Broome

Chenango

Cortland

Delaware

Otsego

Schoharie

Tioga

Tompkins

Mission

Our Vision

Assessing local needs, creating community partnerships and aligning resources, talent and assets to expedite private sector growth and create wealth-creating opportunities for the people of the Southern Tier to create socioeconomic parity with the rest of New York State and the Nation.

Our Approach

Modelling community change from scarcity to growth for across the Southern Tier: PRIORITIZE ANNUAL FEDERAL INVESTMENTS of the ARC and EDA that support self-sustaining and alignment of local economic development initiatives. PROMOTE COLLABORATION with partner organizations and strategic ecosystem development. PROVIDE EDUCATION AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES to support economic & & community development with public and private sector stakeholders.

Our History

Southern Tier East Regional Planning Development Board was established in 1968 as a special purpose local government unit under Articles 5G and 12B of New York State’s General Municipal Law. It operates under joint resolution of the legislative bodies of our member counties: Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Tioga and Tompkins. In 2018, a "doing business as" was filed as Southern Tier 8 Regional Board.

View our 5 year plan 2023-2028:

Executive Director & (2025-?) Director of Economic Development
Administrative Assistant & office manager
Director of Infrastructure & Regulations
Director of Planning
Regional StormWater Regulations Coordinator
Director of Economic Development

Board of Directors

Broome County

Susan Ryan County Legislator
VACANT To be filled 2026
Anthony Fiala Commissioner of Planning & Economic Development

Chenango County

Bernie McDermott Board of Supervisors, Town of Greene
Shane Butler Director of Planning & Airport Adminstrator
Erik Scrivener Community Development Director of Norwich

Cortland County

Vacancy
Melanie Velardi Executive Director/CEO, Cortland County Bus Development Program/Cortland County IDA
Trisha Hiemstra Director of Planning

Delaware County

Allen Hinkley Supervisor, Town of Roxbury
Shelly Johnson-Bennett Delaware County Department of Planning, Parks and Watershed Affairs/Delaware County Public Information Officer
Sophia Picco Economic Development Specialist

Otsego County

Vacancy
Jody Zakrevsky CEO, Otsego Now
Tammie Harris Director of Planning & Solid Waste

Schoharie County

Alicia Terry Regional Board Vice Chair, Board of Supervisors, Town of Gilboa
Shane Nickle Director, Schoharie County Office of Community Development Services
Trevor W. Bender CEO / Executive Director, Schoharie County Industrial Development Agency

Tioga County

Ron Ciotoli County Legislator, District 1
Sara Zubalsky-Peers Director of Planning
Brittany Woodburn Director of Economic Development & Planning

Tompkins County

Gregory Mezey Regional Board Chair, County Legislator
Katie Borgella Commissioner of Planning and Sustainability
W. Kurt Foreman President Ithaca Area Economic Development
ROI

Regional

Southern Tier 8 Regional Board represents eight counties as the 6th largest Local Development District for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), and five counties as an Economic Development District under the US Economic Development Administration (EDA). Federal partners, ARC and EDA offer investments to leverage private sector dollars that increase job opportunities, raise per capita income, promote infrastructure improvements and strengthen the capacity of our people to compete in global economies. County participation and investments make these programs possible, with an average annual return of $5,500 per $1 of local investment.