CenterState CEO Announces 2024 Annual Meeting Keynote Speaker and Business of the Year Finalists

CenterState CEO to Celebrate its Annual Meeting April 11

New Head of U.S. AI Safety Institute to Provide Keynote Remarks

20 companies named Business of the Year finalists

SYRACUSE, NY – CenterState CEO will welcome hundreds of business and community leaders for its 2024 Annual Meeting on April 11. CenterState CEO's Annual Meeting is Central New York's premier annual gathering of business leaders. The event will explore the theme Aligned: Leading at the Pace of Change. Building on this theme, CenterState CEO’s President Rob Simpson will share remarks on what our community can become if we are aligned in a forward-looking vision and committed to leading at the pace of change.

The event features keynote speaker Elizabeth Kelly, CEO of the U.S. AI Safety Institute at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, who will share the real-world opportunities of artificial intelligence and how this rapidly evolving technology affects people and business. She will also discuss how human centered strategies and governance can support AI’s transformational impact, while mitigating potential societal and ethical risks associated with this technology.

Kelly previously served as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy at the White House National Economic Council, where she helped lead the Administration's efforts on financial regulation and technology policy, including artificial intelligence. Kelly was a driving force behind the domestic components of the AI executive order, spearheading efforts to promote competition, protect privacy, and support workers and consumers, and helped lead Administration engagement with allies and partners on AI governance. Read her full bio and register to attend.

“CenterState CEO’s annual event is an opportunity to celebrate our regional progress and outline the strategies that will enable us to shape a future that reflects our shared values and aspirations,” said CenterState CEO president Rob Simpson. “As we look ahead, we aren’t asking the question of if our economic fortunes will change, rather,  what kind of community we want to be when it does. Just as Central New York is experiencing a moment of unprecedented growth, AI’s rapid pace of change is creating untold opportunities for how we live and work. We are incredibly fortunate to welcome, Elizabeth Kelly as this year’s keynote speaker. Her work and remarks provide an important lens for thinking about how growth can best be maximized when we acknowledge the need for guiderails to ensure that all benefit equitably from this progress.”

CenterState CEO has also announced finalists for its 2024 Business of the Year awards. The awards celebrate member companies and organizations for their outstanding success and the role they play in strengthening the region. These organizations have achieved significant growth, exemplified business leadership and have gone above and beyond in their commitment to the community. Finalists were selected from a highly competitive pool of nominations.

2024 Business of the Year Finalists

Community Involvement

• CPS Recruitment
• Firley, Moran, Freer & Eassa, CPA, P.C.
• NBT Bank
• Novelis, Inc.

Nonprofit

• Catholic Charities of Onondaga County
• ConnextCare
• Food Bank of Central New York
• Housing Visions

Fewer than 50 Employees

• 325 Productions
• Drakos Dynamics
• Potter Heating & AC - Perrone Plumbing Services
• ResilienX

More than 50 Employees

• Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC
• Crouse Health
• Tompkins Community Bank
• Woodford Bros., Inc.

Minority-owned Business, in partnership with the Upstate Minority Economic Alliance

• Brackens Financial Solutions Network
• Cocoa’s Candle Bar
• La Liga
• SGTR LLC

A single company or organization will be recognized in each Business of the Year category at CenterState CEO’s 2024 Annual Meeting for their commitment to growth and creating tangible impacts on the regional economy and community.

About CenterState CEO’s Annual Meeting

CenterState CEO's Annual Meeting is Central New York's premier annual gathering of business leaders. Learn more.

When: Thursday, April 11, 2024

Program: 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Networking Reception: 4:30 to 6 p.m.

Where: Oncenter

For more information and to register visit www.centerstateceo.com/AnnualMeeting, or contact Lisa Metot at 315-470-1870 or lmetot@centerstateceo.com.

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