Firm also named advertising and public relations agency of record for economic development group
New Windsor, N.Y. (Oct. 7, 2010) – Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation (HVEDC) today welcomed Focus Media President and CEO Josh Sommers to its Board of Directors. Focus Media, which business newspaper HV Biz recently called the Mid-Hudson Valley’s largest advertising and public relations firm, has also been named the agency of record for HVEDC.
“Josh Sommers has become a dynamic player in the Hudson Valley business community,” said Mike Oates, HVEDC’s President and CEO. “As the founder and driving force behind the region’s dominant marketing firm, he advises many of the Hudson Valley’s most prominent businesses, including many significant economic development projects. Josh and the Focus Media team are part of the Hudson Valley’s future and they will become an important partner with the marketing and advocacy conducted by HVEDC.”
A former radio broadcaster, Sommers founded Focus Media in 2002. The company specializes in public relations, crisis communications, market research, advertising, design and Web development. In addition, the firm has extensive experience managing issue campaigns and representing developers in controversial land-use matters. Sommers is the current Chairman of the Board for Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development, Vice President of Development for the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan Counties and member of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce and the Sullivan County Economic Development Corporation. He also writes a weekly business column in the Times Herald-Record.
Sommers said, “Thanks, in part, to the leadership role of HVEDC, Hudson Valley is on a roll in attracting major employers and new opportunities. I am excited to now assist as a Board member, and equally excited for my firm to help market Hudson Valley as a place for companies to create new jobs and investment.”
About the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation (HVEDC): HVEDC represents seven counties in the Hudson Valley: Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, Sullivan, Ulster and Putnam counties. The public-private partnership markets the region as one of the world’s prime business locations to corporate executives, site selection consultants and real estate brokers. In addition, HVEDC’s mission includes aggressive advocacy in Albany to secure state support for economic development projects in the Hudson Valley.
For more information on the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation, visit www.hvedc.com or call 845-220-2244.
