LAPENN APPOINTED

Canaan, NY. Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chair Matt B. Murrell has appointed James Lapenn, as the Columbia Economic Development Corporation’s (CEDC) representative to the Columbia-Greene Workforce Development Board. The Columbia-Greene Workforce Development Board (WDB) is a government appointed Board responsible for providing leadership for the local workforce development system, which aims to ensure individuals are employable and companies have access to a skilled workforce. 

The Workforce Development Board mission includes developing strategies to continuously improve the workforce development system and to promote innovation and alignment among the employment, training, and education programs in the local area. The majority of the WDB Board represent private businesses in Columbia and Greene Counties and it is certified under the New York State Department of Labor’s Workforce Investment Board system.

In making the appointment, Murell said, “Jim Lapenn will add decades of experience to the Workforce Development Board and continue his distinguished career serving our community. I couldn’t be more confident in his appointment.”

“The experience of our Board members is what drives our success,” said Katy Drake, Director of the WDB. “Jim brings an incredible depth of experience from his legal career, community involvement, and ongoing commitment to the workforce through his role at CEDC.”

Lapenn, who resides in Hillsdale, also serves on the CEDC Board Directors and is Chair of its Workforce Development and Education Committee, in addition to serving on the Governance and Nominating and Audit and Finance Committees. He is retired from a career with the international law firm LeBeouf, Lamb, Greene, and MacRae, where he specialized in municipal and project finance. He has also been an active member of the community, including serving as Vice Chairman, and currently Treasurer, forColumbia Memorial Hospital.

Lapenn’s appointment will further strengthen CEDC’s ties to the local workforce development and education system. Other CEDC Board members representing this sector include Columbia-Green Community College President James Campion and Hudson City School District Superintendent, Dr. Maria Lagana Suttmeier. 

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