Committee Reports – May/June
Community Relations
Chair: Karen Cahill
Community Relations members have a busy schedule this Spring helping at the Double H Ranch in Lake Luzerne, in May and St. Paul’s fundraiser (a shelter for women and children in Rensselaer County) in June. The Habitat for Humanity was not taking volunteers due to the pandemic, but we are happy that the Schenectady Habitat is now open for volunteers! Members have helped with a Build in Schenectady and Albany a few years ago and are happy to be able to help again. They are pleased to announce that they will be helping with a Build in Schenectady on June 10!
Education/Member Services
Chair: Maria Connally
In the first quarter of 2022, the Education and Membership Services Committee continues cultivating a new roster of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion instructors and courses for GCAR, including the NYDOS-required courses Implicit Bias and Cultural Competency. Potential Keynote Speakers for the 2022 Trade Show are also being considered. Currently, the Committee is working on creating Leadership-based training videos for GCAR members and social media posts pertaining to GCAR Education offerings.
Trade Show Committee
The 2022 Trade Show Committee has been meeting in person at GCAR Headquarters every month to plan and facilitate the best event possible. It will be held at the centrally-located Crowne Plaza–The Desmond Hotel in Albany on Wednesday, October 12. The committee is now performing outreach for exhibitor and sponsor participation. Next on the agenda will be developing the Show parameters, including reaching out to community vendors—restaurants and artisans alike—for their unique contributions. The committee looks forward to a terrific event and turnout at the Desmond in October!
Legislative Affairs Committee
Chair: Amanda Blanchard
There are four important pieces of legislation our committee is looking into further that would impact our local business greatly, with drastic effects also projected statewide. Lawmakers have proposed the following, which have been opposed by NYSAR’s Legislative Steering Committee: require lead paint testing prior to sale or lease of property; all new commercial and residential construction statewide to be all electric by Jan 1, 2024; accessory dwelling units, in regard to local laws, with annual rent increase caps; and the proposed statewide rental registry. We will need your efforts as we make our concerns and opposition known to lawmakers.
RPAC Committee
Chair: Judy Kaiser
Our RPAC contribution dollars are used to educate elected officials on your business issues and support candidates who promote property ownership and the laws that protect it. Sign up for these upcoming RPAC events and your entire registration fee is put towards RPAC. Currently on the schedule we have bowling on May 19th, a beer tasting at Brown’s Brewing on June 23rd, and a Valley Cats game on August 17th.
