of Rochester

Waterloo Container Company