Campolo Middleton & McCormick

The Next Business Breakthrough Starts with a Conversation

terrialessimiceliLeave a comment
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine gave stirring opening remarks about the need to improve our region’s infrastructure. Behind him are Joe Campolo, Managing Partner of Campolo, Middleton & McCormick LLP, Founder of STRATA Alliance, and HIA-LI Board Member, and Cara Longworth, Regional Director of Empire State Development.

One of my favorite stories about the power of the HIA-LI Trade Show goes back many years.

Before joining HIA-LI, I was exhibiting at this very trade show on behalf of my former employer when I struck up a conversation with a senior executive from Computer Associates. It was a chance encounter. One of the countless conversations that take place on a trade show floor each year. But that single conversation eventually led to one of the largest contracts in that company’s history.

It’s a reminder that you never know where your next opportunity, partnership, client, or breakthrough idea will come from.

That story was very much on my mind as more than 4,000 business professionals gathered at Suffolk Credit Union Arena at Suffolk County Community College for HIA-LI’s 38th Annual Business Trade Show & Conference.

Featuring more than 375 exhibitors, this year’s event embraced the theme, “The Next Business Breakthrough.” Judging by the energy on the trade show floor, the packed networking events, and the meaningful conversations taking place throughout the day, there were plenty of breakthroughs happening.

Connections That Create Opportunity

The event also received strong reviews from participants, with more than 70 percent of survey respondents rating their experience an eight or higher on a 10-point scale.

Denise Labosco of Suite AI Solutions, a first-time exhibitor, described the event as “extremely organized” and praised the quality of the attendees, noting that she walked away with “real conversations and real leads.”

Returning exhibitor Alice Thomson of Southampton Inn said she was glad her organization returned for a second year, citing the meaningful connections she expects will lead to future business opportunities.

Those comments reflect what has made the HIA-LI Trade Show such a valued annual tradition for nearly four decades. While the exhibitors, industries, and business challenges may evolve over time, the power of bringing people together remains unchanged.

More Than Networking: A Conversation About Long Island’s Future

While the trade show floor was buzzing throughout the day, one of the highlights was the Executive Luncheon, “Economic Development: Reshaping Long Island’s Landscape.”

Moderated by Marc Herbst, Executive Director of the Long Island Contractors’ Association, the luncheon featured a special welcome by video from Governor Kathy Hochul and opening remarks by Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine. The panel included Joe Campolo, Managing Partner of Campolo, Middleton & McCormick LLP, Founder of STRATA Alliance, and HIA-LI Board Member; Jim Coughlan, Co-Founder and Principal of TRITEC Real Estate and HIA-LI Board Member; Cara Longworth, Regional Director of Empire State Development; and Paul Pontieri, Mayor of the Village of Patchogue.

Although each panelist brought a different perspective, a common theme emerged throughout the discussion: Long Island’s future depends on our ability to create places where people can live, work, innovate, and build businesses.

The conversation touched on some of the most important issues facing our region, including workforce development, housing, innovation, infrastructure investment, downtown revitalization, and economic competitiveness.

Panelists discussed major projects already transforming Long Island, from transit-oriented development and downtown redevelopment initiatives to emerging innovation corridors designed to help turn research and new technologies into businesses and jobs. They emphasized that economic development is no longer about a single project or a single community. Success depends on collaboration among government, business, developers, educational institutions, and community leaders working toward a shared vision for the region.

Turning Ideas Into Action

One particularly important theme was the connection between housing and workforce development. Businesses cannot attract and retain talent if workers cannot afford to live where they work. Likewise, innovation cannot thrive if promising startups and skilled professionals leave the region in search of opportunities elsewhere.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of investing in quality-of-life initiatives that make Long Island an attractive place to live, raise a family, launch a business, and pursue a career.

What made the luncheon especially valuable was that it moved beyond identifying challenges. The panelists offered real-world examples of projects, partnerships, and strategies already producing results and creating momentum for the future.

That spirit of collaboration carried throughout the entire trade show.

Every year, the HIA-LI Trade Show brings together business leaders, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, government officials, educators, and innovators from across Long Island. It creates opportunities to share ideas, build relationships, and discover solutions to common challenges.

Most importantly, it reminds us that Long Island’s greatest asset is not a building, a development project, or even a business sector. It is the people willing to come together, exchange ideas, and work toward a stronger future.

And that is where the next business breakthrough often begins.

Tourism and Travel Are Not Seasonal Assets. They Are Economic Engines Fueling Our Economy.

terrialessimiceliLeave a comment

Long Island has long been known for its beaches, wineries, parks, downtowns, restaurants, cultural destinations, and waterfront communities. But if we still think of tourism and travel as seasonal activity, we are missing the larger economic picture.

Tourism is no longer simply about summer visitors. It is a year-round economic engine that supports jobs, strengthens small businesses, drives investment, and helps position Long Island as a place to visit, live, work and do business.

A Timely Regional Conversation

That message came through clearly at HIA-LI’s recent Economic Development Task Force program, The Economic Engine of Tourism and Travel on Long Island, held in partnership with Strata Alliance on April 29 at Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP in Ronkonkoma. Moderated by HIA-LI Board Member Joe Campolo — founder of the Strata Alliance and Managing Partner at Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP — the discussion brought together Town of Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter, Long Island MacArthur Airport Commissioner Robert Schneider, Discover Long Island Chief Operating Officer Sharon Wyman, and members of the regional business community for a timely conversation about one of Long Island’s most important economic opportunities.

The enthusiasm in the room was unmistakable. Business leaders, public officials and tourism professionals recognize that travel and tourism are not separate from economic development. They are central to it.

The Numbers Tell the Story

According to Discover Long Island, Long Island reached $7.9 billion in tourism spending in 2024, supporting nearly 80,000 jobs and generating more than $945 million in state and local tax revenue. Projections for 2025 are expected to exceed $8 billion. Those figures represent hotel stays, restaurant visits, downtown shopping, transportation, cultural attractions, meetings, events, and the many local businesses that benefit when people choose Long Island.

Sharon Wyman and the team at Discover Long Island continue to play an essential role in telling that story. Their work as the region’s destination marketing organization helps promote not only our beaches and traditional tourism assets, but also our downtowns, cultural heritage, small businesses, parks, events, and year-round experiences.

MacArthur Airport as Economic Infrastructure

At the same time, Long Island MacArthur Airport has become an increasingly important part of the region’s growth strategy. Under the leadership of the Town of Islip and Commissioner Robert Schneider, ISP — MacArthur’s three-letter airport code — has grown from two carriers serving six nonstop destinations to six carriers serving 16 nonstop destinations. The airport now generates approximately $600 million in annual economic impact, supports approximately 6,000 direct and indirect jobs, and served more than 1.6 million passengers in 2025, its highest total in more than 15 years.

That growth matters far beyond aviation. Airports are gateways. For many visitors, Long Island MacArthur Airport is their first impression of our region. As Commissioner Schneider has noted, transportation is the front door to the visitor experience. A strong airport supports tourism, business travel, workforce access, hospitality and broader regional competitiveness.

Supervisor Carpenter also highlighted the importance of the proposed North Terminal, which would move the airport’s main passenger terminal to the north side of the property, adjacent to the Ronkonkoma Long Island Rail Road station. Governor Kathy Hochul has committed $150 million for infrastructure around the North Terminal, helping move forward a project that could reshape regional mobility. With the airport, Suffolk County bus connections, and the Ronkonkoma LIRR station — including many trains that provide a one-seat ride into New York City — all in close proximity, Ronkonkoma has the potential to become one of Long Island’s most important transportation hubs.

A Moment to Invest

As Joe Campolo observed during the discussion, Long Island has a rare alignment of assets right now: a rapidly growing airport, town and county support for additional hospitality infrastructure, and extraordinary marketing by Discover Long Island. That synergy creates an opportunity we should not miss.

At HIA-LI, we believe economic development depends on collaboration. Tourism, transportation, hospitality, downtown revitalization, infrastructure, and business growth all work together. The more strategically we connect those pieces, the stronger Long Island’s economy becomes. The opportunity before us is to invest in that momentum, market the region aggressively, and make sure the benefits are felt across Long Island.

From Infrastructure to Innovation: How Long Island’s Towns Are Building the Future

terrialessimiceliLeave a comment
Pictured from left: Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico; Joe Campolo, Managing Partner, Campolo, Middleton & McCormick LLP and HIA-LI Board Member; Smithtown Town Supervisor Ed Wehrheim; Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer; Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter; Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth; and Terri Alessi-Miceli, President and CEO, HIA-LI. (Photo credit: Bob Giglione)

There’s a tendency to talk about economic development in broad, regional terms: state investments, county initiatives, big-picture strategy. But what became clear at HIA-LI’s recent Economic Development Advancements: Towns Shaping Long Island’s Future program is this: the most consequential decisions shaping Long Island’s future are happening at the town level.

That’s where zoning is determined. That’s where redevelopment is approved or denied. And increasingly, that’s where the vision for what Long Island becomes over the next decade is being defined.

A Shared Direction: From Sprawl to Smart Growth

Across the panel, one theme emerged consistently: Long Island is moving away from traditional suburban sprawl and toward more intentional, mixed-use, walkable communities.

In the Town of Huntington, Supervisor Ed Smyth described a community that is already largely built out, leaving redevelopment, not expansion, as the path forward. The proposed Melville Town Center reflects a shift toward creating walkable downtown environments, blending residential, commercial, and lifestyle elements in ways that better reflect how people want to live today.

That same philosophy is taking shape across the region.

In the Town of Islip, Supervisor Angie Carpenter pointed to major redevelopment efforts in Bay Shore and Central Islip, where transit-oriented development and mixed-use projects are transforming underutilized sites into vibrant, economically productive communities. These projects are not just about housing. They are about creating places where people can live, work, and contribute to the local economy.

And in the Town of Babylon, Supervisor Rich Schaffer highlighted how sustained public investment in infrastructure, including roads, drainage, sewer systems, and public safety, has helped unlock significant private-sector development, from Wyandanch to Deer Park and beyond.

Infrastructure Still Comes First

If there was one point of universal agreement, it was this: none of this happens without infrastructure.

Supervisor Ed Wehrheim of the Town of Smithtown underscored how investments in sewer systems, streetscapes, and transportation access are directly tied to revitalization success. Once that foundation is in place, private investment follows, bringing new housing, new businesses, and renewed energy to long-standing business districts.

That same message was echoed throughout the discussion. Whether it’s sewer expansion in Huntington Station, infrastructure upgrades in Smithtown, or large-scale capital investments in Babylon, the path to economic growth begins below ground before it ever rises above it.

Setting the Tone: Leadership and Accountability

Moderating the discussion, Joe Campolo, Managing Partner of Campolo, Middleton & McCormick LLP; Founder of Strata Alliance; Chair of HIA-LI’s Long Island Economic Development Task Force; and HIA-LI Board Member. Joe emphasized a point that resonated throughout the program: economic development requires not just vision, but action, and it often takes political courage.

He noted that town supervisors are uniquely positioned to move projects forward or stop them, making their leadership central to Long Island’s future. At the same time, he stressed that public-private partnerships cannot exist in name only. The business community must actively support responsible development by engaging in the process, showing up at hearings, and advocating for projects that strengthen the regional economy.

That dynamic, government leadership paired with private-sector engagement, was a consistent thread throughout the conversation and a critical factor in whether projects ultimately succeed.

Balancing Growth, Affordability, and Community

Another key theme was balance.

There is a clear need for new housing on Long Island, but what that housing looks like matters. Several supervisors emphasized that developments cannot be exclusively rental-based. Communities are looking for a mix that includes opportunities for homeownership, allowing residents to build equity and remain rooted on Long Island long-term.

At the same time, affordability pressures continue to mount. While housing costs are often the focus, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico pointed to another looming issue that receives far less attention: waste management. The long-term sustainability and cost of managing Long Island’s solid waste system could have significant implications for taxpayers, businesses, and local governments alike.

These are not abstract challenges. They are real, immediate pressures that require coordination across all levels of government.

Partnership Matters at Every Level

The discussion also reinforced the importance of collaboration, particularly with New York State.

Cara Longworth, Long Island Regional Director for Empire State Development, highlighted the impact of the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, which has brought critical funding into communities across Long Island. These investments are helping towns reimagine their downtowns and accelerate projects that might otherwise take years longer to realize.

At the local level, success also depends on partnerships with developers, school districts, and the business community. In Huntington, for example, support from the Half Hollow Hills School District has helped advance the conversation around the Melville Town Center project, particularly as enrollment trends shift and communities adapt to changing demographics.

The Role of Place and Partnership

Hosting this conversation at the Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center was a reminder of how important community institutions are in bringing people together around these issues. We are grateful to Rick Lewis and his team for opening their doors and providing a space for this important dialogue.

Because ultimately, these conversations matter.

They matter not just for the elected officials making decisions, but for the business community, residents, and future generations who will live with the outcomes.

Looking Ahead

If there is one takeaway from this program, it is that Long Island is not standing still.

Across every town represented, there is movement, projects advancing, infrastructure being built, policies being debated, and visions taking shape. The details may differ from one community to another, but the direction is clear: smarter growth, stronger downtowns, and a renewed focus on making Long Island a place where people can build careers, raise families, and stay for the long term.

The challenge, and the opportunity, will be ensuring that these efforts continue to move forward in a way that is thoughtful, balanced, and sustainable.

Because the future of Long Island isn’t being decided in the abstract.

It’s being built, project by project, downtown by downtown, and town by town.

Bi-Partisan Public-Private Cooperation Propels Long Island’s Economic Growth

terrialessimiceliLeave a comment

2019 Leg Recep Collage

On October 29th the HIA-LI once again gathered for our Annual Board Legislative Breakfast with the goal of reviewing our current initiatives and asking for continued support from our officials.

“Long Island is not only a national treasure, but we’re also a national model for how business and government should partner.”

When HIA-LI Chair Joe Campolo said this to the gathering his words rang true for me – and I think for just about every business executive and government official in the room.

Yes, there’s always going to be some disagreement between public officials and businesspeople. We won’t always see eye-to-eye.

But in Nassau and Suffolk counties, the relationship has been supported by a spirit of cooperation. Indeed, our own Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge (LI-IPH) could never have become America’s second-largest innovation park – trailing only Silicon Valley itself – without the kind of cooperation we are talking about.

We were privileged to be joined by Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim and Councilman Tom Lohmann; Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter; Suffolk County Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory; Suffolk County Legislators Robert Calarco, Sarah Anker, Bill Lindsay, Susan Berland and Rob Trotta; State Senator John Flanagan; State Assembly Members Michael Fitzpatrick and Steve Stern; and Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri. Their presence helped to reinforce the symbiosis shared by the private and public sectors on Long Island.

All of LI-IPH’s past milestones – the childcare center, extra police protection, the exit off the Northern State Parkway, sewage improvements, and increases in permissible building height – required bi-partisan public sector cooperation.

Joe Campolo – Managing Partner at Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP – praised the Suffolk County IDA for helping scores of our members firms expand – and for underwriting the LI-IPH’s 160-page “Opportunity Analysis” that charts a long-term economic revitalization strategy by fostering the growth of competitive, tradeable industries.

Rita DiStefano, HR Consulting Director with Portnoy Messinger Pearl & Associates – who chairs HIA-LI’s Small Business Task Force – told attendees that she recognizes government’s role in supporting small firms, which constitute four-fifths of our membership. Public sector engagement is critical in such areas as financial assistance for business, and workforce training and development.

And Scott Maskin – the CEO of SUNation and Co-Chair of HIA-LI’s Hauppauge Industrial Power Project with HIA-LI Lifetime Board Member Jack Kulka told attendees about the goal of placing solar installations on park rooftops by the end of 2020, helping to meet the Governor’s NY-SUN target of 100 percent renewables by 2040.

HIA-LI proudly facilitates public-private cooperation at all levels with the help of HIA-LI Board Members carrying out our initiatives. It’s a partnership that’s essential to Long Island’s future.

Young Professionals Impart Wisdom

terrialessimiceliLeave a comment

There was a full-house at the June 18 HIA-LI Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs (H.Y.P.E.) Executive Breakfast and Scholarship Awards ceremony.

We all know the challenge of young people leaving Long Island to live and work in other regions. In fact, it is stated by the year 2025 seventy-five percent of the workforce will be millennials who, if they continue to exit Long Island, will create an even larger challenge. We also know the urgent need to create jobs and connect our educational partners. It is the very reason that several years ago the HIA-LI created a Young Professionals Committee (now H.Y.P.E.) that every year creates a young professionals panel to speak to our scholarship recipients.

There were some great takeaways this year from the June 18th HIA-LI Young Professionals Scholarship Awards and Executive Breakfast held at the WizdomOne Group of Companies in Islandia.  Here are a few that stand out:

  • Follow your passion because passion equals excellence. Now is not the time to “settle” or second-guess your dreams.
  • If you’re not sure of your career direction, use college to explore your options. Take classes that interest you . . . one of them might just ignite a ‘spark.’
  • There is no substitute for hard work. (You’ve heard the expression, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.  Well, it’s true.)
  • Look at failures as learning opportunities. You can’t learn to succeed unless you’ve learned to fail.  And when you do fail, fail hard, fail fast, and then get up and continue moving forward.
  • Be present in whatever you’re doing. Put down the cell phone.  Turn off the TV.  Focus on people.
  • It’s important to have a support system. It may your parents.  It may be friends.  It may be extended family.  Or it may be co-workers.  But no matter, surround yourself with people who are positive and supportive.
  • Find work-life balance that makes you happy. It may not look like your parents, friends, or colleagues, but that’s ok.  So long as it works for you.
  • Make your bed every morning! Yes, starting the day in an organized way sets a positive tone for the rest of your day.

Many thanks to the stellar panel of young professionals who helped to impart these insightful pieces of advice.  They were moderators Jason Hershkowitz, Account Manager and Executive Recruiter, Choice Long Island, and Gregg Pajak, Founder and Managing Partner, WizdomeOne Group of Companies. Panelists included Josiah Cheatham, Senior Business Development Representative, People’s Alliance Federal Credit Union; Adam Holtzer, Director of Business Development, Generations Beyond; Lauren Kanter-Lawrence, Director of Communications, Campolo Middleton & McCormick, LLP; and, David Whelan, Director of Development, Harvest Power.

Congratulations to the 12 scholarship recipients, all children of HIA-LI members who chose to continue their post-high school education right here on Long Island.

Want to find out more about HIA-LI’s Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs (H.Y.P.E.) Committee?  Call Connor Robertson at 631-543-5355 or email crobertson@hia-li.org.