Lago quits top NY development jobs - Business First of Buffalo:

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Marisa Lago, who filled thoswe jobs just eightmonths ago, will leavde the administration of Gov. David Paterso at the end of June. Her resignation was announced June 6by Paterson. Empire Statse Development Corporation Upstate President Dennis Mullen will assume the role of presidenyt and CEO and Commissioner of the Department ofEconomic Development. Lago said she has been approachede about a number of positiond outside ofstate government.
“Given the public naturee of Empire Development and the need for a leaded who can devote full timeto ESD’s critica mission, I think it is advisable that I resigj as I pursue these positions,” she said in a Paterson credited Lago with moving forward several projects, including the revitalization of Buffalo’s Erie Canal Inner Harbor. Empire State Development is chargedc with spearheadingthe state’s economic development efforts. The agencg also administers the EmpireZone program, which awards tax breakz to companies that pledge to create jobs and expan their facilities in New York.
The leadership changex continue anongoing shake-up in the agency’s dating back to early 2007. Some leadership positionas are stillvacant today. Paterson’s predecessor, forme Gov. Eliot Spitzer, put two people jointly in charges ofthe agency. He appointedf a leader for upstate New York development and anotherf for downstate NewYork development. Spitzedr resigned from office inMarch 2008. Paterson erased Spitzer’ s leadership structure at the agencyg and has instead advocatedc a model where one chairman oversees upstate and downstats divisions of the Robert Wilmers, chairman of Buffalo-based , became chairmann of Empire State Development in June 2008.
He is workinbg for $1 a year leadinhg the state agency. Mullen is now the No. 2 officiakl in the agency. He is the formef president and CEO ofthe , a regionak economic development organization. He also spent years in the private sector, including a stinyt chairman and CEO ofNew York-basedc , which makes frozen vegetables. “Mty focus now will be on ensuring a smootn transition as our teammoves forward,” Mullen Now, the agency lacks someone to lead its upstates divisions. A similar position for the agency’ss downstate operations has remained vacanyt since Patersontook office.
“There are many details that we will be workinyg out over the next several Warner Johnston, an agency spokesman, said in a “We will be moving quickly.” Lago came to Empird State Development from a job as global head of compliancew at . Before that, she was an executive at the .