Live CHQ

Booklets are intended to help promote and provide key information about relocating to the countyThe recently updated Chautauqua County Relocation Guide has been rebranded to align with the new “Live CHQ” talent attraction and retention initiative and provides information on various aspects of county living, including the county’s key job sectors. A digital version of the guide can be found at LiveCHQ.org. JAMESTOWN, NY -- The County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) and the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) are pleased to announce the completion and publication of an updated version of the Chautauqua County Relocation Guide. First published in 2019, the 27-page Relocation Guide was created to help provide key information about Chautauqua County, including the character and location of community amenities, events, places to recreate and spend leisure time, and the industries located here, as well as information about schools, the cost of living, and housing. The 2024 edition of the guide provides updated information, and also leverages branding of the recently launched Live CHQ talent attraction and retention initiative. Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive or Economic Development and CCIDA CEO, said the CCIDA and CCPEG are encouraging local employers to use the guide, along with the Live CHQ website, to help inform and educate prospective employees about the benefits of living in the county. “We know many of our businesses and nonprofits need skilled, talented, and experienced employees to fill vacant positions; however, the effort to find prospective job candidates is becoming more and more competitive, not only regionally but across the entire country,” Geise said. “Our Relocation Guide is intended to provide employers a valuable tool for their hiring efforts, especially when recruiting prospective employees from outside of Chautauqua County who may not be familiar with all that the county has to offer.” According to Geise, the Chautauqua County Relocation Guide can be used on its own or as a companion piece to the recently launched Live CHQ talent attraction and retention marketing initiative, which was created to help individuals, professionals, businesses, families, and others learn all about the county and why it’s a wonderful place to live, work, conduct business, and recreate. To help get the guide in the hands of key stakeholders, the CCIDA and CCPEG have printed several thousand copies and are in the process of meeting with business HR professionals to discuss this tool and provide hard copies. In addition, a digital version of the guides is available at LiveCHQ.org. Employers, recruitment agencies, community leaders, realtor groups, and others are encouraged to link the digital version of the Relocation Guide and the Live CHQ website to their websites and job postings. Any local employer, realtor, or community group in the south county interested in getting a copy or copies of the guide can contact Jason Sample, CCIDA and CCPEG Marketing and Communications Coordinator, at 716-661-8302 or by emailing SampleJ@chqgov.com. Those in the north county can contact Monica Simpson, CCPEG Partner Engagement Coordinator, at 716-363-3770 or email SimpsonM@chqgov.com. Copies can also be picked up during regular business hours at the CCIDA and CCPEG Jamestown or Dunkirk offices. About CCIDA - The CCIDA is an economic development organization authorized and empowered by the State of New York to make Chautauqua County a better place to work, live, and visit. It facilitates development by attracting new businesses, while promoting the retention and expansion of existing businesses. Assistance in the form of incentives – tax abatements, low interest loans, and bond financing – enhances the opportunities for job creation and retention by our businesses. For more information visit ChooseCHQ.com. About CCPEG - The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) serves as the main convener of economic development partners and resources to advance key projects that achieve economic prosperity in Chautauqua County. It also serves as the catalyst and broker of resources for advancing economic prosperity efforts and is the central coordinating entity for the formation, retention, development, and attraction of quality jobs and advancements to the quality of life. It is an initiative of the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC). For more information visit CHQPartnership.org.

Evening will also serve as a Salute to Chautauqua County’s First RespondersJAMESTOWN, NY: -- Live CHQ, Chautauqua County’s talent attraction and retention initiative, will be presenting a “Community Buyout Night” for the Jamestown Tarp Skunks’ July 11, 2024 home game against the Geneva Red Wings, beginning at 6:30 p.m. All tickets for that night’s game will be free to the public courtesy of Live CHQ and its two affiliate agencies, the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) and the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG). The theme for this special night is “A Salute to Chautauqua County’s First Responders,” honoring past and present members of the county’s EMS, Fire, and Police agencies. “Rewarding the community, and especially first responders and their families, with complementary tickets is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the men and women who work tirelessly to keep us safe,” said Mark Geise, Chautauqua County Deputy County Executive of Economic Development, and CCIDA CEO. “It also serves to remind residents and businesses about Live CHQ, our talent attraction and retention initiative, which highlights all the benefits of living and working in Chautauqua County.” “CCIDA and CCPEG, along with the Live CHQ initiative, has been working with us to find a way to salute and thank our county’s first responders and what better way to do that than to give them the opportunity to enjoy community baseball, free of charge!” said Christian Dolce, Tarp Skunks General Manager and Director of Business and Sales operations. “Not only will we be waiving admission fees for all attendees that evening, but we’ll also have a number of special events and activities planned to help honor and support first responders, especially our county’s numerous volunteer fire departments.” Pregame festivities will begin at 5 p.m. and include a “touch a truck” event with various first responder vehicles on hand; a meet and greet with Whiffy, the Tarp Skunks mascot and characters from Paw Patrol, provided by Chautauqua Safety Village; and volunteer fire department information and sign-up stations. There will also be a 50/50 drawing to support volunteer fire fighters, prizes and giveaways from LiveCHQ, and a special first pitch ceremony honoring all first responders in attendance. Representatives from CCIDA and CCPEG will also be on hand to share details and answer questions about the Live CHQ campaign and the Choose CHQ branding initiative, which works highlight all the economic development efforts, projects, and initiatives overseen by CCIDA and its affiliate agencies. Free tickets are available at Russell E. Diethrick Park the night of the game. Volunteer firefighters, local law enforcement, and EMS workers can also pick up tickets at their designated stations, with limited tickets also available at both CCIDA offices in Jamestown and Dunkirk. Any first responder group that would like tickets can also call the Tarp Skunks direction at 716-705-5600. Additional information about the Jamestown Tarp Skunks and the team’s 2024 season, along with a printable schedule, can be found at TarpSkunks.com. About Live CHQ – Live CHQ is a joint marketing campaign launched by the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency and the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth in 2024 to assist with talent attraction and retention efforts across Chautauqua County, NY. The overall goal of the campaign is to help raise awareness of Chautauqua County as a viable place for individuals and families to live by speaking to the sensibilities, desires, and expectations of people who are considering the county as their primary residence. For more information visit www.LiveCHQ.com.

Chautauqua County Economic Development Coordinator/CCPEG Manager Recognized for County and Regional Economic Development EffortsNate Aldrich (left), Chautauqua County Economic Development Coordinator and Manager of the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth, is the 2024 recipient of the James W. Griffin Rising Star Award, presented by the New York State Economic Development Council. The award was presented to Aldrich by James Johnson (right), Executive Director of the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency and Past Board Chair of NYSEDC, during the 2024 NYSEDC Awards Banquet in Cooperstown, NY. COOPERSTOWN, NY: -- Nate Aldrich, Economic Development Coordinator for Chautauqua County and Manager of the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG), was the recipient of the 2024 James W. Griffin Rising Star Award, presented by the New York State Economic Development Council (NYSEDC). Aldrich was presented the award at the NYSEDC Annual Meeting Awards Banquet in Cooperstown on May 22, 2024. The Rising Star Award honors an individual, age 40 and under, who has made a significant contribution to the economic development profession in New York State, with consideration given to quality of service and impact on New York’s economy.  Innovation in their field and community service/volunteerism are also taken into consideration. Aldrich is a native of Chautauqua County and has held his position within county government while also serving as manager of CCPEG manager. In prior years, he also held a position as a planner for Chautauqua County. Since starting in his current role in 2019, Aldrich has been involved in a broad range of projects; however, his impact has been especially profound over the last several years as manager of CCPEG. This public/private partnership has worked to develop and assist a wide variety of economic development projects for the entire county and for individual communities, with a focus on placemaking, workforce development, housing development, talent attraction and retention, and infrastructure. According to Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and CCIDA CEO, Aldrich is a key member of the team currently developing a $17 million, 150 acre shovel-ready site in Ripley, much of which is being funded through external sources he’s been able to secure. “The CCPEG team has expanded in the past several years, due to the large number of initiatives it is working on and the funding it has been able to secure to undertake these projects. The impact of these initiatives has increased year-over-year, and this has been in large part due to Nate’s leadership,” Geise said, adding, “This was reflected in October 2023, when CCPEG received the Economic Developer of the Year award by the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce. My endorsement of Nate for this award was a no-brainer.” In 2023 alone, CCPEG leveraged more than $28 million in grant funding to assist with various development efforts, secured $1.2 million in grants, assisted 47 individual projects, allocated approximately $460,000 to partners, and engaged with 65 partner agencies. Aldrich’s other recent highlights include providing technical assistance to the City of Dunkirk, which applied for and received the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative Award, and he was a leading contributor to the Live CHQ/Choose CHQ talent attraction and retention campaign for Chautauqua County. Aldrich received his Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, and was chosen by the faculty at UB to receive the American Institute of Certified Planners 2016 Planning Excellence Award from the American Planning Association, in recognition of outstanding achievement in the study of urban planning. He’s received numerous other awards and honors while at UB, including the Michael J. Krasner Memorial Scholarship, the Western New York Prosperity Fellowship, the R. Buckminster Fuller Award, and the Public Service Award. Also, in 2020, Aldrich was named to Buffalo Business First’s “30 Under 30” list, which recognizes early career achievements, leadership and initiative, and community engagement of 30 individuals under the age of 30 in Western New York. Aldrich serves on the Brooks-TLC Hospital Board of Trustees, manages the Chadwick Bay Regional Commission, and serves on the Board of the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau. He is also a member of the City of Dunkirk Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) Local Planning Committee and the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation Local Economic Development Committee. “Nate’s been an invaluable asset to economic development efforts in not only Chautauqua County, but also Western New York and New York State, since joining our team,” Geise said. “His energy and enthusiasm is contagious and has helped to make our region a better place to work and live. I think it’s safe to say that when it comes to Nate and his impact on Chautauqua County and Western New York, the best is yet to come! He truly is a ‘Rising Star’ and more than worthy of this recent award.” In accepting the award, Aldrich acknowledged the mentors who’ve helped him along the way, including both Geise and Richard Dixon, CCIDA CFO. He also credited the entire Chautauqua County Economic Development team, adding that any success attributed to him is really a group effort. “It’s really just a case of being in the right place at the right time,” Aldrich said. “Not only do we have a capable team, but they all put a lot of heart and effort into doing what they all do and I’m really just proud of that.” About CCPEG - The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) serves as the main convener of economic development partners and resources to advance key projects that achieve economic prosperity in Chautauqua County. It also serves as the catalyst and broker of resources for advancing economic prosperity efforts and is the central coordinating entity for the formation, retention, development, and attraction of quality jobs and advancements to the quality of life. It is an initiative of the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC). For more information visit CHQPartnership.org.

New Website and Advertising Effort to Focus on Talent Attraction and Retention in Chautauqua CountyJAMESTOWN, NY: -- The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG), along with the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA), is announcing the launch of a new, multi-year marketing campaign. The effort, called Live CHQ, will focus on talent attraction and retention by highlighting quality of life aspects and career opportunities available in Chautauqua County.  “Live CHQ is primarily intended to market our county to people living outside of our county in order to attract new and professionally talented residents by focusing on the best our county has to offer – including affordability, job opportunities, our cultural and entertainment attractions, and a wide variety of outdoor recreation options,” said Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and CCIDA CEO. “As part of the talent retention effort, we will also remind current residents of the benefits of living in Chautauqua County.” WATCH THE APRIL 16 PRESENTATION The campaign is modeled after a similar talent attraction and retention marketing effort in Buffalo, known as the Be in Buffalo campaign. That effort was spearheaded by Invest Buffalo Niagara, which also provided assistance with initial planning of the Live CHQ campaign. A major component of Live CHQ is a new website – LiveCHQ.org - that will inform the public about the various quality of life aspects the county has to offer, along with employment resources and business development opportunities found across the county. The campaign is also intended to assist local companies, businesses, and nonprofits across all sectors by helping to inform their prospective employees about what the county has to offer. “Many of our local businesses and nonprofits need more skilled, talented, and experienced employees to fill vacant jobs. But it can also be challenging to recruit individuals to fill those positions, due to a high demand for skilled workers, compared to the number of candidates currently living in our county. We are encouraging the business community to use the website to assist with their recruitment efforts, especially for talent located outside of the area who may be unfamiliar with what Chautauqua County has to offer,” explained Nate Aldrich, Chautauqua County Economic Development Coordinator and CCPEG Manager. CCIDA and CCPEG contracted with Buffalo-based Block Club to develop the Live CHQ campaign following an RFP process in late 2022. Throughout 2023, Block Club then worked to develop Live CHQ by visiting the county and meeting with key stakeholders during the “discover phase” of the campaign, to determine its focus – young families, active adults, and professionals with a passion for outdoor recreation and cultural/community experiences who currently reside outside of Chautauqua County. Current county residents are a secondary target audience. Block Club also designed a “choose your adventure” theme, incorporating “CHQ” into the messaging of each ad. The company also designed specific digital ad assets for the campaign, along with a promotional video advertisement. The website was designed by Clevermethod, also based in Buffalo. In addition to designing LiveCHQ.org, Clevermethod also developed ChooseCHQ.com, the new website for CCIDA and CCPEG, along with the other affiliation agencies – the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC) and the Chautauqua County Capital Resource Corporation (CRC). Funding for the Live CHQ campaign was derived from American Rescue Plan Act funding provided to CCPEG by Chautauqua County, a multi-year grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, and from the CCIDA’s general marketing budget. Assistance in developing the campaign was also provided by Chautauqua County Government and the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau, along with a variety of organizations and attractions found across Chautauqua County. “We want to emphasize that this is not a panacea that will suddenly reverse decades of population decline experienced in our county and across the Western New York region. Our hope is that it will be a valuable tool that, when combined with other efforts, will help to move the population needle in a positive direction,” explained Geise. “The launch of Live CHQ is the culmination of a year’s worth of planning and development, and we’re excited to see it rolled out and implemented.” Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel said he is encouraged on what this new rollout program can and will do. “‘Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.' That’s my new motto as we move forward,” Wendel said, quoting Colin Powell. More information about the Live CHQ marketing campaign will be announced in the coming weeks. # # # About Live CHQ – Live CHQ is a joint marketing campaign launched by the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency and the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth in 2024 to assist with talent attraction and retention efforts across Chautauqua County, NY. The overall goal of the campaign is to help raise awareness of Chautauqua County as a viable place for individuals and families to live by speaking to the sensibilities, desires, and expectations of people who are considering the county as their primary residence. For more information visit www.LiveCHQ.com.