Originally airing Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014. WRFA Public Affairs Director Jason Sample moderates a roundtable discussion on economic development in Jamestown, NY. The show coincided with WRFA’s 10th Anniversary Celebration and was recorded on Friday, September 12, 2014.

Panelists included:

DR DAVID KEARNS
Vice President for Engagement and Economic Development at The State University of New York at Fredonia.

JENNIFER GIBSON
Senior District Executive Officer with Northwest Savings Bank; Co-Chair of the Jamestown Strategic Planning & Partnership Commission; president of the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County; and current board member of the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.

PETER LOMBARDI
Deputy Director of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, where he provides planning, research, grant-writing and project management support for JRC. Prior to joining the JRC, Lombardi was a senior research associate at the University at Buffalo’s Regional Institute and an adjunct assistant professor at UB’s School of Architecture and Planning.

JOHN SLENKER
Has served as Associate Economist for the New York State Department of Labor, Western New York district, for more than two decades.

DANIEL HAMISTER
Senior Vice-President & Chief Investment Officer for the Hamister Group, Inc. – based out of Amherst, NHY. Hamister is responsible for locating and purchasing real estate for new development of hotels and senior living residences as well as strategic business acquisitions. His company is currently involved with renovating the former Ramada Inn on W. Fourth St. in Jamestown, which is slated to reopen as the
Doubletree by Hilton in the summer of 2015.

ABOUT: Community Matters is a half-hour public affairs program airing every Thursday evening at 6 p.m. and Sunday at Noon on WRFA-LP 107.9 FM in Jamestown, N.Y.