Page 34 - Westchester County Economic Development Guide 2013

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
FORRISING STARS
imothy C. Donohue believes
that drawing attention to
Westchester County’s rising stars
of business will encourage them
to stay local.
“It would be really easy for us to go
into our cubes, bury our heads and just
grind it out every day, but people like to
be recognized for their achievements. It’s a
motivator and tends to unite professionals
to their communities,” says Donohue,
a lifelong White Plains resident who is
Senior Associate at the Stamford, Conn.,
location of CBRE Inc., the world’s largest
real estate brokerage firm.
In his early 30s, Donohue is also
Chairman of “40 Under 40 Rising Stars,”
a program of The Business Council of
Westchester geared toward honoring
business professionals under the age of 40
who make a mark in their profession and
in their community. Members not only
find support through the organization’s
networking and charitable events, but also
receive friendly greetings when running
errands or ferrying children to activities.
“It’s not immediate or quantifiable, but if
we reward people for their contributions to
the Westchester community, it is possible
they will feel a sense of commitment,”
Donohue says. “It’s very synergistic like
that. People feel an unspoken responsibility
to give back and plant roots.”
Each year, the organization receives
about 100 nominations, and a selection
committee chooses 40 members based on
criteria such as success in an individual’s
field of work and philanthropic
engagement. “We pile into a room one
morning, and it’s kind of like ‘Twelve
Angry Men,’” Donohue says, “but at the
end of the day, it’s pretty democratic and
we feel really good.”
Members of the organization, which
started in 2004, are chosen not just from
the ranks of large corporations, for which
Westchester is well known, but also from a
vast pool of entrepreneurs, small businesses,
biotech companies and non-profits.
“The 40 Under 40 Rising Stars has really
become a very coveted recognition,” says
Dr. Marsha Gordon, President and CEO
of The Business Council of Westchester,
“and the alumni group has grown into a
very powerful network which has connected
businesses, professionals and served the
community.”
Rising Stars offers a variety of intellectual
events, charitable endeavors and laid-back
fun. It has “adopted” Abbott House, an
organization serving 1,200 children, and
a round-table discussion with the county’s
mayors is in the works for 2013.
One concern Donohue voices is that
hiring has slowed due to the economy.
“We haven’t identified the next generation
yet,” he says, “but that’s not unique to
Westchester.” It’s just another issue for the
vibrant group to tackle, while focusing
on business development and civic and
educational engagement.
“The nice thing about Rising Stars is
that every year you get 40 new faces who
are intrigued, inspired and motivated to
participate,” Donohue says.
Finding Capital Through
the Coalition
The Westchester Coalition for Business
Development has enjoyed far-reaching
success tackling issues that impact business.
The group, started by The Business Council
of Westchester in 2010, advocated for the
repeal of the MTA tax, which was ruled
unconstitutional; it supported the building
of a new Tappan Zee Bridge, which has
been fast-tracked for federal funding;
and it lobbied for rezoning White Plains’
“Platinum Mile” to allow for mixed-use
development, a change approved in August
2012 that is expected to revitalize the office
Young Professionals
Programs Honor and Support Enterprising
Nature of Under-40 Crowd
T
It’s not immediate or quantifiable, but if we
reward people for their contributions to
the Westchester community, it is possible
they will feel a sense of commitment. It’s very
synergistic like that. People feel an unspoken
responsibility to give back and plant roots.
– Timothy C. Donohue, Senior Associate
CBRE Inc.–Stamford, Conn.
32 | Westchester County Economic Development Guide