Latest / The Wilmac Wire / Kate Beale | 20 Years in Washington & Championing Greater Rochester

Transcript

Kate Beale | 20 Years in Washington & Championing Greater Rochester · The Wilmac Wire

• speaker-0: Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, welcome, or welcome back to the Will MacWire. Thank you for tuning in today. Today's episode is a local one that that we were able to host in person at Rock Box Studios in Pittsford. And it's honestly one of my favorites that we've recorded this season. Our guest today is Kate Beal from the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce. she spent over 20 years in Washington, DC and just returned home to Rochester. And she's bringing a ton of advocacy and governmental relationship work that she built at the federal level to apply now in the Rochester region, which we're really pumped for. Like I said, loved this conversation. Kate is also a tall queen like myself. so we got to chit-chat about that in and what we see from our bird's eye view. But Into today's conversation, what you can expect. We discussed that application of federal advocacy to regional advocacy and what she's been taking in into her first four months in the job. we talked about what Rochester needs more of right now, and something that kept coming up that we need to keep talking about is the collaboration that's happening within the Greater Rochester region with Buffalo and Syracuse and the tech corridor and why. That's a bigger deal than most people realize. And that's what it's not often shared in the media. So the people involved, we just need to keep talking about it. And Kate did just that. So thank you so much to the Greater Rochester Chamber team. As always, we love you guys. And to Kate for joining us on the podcast. We're excited to have her back on again in the future. I'll turn it over to today's episode. Thanks. So she's a Pittsford native who left Rochester after high school and spent over twenty years building a career in Washington, DC. She served on Capitol Hill under U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Kirsten Gillibrand. She's held senior roles across USAID, the White House, PHRMA, and International Consulting. Now she's back home in Pittsford and serving as Senior Director of Advocacy, Governmental Affairs, and Public Policy at the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce. Welcome to the Will Macwire, Kate Veal. speaker-1: Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be with you all and excited for today's conversation. speaker-0: Yes, we are too, Kate. We so appreciate you joining us in studio at Rockbox Studios in Pittsford. So supporting our our local local community. Great to be here. We love it. Okay, Kate. So we're gonna start things off with our icebreaker that we call this or that. so I have three questions for you. Each question has two options. Choose your preference and explain why. So the first one, food related, garbage plate or Wegman sub. speaker-1: Wegman's sub all the way. Yeah. That was easy. Yeah, I have to say. She sh speaker-2: She didn't even flinch. speaker-1: that reminds me of my high school days. speaker-0: Yeah. Do you have a go to sub? speaker-1: gosh, it's evolved over time. But now I would say we're at kind of a ham and cheese era. Yeah. speaker-0: can't you can't go wrong though with a Wegman sub. So any any kind is good Wegman sub. Love it. Okay. next one. We we actually you mentioned this a little bit before we started recording, but commuting in D C or commuting in Rochester? speaker-1: Okay. Commuting in Rochester all the way. So I would much rather prefer to be stuck in village traffic or 390, 490 versus the DC Beltway. So I joke that, you know, the Rochester commute, it's from my house, it's eight minutes downtown, which is just a walk a few blocks in DC. So yeah, definitely the Rochester commute. speaker-2: Traffic here is not traffic in D C like what I was just stuck in took maybe five minutes. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-2: In D C you're in there for hours. speaker-1: and the drivers are speaker-0: Angry drivers. I would not fare well down there 'cause I'm an angry driver up here. okay, and last one for you. This is a bit like I said, deep cut. Yeah. Easier language to pick up, Guarani or Spanish? speaker-1: Spanish. Okay. So Guarani, we'll get into this later, is the indigenous language of Paraguay. Right. It's not written. So that is incredibly challenging. So Spanish and it's funny, I've been telling my kids that even now that are they're learning Spanish. Yeah. It's actually a pretty easy language. Yeah. but speaker-2: Yeah. I mean, compared to what you were doing. it's easy. Easy. speaker-1: Very easy. speaker-2: Yeah. Well what's how well do you know it? speaker-1: I'm a little rusty these days. and I know we'll talk about my journey and time in Paraguay, but I was an agriculture volunteer there. Yes. And to be successful in the community that I lived in, I had to speak Guarani. And languages, first and foremost, are not easy for me, but it was thankfully through immersion. And I have to say it was the little kids that taught me best because they were patient and they let me stumble through it. speaker-0: Yeah. my gosh. Yeah. When I I think I saw it on your LinkedIn and I was like, I have to ask about the languages. I didn't know. speaker-2: No, that that's impressive. speaker-0: That's very impressive. Great question. Wonderful. Thanks, Kate. Thanks for humoring us and sharing more about yourself for our listeners and our icebreaker. So we're gonna jump right into our our first theme on your career journey. And obviously we called it out in your intro, but you grew up in Pittsford. let me ask first what took you away from Rochester after after high school? speaker-1: Yeah. I would say it was really curiosity. And I just had such a great upbringing here in Rochester. I had so many mentors, like probably so many students from family to teachers to coaches. And that gave me the confidence that I was ready to scratch that itch of what was beyond the Rochester borders. I went to Boston for college. I first went for photojournalism. And as I think about that, I think that was really connected to my Rochester roots and the ability to go to a dark speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-1: dark room. Thank you photography, the cool thing. Exactly. Making the film at Pittsford Sutherland or at MCC. Yeah. But I ultimately went and studied political science and international relations in Boston. It was great. speaker-0: Okay. And what made you choose that that major? speaker-1: So lots of reasons. Okay. so kind of building on that curiosity, public service has been something that I've always been very committed to, interested in, and wanting to understand how the world works to effectuate positive change in communities. And that was really exciting. learning how public policy intersected with international relations was really important to me. My family's from Ireland, and during college I studied abroad in Ireland. It was actually during September 11th. Wow. Which was an eye-opening experience to be an American abroad. And there were so many similarities between Boston and Dublin. But during September 11th, it really kind of showcased the interconnectedness of the US and Irish relations, but also that the broader global world. There were so many geopolitical dynamics that I wanted to dig deeper into. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah, that's that's interesting. And I I know we talked about this a little bit too before we recorded, but you you're into athletics. You you played sports your whole life. You talked about doing field hockey, which as a fellow tall tall girl, can't imagine the the impact that's had on your back. It makes my back hurt just thinking about it. but you did crew as well. So can you kind of talk about that experience too and balancing athletics in in your studies? speaker-1: Yeah. So I like both of you guys, sport is just so important. And I love the camaraderie of being part of a team, the physical rigor and nature of it. So yes, I did play field hockey at Sutherland. I was, I think, the tallest athlete and always got the red card for the high stick. Yep. thankfully I kept all my teeth and I did not break any bones. but when I was in Boston, crew was such a great sport. Yeah. And I had a number of friends that rode. Okay. And I really was attracted to the discipline of it, the full body workout, but then just the the ability to be on the water and work together. So I started doing that as an intramural sport. Okay. And it was great. the last race that I had when I was in Boston. It was the summer after my senior year, we beat Harvard. So it was a big accomplishment. Yeah. and there's lots of competition with the local schools. So it was a great sport. speaker-2: How do you you guys all s share the Charles, just different parts of the Charles you get? speaker-1: Yes. Yeah. all the boathouses are lined along the Charles and then there's lots of just respect of your lane. speaker-2: The so I lived in Boston for five years after college. What's the big regatta that was like everyone went to and you guys all raced it? speaker-1: The the Char the the Charles. The race on the Charles. speaker-2: It's called The Resident Charles. I remember going to that. Yeah. I mean it's a big event. speaker-0: Okay. speaker-1: Huge event. Yeah. And just international teams come in and local schools, na domestic schools. It was great. So a really fun sport. I'm thrilled to see that Pittsford and Fairport and other communities speaker-2: Nail schools are really big in it, right? speaker-1: Building teams, our universities have great teams. So I'm hopeful maybe my kids will play. Yeah. Not play, but exactly kind of compete. That speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: they will crew. Yeah. and actually it's a it's a great sport for longevity. Right. And when I came back to Washington and we'll talk about D C but I wanted to get back on the water. Yeah. And I started rowing. had the five AM wake up, but I was working on Capitol Hill at the time. Yeah. And it got to be really complicated being a professional and also keeping that schedule. But but it's it's a great speaker-2: Great sport. I feel like I see a lot of political movies and TV shows and the character is doing the crew thing in the basement. Yeah, like the role machine. Yes. speaker-0: Yeah, row machine. speaker-2: For whatever reason I have a connection to D C people and that. speaker-1: What was it? House of Cards? speaker-2: Yeah. He was doing it. But there's been a couple others, but he was definitely big into it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. speaker-0: that that is so cool. Thank you for sharing about that. That was something new that we learned kind of just chatting before we started recording. But I'll kind of move us on now till to after college. And you spent three years as a Peace Corps agricultural volunteer in Paraguay before starting your career. So what drew you into that? And then can you share more, like you said, about kind of that cultural experience? speaker-1: Sure, sure. well, like many people, kind of that daunting feeling upon college graduation of what are you gonna do next was looming. I knew I was not ready for a traditional career. Yeah. And I had taken a really great class my senior spring. US Latin relations class. And I had studied Spanish since middle school here in Rochester. And my professor was actually in a first class of Peace Corps volunteers in Peru in the sixties. And he spoke so highly of the program. I thought it was really interesting. It was that tie of my interest of public service, government, and international relations. So I applied. back then, this was two thousand one. you could not choose the country you served in. You really chose a region. And so I knew I wanted to be in South America. Okay. I was assigned to Paraguay and agriculture. Yeah. And it was an amazing experience. Yeah. Yeah. speaker-0: So cool. speaker-1: So I spent three years there. Yeah. I learned so much. But I would really say that created the foundation for my ultimate career and ultimately what led me to Washington. When I was in Paraguay, was away during our two thousand four presidential elections in the United States. But I was also there during their domestic elections. And Paraguay is a really interesting country. It's in the middle of South America, lots of natural resources, not that inhibited in terms of population, but it was also a relatively new democracy. It had been under a dictatorship since nineteen eighty nine. Very, very new. It had been a little over a decade by the time I was there. And the corruption and the way in which the community worked with government was very, very different from what I knew in the United States. Right. And ultimately having that experience, it's what drew me to Washington to understand how our amazing democracy works. Yeah. And to understand both opportunities and challenges. Right. speaker-2: So before you went down there, did you think your path would go to D C in politics or did that really influence speaker-1: I didn't think so. I knew I was interested in working in the international space. Of course, DC's one of, you know, our our key hubs. I thought I potentially wanted to join the Foreign Service and live abroad. Okay. But I I did not enter into the Peace Corps thinking I wanted to be in Washington D C. But that's ultimately what led me there. speaker-2: Next question, and this may be naive. What do you mean by agriculture? speaker-1: Yeah, great question. So it's funny. So as a Peace Corps volunteer, you go through an interview and they really talk to you about, okay, what are your competencies? Language competencies, what are your technical skills that you can work on in a community? And when I was asked this, I was like, wow, somebody who studied political science and international relations, what are my core competencies? And I said to my recruiter, you know, I'm really interested in the environment. I've tutored in Boston. I can teach and I love gardening. And she said, tell me more about gardening. And I said, I love planning out cut flowers and whatnot. And she said, you know what? You would do great with agriculture. And I said, wait, wait, you mean like food security agriculture, like growing crops to consume and sell? And she said, Exactly. So it was a fascinating experience because I went in, not knowing much about agriculture. But learning so much more than what I was ultimately kind of demonstrating for my community. But it was those skills that really set me up for the career that I had. In one specific example, I always tell people who are interested in going into the Peace Corps is you're really just a resource for your community. And I this has carried me through my career. You're listening, you're trying to understand community. families and businesses problems. And one of the big things in Paraguay in particular was that the government controlled the commodity prices. So if it was cotton, if it was you know soybeans. And the community that I lived in had such a rich soil configuration. We had four growing cycles a year, which was really unheard of, especially for all of us upstate New Yorkers. We have one season. Yeah. And the more and more I was engaging with community leaders and government officials, I was seeing that there was a presence of international community leaders, in particular from Japan. And so I started working with the Japanese development authority and asking them kind of what were they looking to promote and how were their areas of opportunity. And they were looking to diversify their purchasing power in soybeans, a specific black strain, and then also sesame. So I worked with the community, we started planting these. Their yields were vibrant, but also the price of their goods was really, really high. So it helped the economic power of the community. So it was really exciting. speaker-2: So you were more on the economic side. Were you actually getting going to these farms and like speaker-1: So it's a great question. So I woke up at four AM every morning and I went into the fields with the farmers. I did because as we mentioned earlier, I'm a six foot blonde woman from New York. And of course in Paraguay everyone thought that was New York City. Yeah. Of course. Like no. speaker-2: Paraguay, anywhere in the United States they still think it. speaker-1: Exactly. And as we all know, and your listeners know, Western New York were so wealthy in terms of agriculture and rich and abundant in that in that space. but trust was a really important thing. Yeah. And this was post-9-11 when the just even the idea of an American leaving a very comfortable society and country to go volunteer. was really a foreign concept. Right. And so I had to build trust. And so Steve, I actually would wake up, I'd go out with the the community leaders. I would go hoe and work the fields. It was a really humbling experience. But that demonstrated kind of trust and partnership that I was there to support. speaker-2: Great. Not to dive too deep into this, but how modernized is their farming? Is it still i were they is it very manual or did they have the equipment? speaker-1: Very manual. So no equipment. There were no cars in my community. wow. And it was really a community effort. so it was speaker-2: So you're out there working. speaker-1: very humbling, to say the least. That's hard work. That is hard. speaker-0: Burke, let me ask, do you like have flowers and that sort of stuff at your house now? Do you like plant vegetables and that sort of thing? speaker-1: I probably haven't gotten to the vegetable garden, but I do have herbs and flowers and I'm hoping next summer I'll move on to to vegetables. speaker-0: Better than most. I'm a succulents person because I forget to water things. but wonderful. Thank you for sharing about that, Kate. That's really interesting. I feel like we could probably talk about that for for a while longer because it raised even more questions. but very, very cool experience, it sounds like. speaker-1: Yeah. well, I returned from the Peace Corps and I came back to Rochester to kind of recalibrate, re enter back into the United States and really process that experience. Yeah. there for three years. Yeah. speaker-2: How many years were you? Did you come back for holidays and stuff? speaker-1: I came back I came back for Christmas once, which was amazing. But that was it. That was it. Wow. Yeah, speaker-2: So pretty much three straight years. speaker-1: and my family came down. Which is really wonderful. I would sometimes take them to Argentina or to Chile and we were able to explore the region, which was really nice. speaker-2: Great question actually. Did you get to explore all of South America while you speaker-1: Great question. I did not get to s see all of South America, but I probably traveled to maybe six of the countries. speaker-2: Very good. speaker-1: I took three months after my service. Yeah. And just to travel. Just to travel. Went down to the southern tip of Argentina and Chile and then made my way up through Bolivia and ultimately to Machu Picchu. So if anybody has the opportunity to take some time, I highly recommend that part of the world. It's amazing. But so I came back. I was in Rochester, back home with my family and I was thinking about this incredible experience that I had had. How can I continue to build upon it? I thought earlier that I wanted to join the Foreign Service. I thought, you know, actually I wanna stay in the United States and I wanna understand our government. Yeah. and the process that really where decisions are made. Yeah. And I was trying to apply for jobs really, really hard at the time. And there's a lot of return Peace Corps volunteers in the same position. So thanks to the encouragement of my parents, I applied to be an intern for Senator Clinton. Okay I was twenty five years old at the time and most volunte excuse me, interns are You know, in college, maybe right out of college. So I applied. I was given an opportunity to be an intern. And I joined the Senator Clinton's staff. This was two thousand and five. And one day I was riding up on the elevator with the senator and she looked at me and she said, Kate, like tell me your story. Like where are you from? What brought you here? And we started talking and I said, you know I was born and raised in Rochester and I had just recently served as a Peace Corps volunteer. And she asked me where I served. I told her Paraguay. She said, Where was your community? were you close to Asuncion, the capital? and we started talking. And of course, she knew about Paraguay because of all the incredible work that she had done, in particular when she was a first lady. And she looked at me after we had that brief conversation and she asked me, Are you looking for a job? And I said, I am. And she said, Go talk to my deputy chief of staff. Like we can we can figure something out. Yeah. And to the senator's credit, to the chief of staff and deputy chief of staff, I was hired on the team and ultimately worked for Senator Clinton for about five years. I made my way up in the office. I started as a staff assistant, answering phones, tracking the legislative floor activity. giving tours, but then when Senator Clinton won the second state Senate race 2006, I had the opportunity to move on to the legislative staff. Okay. And I was given the portfolio of economic development and appropriations, which little did I know it was such an exciting and also huge responsibility. Right to engage with all leaders in the state but also nationally on federal funding, on economic policy and opportunities. So I worked with Senator Clinton and then as we all know, through the primaries, I stayed in the Senate office, worked with incredible partners like Sarah Clark, are now assembly woman, and Senator Clinton of course, you know. Presidential election happened, Barack Obama won the presidency, and then in short order, he asked her to serve as our Secretary of State. And when she gladly accepted that role, she was very thoughtful to all of us, policy staff, of what we were going to do next. And I had an opportunity to be part of a small team to work on Senator Gillibrand's transition. So I spent an additional year in the Senate working for Senator Clinton. and then joined the Obama administration. speaker-2: What's she like? speaker-1: Senator Clinton. Yeah. She's amazing. Now Secretary Clinton, of course. she is the hardest working policy forward legislator that I have had an opportunity to work with. very rigorous, very thoughtful. And I'm really proud to say that she alongside her team trained the me in Washington. and I had a lot of really incredible opportunities, but some of the core skills that I learned first and foremost is that we were there to represent New York and that was our number one priority. But also to make durable, long lasting policy on behalf of the state. And the ways in which Senator Clinton approached that and wanted her team and representatives to was in a very thoughtful, bipartisan manner. And as we learned and also were led by Senator Clinton is that policy really had to be bipartisan. And so I was always encouraged and to reach across the aisle to engage with those that did not have the same policy perspective or priorities as we did, but to listen, to ask questions and ultimately find the common ground. Right. So that was an amazing experience at such an early point in my career. I look at Washington now and it's so divided. And of course, you know, media and other priorities are influencing that, but that's really where the policy progress is happening. And so I felt very fortunate to have that opportunity and work with such a leader. But she's she's a wonderful person. Yeah. Earlier this week, actually, I was able to co host a fundraiser with a number of other former colleagues of the Clinton Senate office for our local congr excuse me, Assemblywoman Sarah Clark and secretary joined us and gave her impressions of the current landscape and and also priorities for Rochester. So it was great. She's still very committed to New York and the work that we do. speaker-2: It is always interesting hearing and mo for the most part, as I've on the chamber board and dabbling into this stuff and we have guests in this ecosystem, I would call it. everyone says it's bipartisan when you're really the people that are actually doing the work. It's which is good to hear. But then social media and media in general right now, it has is trying to completely divide us constantly. So it's it's I think that message needs to get out to the public more, is that the people actually down in D C are trying behind the scenes to work together more than more than I think the general public realize. speaker-1: Absolutely. And bringing it back to the chamber and also the work that you're leading, both of you, business also does not fall on either a blue line or a red line. Right. And it's it's really true. And I always joke that the dirty little secret in Washington is that there is actually so much bipartisan work happening. sometimes it happens quietly. Yeah. but I do think that we need to be really speaking up and showcasing where that partnership is happening. Right. Yes. Yeah. He's speaker-2: Did you ever get to meet President Clinton? What was he like? speaker-1: so charismatic. I bet. and so supportive. it was really great. He the Senate office for all we had a long-standing tradition that we would have an annual holiday party. Our chief of staff would host this, the president would come. Hillary would come and he he was always there during really important components, but also very respectful to a they're just they're great and it's really a family. Yeah. And I would say that they are all leaders and colleagues that I continue to call upon and collaborate with to this day. Yeah. speaker-0: That just sounds like such an incredible experience that now we are very privileged that you can pull from to help apply to our region. So I guess what ultimately brought you back to Rochester? speaker-1: Great question. So what ultimately brought me back was COVID and you know the the shock wave that sent our country and the world of how we're doing business, kind of how we are all showing up, but then also staying safe. Right. So at the time I was living in the city in Washington, twenty twenty, I was working for Pharma, the Biopharmaceutical Trade Association. I was leading the industry's work in India. So focused on trade, on market access, on regulatory and intellectual property, and really how the United States and India and really Asian markets were collaborating for drug discovery and speaker-2: Traveling over there. speaker-1: I was there once yeah. So I was in Asia once a month. Okay. Wow. Okay. Pre COVID. Yeah. And of course the world shut down. Yeah. And myself and my colleagues, we similarly quickly changed the course of the work that we were doing and worked to create the regulatory pathways for the COVID therapeutics, vaccines and technologies to support the pandemic and and really the pathway out of it. Gotcha. So my youngest son, Wyatt, and my mom share a birthday. They're both March twenty ninth babies. wow. So we were in Washington. I was working away. My husband does international work as well. And we were busy and we decided let's pack our bags. My kids were pretty young at the time. and let's go up to Rochester. Let's celebrate birthdays and we can work. And ultimately we we stayed a little bit longer than a week. as we all know, schools shut down. Right. but Rochester was really a safe haven for us during that time. thanks to Wegmans. The the supermarket shelves were plentiful. Yeah. I can n say that that was not the case in Washington. In most big cities. And l as Steve, you know, you were in New York and others. And like so many people from here kind of came home for refuge. So we spent some time here and That really opened both my eyes and my husband's eyes of what an incredible community I was from. And but what ultimately brought me back was the chamber. Yeah. And this incredible role to work with the chamber team to lead advocacy, government relations, and policy work with Bob Duffy and the incredibly talented Chamber team. So I'm thrilled to be here. speaker-0: yeah, and that that is wonderful. We're we're thrilled to have you. I n I think when Steve first met you, he messaged me and was like, Kate Beal, put her on the podcast. That's so kind. so we I was very pumped to meet you. but I guess y you are fairly new to the chamber, st still a couple months in. What does your day to day look like? speaker-1: Great question. so it's been four months now that I have been here and thrilled to be here. That's it. It speaker-2: Yeah. Feels like longer. speaker-1: does. It really does. It's been busy. so my day-to-day, it really it's different every single day. I have been spending a lot of time listening and meeting with chamber members. We have over thirteen hundred. Yeah. and the diversity and breadth of chamber companies and members is just so impressive. So a lot of engaging, getting to know stakeholders. also my first week at the chamber was the last legislative session in Albany. So I really dove right in. Right. Understanding what the policy priorities were, how we as a chamber could support the governor, our legislators, and inform the business voice. But the day-to-day really can vary from attending A ribbon cutting of a new investment in a new facility to a tour of a manufacturing line, seeing our impressive academic institutions and the talent that they are creating. So but at the moment we are very focused on what is happening in the policy environment in advance of this term's midterm elections. Then also what's gonna happen in the lame duck session at the end of Congress. And then how we as a chamber are positioning ourselves for twenty twenty seven. Mhm. What how are we promoting our members' priorities in the governor's state of the state address? Yeah. And then also what the policy environment will look like moving forward. So I would say it's dynamic. Yeah. And really interesting. Yeah. speaker-2: It seems like it's different every day, which is probably great for a job. and then I would say thirteen hundred thirteen hundred did you say speaker-1: Yes. speaker-2: And I think that's amazing. I don't think people realize that. And you got your whole team, especially you and Bob, do a phenomenal job of taking meetings with all these thirteen hundred and helping them. And I would say to our audience, between Kate and Bob, we have powerhouse people who can actually get stuff done and to come to them if you have questions, suggestions in your certain industry or from your job, expect if you're part of the thirteen hundred. speaker-1: Absolutely. Well thank you for saying that. And engagement is key. Yeah. And I always tell this to our members and I feel like when I have managed memberships and investments of my previous roles, really membership is what you put into it is what you get out of it. Yeah. And that engagement is so important. And so a lot of listening. Yeah. And that listening is ask also asking questions of what are the current business climate challenges that those 1300 members are experiencing and they're very different. But there's also a lot of commonality. And for the last few months we've been very focused on kind of what is our proactive policy priorities. Steve, you've played a really important role of that. And then how are we leveraging the tools of the chamber? Yeah. And we have a number of tools. One most important is our pack. our political action committee of how can we as a chamber engage in the political environment, give resources to candidates and help inform the business voice. we also have incredible tools of showcasing our member companies both incredible work, but also the challenges that they are experiencing. Yeah. So I know we can talk through this, but there's lots of opportunities to engage. speaker-2: Yeah, and it's interesting. I think and we've I think we've had Joe Stepco from W One Rock. We have and then Matt from G R E. Yeah. So it's interesting too how as a business owner previously, before I started getting involved with all this, I didn't really understand how all the pieces worked. Mm-hmm. So I think part and we should be telling our audience this as well, kind of how you guys all work together. And it is everyone is on the same side and going for the same thing. Which is great in Rochester because I feel like it wasn't Like that at one point. And right now we're in a really good spot with all I don't know what you guys call would call each of those, but speaker-0: Like the greater alliance. Yeah you have. speaker-1: Absolutely. And we have such incredible leaders and those partnerships of our leading economic development organizations, OneRock, GRE, RDDC, the Chamber, it's really important. And we all have very specific, unique but also collaborative roles to play. The another thing that really attracted me to Rochester was the inflection point that our community is in. And what I saw in Washington was that it is a competitive environment. Cities, states are competing for finite amounts of foreign direct investment, capital flow, and we need to have a seat at the table. And thankfully with those organizations in the Greater Rochester area, we have incredible leaders making the case. I would also say that our corridor from a tech hub is a a really great opportunity. So One Rock, the Greater Rochester Chamber, we're working also in lockstep with our partners in Buffalo, the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, and then also in Syracuse with Center State CEO. Right. And that gives us a really powerful voice in Washington and also in Albany of how can we leverage all of the resources and the Capabilities in our region to do more. speaker-2: Yeah, and I I think it's tough for upstate 'cause New York City kind of controls. We have different priorities in New York City, obviously. And New York City or in downstate I'll say is much bigger. So they have a lot more influence in Albany, especially if we're fractured up here and not coming as one voice. speaker-1: Exactly. Yes. And it's mutually beneficial. Yeah. As you're saying. Yeah. so that that's really great. I'm excited in November I'll be going to Washington with Joe Stefko, One Rock, and also leaders from Center State, CEO and also Buffalo Niagara partnership to showcase what's actually happening here in the region. But then also the opportunities for further investment. So speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah, that's powerful. let me ask too, so you talked about how your your day to day is different and the cham chambers advocacy agenda it's I'm sure a a laundry list. so I guess right now, what are you most focused on? How do you prioritize can you just talk more about speaker-1: Yeah. So we have set a framework for 2027 with five big priorities, but then I'll also talk about kind of some specific priorities. So our main priorities are first and foremost pro business policies. Our objective, our mandate is how can we grow businesses in our region, but also how can we protect business. what we currently have. And there's a lot under that. You know, doing business in New York can be challenging at times. And from taxes to labor laws to regulatory burdens. And so we're very focused on that. Yeah. And asking members every single day. the second area that we're very focused on is talent and workforce. Yeah. And the future of leaders here in the region. How can we engage talent at the early ages of elementary school all the way through college graduates and then beyond? technology and innovation is critical. The work you all are leading day to day and so many other leaders in the area, but with a fine point on this tech hub designation that we have and how we continue to shine the light on the region and tell the Rochester story nationally. we're also focused on healthcare. Some of our largest employers in the region are world class healthcare providers. For sure. And of course healthcare is important for small to large businesses as employers are helping to provide healthcare for employees. So that's a big, big focus. and then finally I would say is energy availability. And this of course is coming to light with a lot of conversation around AI data centers, but also just new industrial builds and how affordability and access is critical. Yeah. So those are big focuses. Right. I would say what I'm spending a lot of time at the moment would be the talent and workforce ecosystem and then this technology space. speaker-0: Yeah, which we love to hear. speaker-2: Yeah, absolutely. And we go through the talent and workforce. speaker-0: Often. speaker-2: Like when we recruit out of local colleges. Yeah. we want to see more of that. Mm-hmm. I mean, I I always say we've had this conversation many times with people on the podcast and I'm a hypocrite 'cause I left and came back. But what can we do? Yeah. What can we do to keep the kids here? Yeah. And have a career an actual career path where they can make the salaries they want and can get, you know. what they want out of a career right here. Right. I think that's key to Rochester's future and building those types of companies and jobs. Yeah. speaker-1: And there's so many people in our community that play a role in this. Of course, employers, like you said, competitive salaries, ensuring that it's meaningful but also growth trajectories for careers, sustaining. I mean, I think about probably our parents and grandparents' generation. You would typically work for one company your entire career. Right. It's not the same. It's not the same. And I remember Probably 10 years ago, a Georgetown professor told me, my students at the time graduating, I am preparing them to have at least 10 different careers in their professional journey. And I thought, wow, that's disorienting. Yeah. But it's true. And you really, as we are seeing the pace of AI and other technology use, you know, we we really have to stay competitive. but Others in our community have a really important role to play here too. I mean, I think about the cultural vibrancy of Rochester. you know, from the Eastman Museum to the Memorial Art Gallery to Giva to the Eastman Museum. There's so many components to our community that really that quality of life is critical. But sure retaining talent will be a key to our community's success. speaker-2: some of that also outside of college kids is putting Rochester more in a natural spotlight in a better kind of light. Right or wrong, we get looked at as the snowy place in the middle of nowhere. Yeah. It's true. If you're outside as people coming lived outside Rochester. Yeah. If you've lived inside Rochester, sometimes you're in a bubble and don't realize that. But it is looked upon as A snowy place kind of in the middle of nowhere with not a lot going on. And and we need to do a better job of kind of shouting that out of because once you get here, they don't want to leave. Yeah. Yeah. It's true. I mean, it's just tough getting them here. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. And Kate too, so thank you for sharing about kind of what you're working on day to day. I'm curious too, so in your role, like what what would a win look like? speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. So it's a great question. So a tangible win and ultimately what we are judged on are pro business laws being passed. Okay. Are we stopping bills and policies that are limiting our economic competitiveness? are we securing resources for our region, both at the local, state, and federal level? Of course, those are all critical wins. Right. And we are judged on that and our board. you know, we are constantly tracking and communicating with our members. Yeah. But I would also say so another win is really behind the scenes and quiet conversations of those relationships that we're building across the aisle, and serving as a trusted resource to our government leaders. And we have such, I think, just an amazing opportunity having Our CEO, Bob Duffy, a former lieutenant governor who knows the state well, who knows the state legislative ecosystem, has been a mayor, you know, and can speak with that confidence. and I am thrilled to also bring my experiences in relationships to this role from a federal level, but also from a global level. So so we have tangible, concrete wins, but we also have a lot of those soft pieces to be voice of business. So Great question. And those are things that we're constantly trying to refine or improve upon. Right. speaker-2: So it seems like with Bob's past and is sitting in board meetings with Bob, he knows every anyone in the political world in New York State. Yes. He has some sort of relationship with. It's not like he just knows of them. He knows them. How would you say you're coming from the federal level, but you're obviously working with similar groups, maybe not completely down to like Rochester, but the state level. Are you do you Are you familiar with most of the people on the state level? Do you have personal relationships? How is that? And obviously that's part of your job is to build that out. But coming from where you are, how deep are in it are you right off the bat? speaker-1: it's a great question. So I would say pretty deep. The amazing thing is New Yorkers stick together. Okay. And I talked a little bit about my Senator Clinton community. I also have an incredible Senator Gillibrand community. And one of the great things about policy staff is that I would say policy staff, myself included, were attracted to stay involved. And I'm thinking, I mean The governor, I know her from her House of Representative days. It was Senator Clinton or Secretary Clinton who made that introduction to me. Early days when the governor was running to be our governor. KPK, who's her first secretary, was our state director in Senator Clinton's office. And then a lot of commissioners, state representatives, have been part and colleagues for many, many years. So relationships run deep. Yeah. And that's really fantastic. But also relationships at the federal level. For example, Senator Schumer's chief economic advisor, a wonderful gentleman, his name is John Cardinal. He was my very first intern in Senator Clinton's office. wow. And he was one of the key legislative staffers between the chip behind the chips in science. Okay law. And he is working in lockstep with Senator Schumer. Senator Gillibrand Staffer and others. So the relationships are really deep. and I'm thrilled to be engaging with these leaders. Going back to my appropriations days, I think I probably would take probably 14 meetings a day working across the state of companies, academic institutions, cultural institutions that were looking for funding. And so many of those leaders are still here in the state. So the relationships are deep. Yeah. And there's really lots of shared priorities and also camaraderie to continue to grow and put New York at the lead on the national level, which is great. speaker-0: That's awesome. Yeah, that's great. Yeah. And I I guess too, Kate, like you've worked in this space for like over twenty years. Like how does the experience that you've had over these past four months kind of compare? And like what do you feel like you're drawing from the most of those twenty years that you're bringing to this this role? speaker-1: So it's a great question. I'm drawing a lot of perspective. so policy making is very complicated. Yeah. And it's complex and also fast moving. And what I'm trying to draw upon is all those experiences. The experiences of Paraguayan Peace Corps at the most local level. The experience in the Senate of how a bill is legislated, how funding is moved through and how that what that means for the chamber. How I worked at a trade association and also that industry perspective of what are the pragmatic business challenges and how can we at the chamber articulate those challenges to legislative officials to understand that an idea has very negative consequences or where that opportunity is. So trying to to be that translator in so many different ways. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah, that that is wonderful. And I've learned a lot just from listening to you over these forty seven minutes. speaker-2: She's very good at it. I'll say as we speaker-1: You guys. speaker-2: work here and there together, Kate and I and I come from the world of growth technology company and I'm used to like, let's just get it done. Go, go, go. And Kate is like, Yeah, you can't really do that. Yeah. There's d you gotta be diplomatic about it. Yep. And it's compla I think what you said, policymaking is complex, way more complex than I ever could have imagined. Yes. 'Cause I think a lot of people are just like, Well, why can't you just do this? But There's a lot a lot that goes into it. speaker-1: True. And the stakes are high, especially right now. And as Steve, you know, you're making business decisions of should you grow a footprint in Rochester or elsewhere. And a lot of other countries are trying to make very business friendly environments. We we know this with President Trump meeting with President Xi recently. And it's but it's really important. But the great thing is having leaders like you and our business community share those stories so then we at the chamber can synthesize them, share them at the local level, talk through with state senators and also at the federal level, which is great. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah, that is wonderful. and Kate, before I I start to wrap us up, I guess what excite you excites you most about what's ahead for this region? speaker-1: Gosh, there's so many things. I would say the thing that excites me most is the alignment of our partners and our legislators. We talked a little bit about this. but the economic development partners in Rochester are really first class. I mean, the work that GRE is doing to attract new business, to ensure that we are positioned for economic growth is really phenomenal. The coordinating power and data driven metrics that OneRock is bringing to the rigor of what we're doing. Yeah. And then the complementary advocacy and engagement and convening power that we bring at the chamber. Right. But then I would also say our legislative officials. I when I was in the Senate, there were a lot of competing local priorities. And that was hard for us in Washington to try to identify where the common ground was from a business community, but also from the local community. And I would say right now we're carrying one voice. Yeah. And it's not just the Rochester voice, but it's the region voice. So I'm really excited about that. Yeah. But I know kind of having concrete examples is helpful. So can I can I throw a few out there? As I think about it, from business leaders, what would be most helpful in what we're seeking for is really to raise their hand and be engaged. And we are only as effective as our members kind of share stories with us. And so that being, you know, we need CEOs and members to come with us to Albany to talk about priorities, come to Washington. And continue to engage in that conversation. So that's something I'm really excited about. I hope our listeners reach out and share both opportunities. from government, I think my request and the thing that we're trying to work in a very productive way is to ensure that there's both speed and predictability in the policy environment. Predictability, of course, as we know, business relies on that. And that allows for long term sustainable growth. For sure. But also speed and decision making, right? Will resources come? Will will we continue to be authorized for the technology hub? These are all important things. Yeah. And then we talked a little bit about community and confidence. I would say from a community perspective, Rochester, we need to just continue to be proud of where we've been, but also where we're going. Mm-hmm. And that momentum and and just messaging outside of our boundaries goes a long way. So so I'm looking forward to partnering with folks on that. speaker-0: Wonderful. Well thank you for sharing Kate. Steve, do you have any other questions for Kate before we start to wrap? speaker-2: Two. Yeah. speaker-1: Okay. speaker-2: Wildcard ones. Yes. So be ready. How's your husband like Rochester? speaker-1: It's a great question. So my husband, Douglas, loves Rochester. So he's born and raised in DC. Okay. Born and raised in Georgetown, where we live in DC. and he ha he's an internationalist like me. but during COVID really had a new appreciation. Prior to that, we would just come to Rochester to visit on holidays and you know, spend time at the lake. Yeah. But he is so impressed, and I would really say it's the people. Yeah. How down to earth, how practical but also entrepreneurial Rochestarians are. So he loves it. I think he'll always have a toe in Washington. Yeah. but but I'm thrilled and he's such a champion for the work that I'm doing at the chamber and continuing to promote Rochester. speaker-2: Great. Second question. We mentioned briefly House of Cards. speaker-1: Yes. speaker-2: How realistic is it to being that now? speaker-1: wow, that's a great question. it's pretty realistic. gosh. I mean it focuses on power. Yeah. It focuses on the transactional nature of the city. Yeah. I would say there's some components of it that are a little kind of on the dark side and very exaggerated. Yeah. Yes. But the cinematography of House of Cards is spot on. it really gives you a good sense of the city of the stakes. and I have to say, gosh, what's the name of the actress? The the Rap Pet. Yes, she's fine. Her fashion's on point. And so I would say D C could take a few points from her. Yeah. She is speaker-2: She does she does a great job. She's a great actress in it, too. speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. But there's so many great T V shows and movies played on Washington, which I think are really great because it helps to really humanize that policy in government space. Yeah. speaker-2: And again, going back to the media, they're only showing us snippets of stuff. We the public doesn't really get to see what's going on in the background. So even though those T V shows might be dramatized a little bit, it is good knowledge for the public. Yeah. speaker-1: Yes. Yeah. That was a wild card. speaker-0: That was speaker-1: So speaker-0: a great answer too. So well done there. all right, Kate, as I start to wrap us up, is there any final message you'd like to share with our audience or any initiatives or programs going on at the chamber that you'd like them to be? speaker-1: Yeah. So kind of my my final message would please reach out, be real out. please reach out to me, reach out to Bob, reach out to Kevin on membership, yes, and the broader team. we are ready and willing to support you. In terms of an initiative that I'm really excited about, again, I've only been here for a few months, but on November 5th, we have the top 100 awards promoting our businesses. This is our fortieth anniversary, which is really exciting. I I think anniversaries are a really special opportunity to kind of take pause, see the progress we've made and what the future looks like. So really excited about that. Yeah. We're excited to be there. Yes, we're thrilled. Yeah. You all will be there. speaker-2: So I will echo this is our third time going and being part of the top one hundred. It is the best event like that in Rochester. For sure. They do a phenomenal job. Yeah. Has the most people there. Yeah. it is a great event. And this one is probably gonna be the best because it's the fortieth, so they're probably even going more all out. But it is they do a great job. speaker-0: Our our employees like fight over Philadelphia. speaker-2: Fight over who speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: Yes. that's great. speaker-2: And there's other events where they're not fighting and we're like, We gotta get this This is not speaker-1: Yeah. that's great. Well, Susan who runs our events and that team is just phenomenal. So it's wonderful to hear. I look forward to seeing you all there. And hopefully lots of listeners. Yes. speaker-0: Wonderful. Well, thank you for sharing those opportunities, Kate. speaking from Steve and my perspective and and working with the chamber now for over the past five years, it's just been an absolute privilege to to see what you and the chamber have done for our community. So we're just excited to to spotlight what you're doing and keep talking about it, like you said. speaker-1: Well, thank you. Will Mac, I mean, you all are such an important leader in our community. The work that you're doing in Rochester and beyond is critical. And thanks for the partnership. Yeah. And thanks for the conversation. speaker-0: Yeah, my gosh, likewise. Okay, for our audience, if you'd like to connect with Kate, you can find her on LinkedIn at Kate Beal, and that's B-E-A-L-E. and then for the chamber, you can visit their website, greater RochesterCamber dot com, or find them on social media: Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Go and check them out. Be engaged. share your perspective. They they love to hear it speaking for them. Yeah, that's true. Thank you. Wonderful. Thank you so much, Kate, for for joining us on the Will MacWire. speaker-1: My pleasure. Have a good day. speaker-2: Thank you. That was great.