Meet the Inaugural CEO of ON-RAMP Syracuse

When Governor Kathy Hochul charged CenterState CEO with leading the One Network for Regional Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships or ON-RAMP Syracuse planning process, one of the first things the team knew to do was look for an innovative, dedicated and experienced professional to lead this new organization. 

They found her right here in Central New York. After conducting a national search, CenterState CEO appointed Dr. Carlene Lacey as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of ON-RAMP Syracuse. 

On this episode of Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank, Dr. Lacey joins us and shares a little bit about her professional journey and her hopes for ON-RAMP.

Learn more about ON-RAMP on our website. Find out how to get involved by contacting Dr. Lacey (clacey@centerstateceo.com).

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Dr. Carlene Lacey LinkedIn

Host: Katie Zilcosky LinkedIn

Transcript

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This is Talk CNY, a semi-monthly podcast by CenterState CEO. We're an independent nonprofit committed to creating inclusive, equitable and sustainable economic growth in Central New York. Join us as we meet the people and explore the projects driving the regional economy forward. This is Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank. I'm Katie Zilcosky, Director of Communications at CenterState CEO and your host for Talk CNY. When Governor Kathy Hochul charged CenterState CEO for Regional Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships Planning Process (ON-RAMP), the team knew one of the first things that they had to do was find an innovative, dedicated and experienced professional to lead this new organization, and they found her right here in Central New York. After a national search, Dr. Carlene Lacey was appointed as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of ON-RAMP Syracuse. On this episode of Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank, we are so excited to introduce you to Dr. Carlene Lacey and share a little bit about what she hopes to do with ON-RAMP Syracuse and how she got to this role. Dr. Lacey, thank you so much for being here with us today. It is my pleasure. You are a Syracuse native. I'm sure there have been many things that have changed since your time growing up in the region, but what have been some of the most remarkable or most noticeable changes since your time growing up here? Really great question. One of my most notable changes is the changes to downtown. I remember as a young girl living here going to the Baker's Shoe Store down on Salina in the McDonald's that used to be on Salina that is now Oh My Darling. So those were major places that I came downtown to see, and they have changed throughout the years. Yeah, I mean I'm sure it's been incredible to kind of see the transformation of what was to what is now. Yes, I agree. You've also held a number of positions across the community, leading different organizations, taking on different roles within those organizations. What has been some of the most meaningful work across those positions that you've held? So my life's work is to provide access to opportunities. And no matter whether I am working in administration or finance and, or healthcare or utility space, there is a common theme and that is people need to have access to meaningful work, meaningful opportunities. So that has been the theme and that really excites me, has excited me in the past and continues to excite me in this new role. What have been some of the greatest lessons then from those roles? What are some of the things you've learned? Some of the things that you carry with you throughout other roles in your career? The thing that I learned is that people have the same heart, which is that they want to have a better place for their family and themselves and sometimes they just don't know what they're good at. In the roles in which I've had the opportunity to serve, I've been able to help people realize their transferable skills and inspire and encourage people to go into areas that they may not have considered: construction, utility, now advanced manufacturing. And it's been super important for me for people to know that there is more than what they have experienced in the past, and if they try, the possibilities are endless. You describe your passion as being in the context of succession planning. Can you tell me what does that mean to you? Yes. When I grew up, there was not a lot of, as I would say, direction. And as I grew I wanted to make sure that whatever I did, that I left a record for someone else that they wouldn't have to struggle as hard as I had to in order to at least attain or complete in a particular area. And so for example, succession planning means to me is that the day that you start your position, that you write down whatever there is so that you have in mind if someone else had to come tomorrow to do this position, what would help them out tomorrow? You mentioned a little bit about how it was something that you didn't have, so you wanted to leave it for others. Can you tell me a little bit more about how you came to this passion and how it really has blossomed into the roles that you're holding today? Yes. So as a young teenager, I had the pleasure of being a military blessing. My father was in the military and we traveled a lot and with travel it comes a certain level of uncertainty and that caused me to not really know what I wanted to do in life. I wasn't one of those persons who had it all set, everything in place, the people in place. I had to kind of figure it out. And I imagine that multiple people who we will touch or have touched, they kind of have the same frame of mind. They may not know what they want to do. And so for me, what I learned throughout that process is to try many things, try a multitude of things and whatever resonates with your heart, you will do it and do it well. Absolutely. I mean, it's really amazing. I think a lot of people feel that way that they don't exactly know what they want to do and especially in fields like advanced manufacturing or construction, it might not feel obvious as to what you need to do to go down those paths. So I think that brings us a little bit to ON-RAMP in this opportunity now. I mean, what was it that first attracted you to apply for this role? You are our inaugural Chief Executive Officer of ON-RAMP Syracuse, and we are so excited to have you, but what brought you to ON-RAMP? It was kind of serendipitous because I worked in New England at a major corporation building out clean energy academies for workforce development in the utility industry. I loved that role and providing access to opportunities. And there was a shift, and I was encouraged to take the leap to see what was out there in Syracuse, regionally and ON-RAMP had become available and it matched and met all of the skills that I have, which is designing from scratch, making sure that you engage stakeholders both in the community locally and federally, ensuring that there's grants that can help support and scale programming and make sure that I'm connected within the community so that we're serving the needs of the community at the same time making economic growth. All of those factors were right within the ON-RAMP title, and I said I want to make meaningful improvements right here locally. I have been globally. I've presented globally. I presented nationally, regionally, and now being able to give back locally was really attractive to me. I was going to say, it sounds like you've worked many places, you've traveled many places, presented many places. So, what does it mean to bring your expertise and experience back home to Syracuse? We spoke a bit earlier about succession planning and that is the cicular opportunity for me is to bring it back home. Succession planning is about making sure that there is a foundation, that there's something that is stable to build upon, and that's what it means to me. Being the inaugural Chief Executive Officer for ON-RAMP is building a strong foundation here in Syracuse so that others can build upon it in the futures to come. And I'm really excited to serve in that role, to take all the skills and the tools that I have developed over the years and to give it back right into the place that developed me at the start. Well, we are going to take a quick break here. We'll have much more with Dr. Lacey coming up. But first, a quick word from our presenting sponsor, NBT Bank. I would recommend NBT Bank to any business. My name is Chris Polimino, and I'm the president of Atlas Fence. Chris had decided to purchase Atlas Fence from the previous owner. He had previous connections at NBT Bank. NBT Bank provided me equipment financing, doubling our entire production workforce. It's important to me as a business owner that the decisions of our banking relationship are made locally. Welcome back. This is Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank. I'm here today with Dr. Carlene Lacey, our inaugural Chief Executive Officer of ON-RAMP Syracuse. Dr. Lacey, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for having me. So you started, you took on this role officially in the month of July, so still new, relatively new, but you have really jumped right in. What is your vision for ON-RAMP as its leader? Absolutely. So I am so excited to be the inaugural leader of ON-RAMP. The mission and the vision of ON-RAMP is to be that renowned training center where people will come from all over to receive technical training so that we can build that pipeline of talent to fill the skills and diversity gaps in the advanced manufacturing, the building trades and construction and adjacent industries. And we will do that by helping individuals increase their social mobility in the interim as well. That's a big task. Yes. I mean, like you said, there's homework to do. What are some of the things that are top of mind for you right now as its leader? We know what the committee is thinking, but for you to reach that goal, what stepping stones are you putting in place right now? Yeah, so I have to build first and foremost, the foundation. ON-RAMP was an idea, and now it is a reality. I am the first one on the team, and it's working with those collaborators from the committee to ensure that there's a sure foundation and that's building the people, structure, the systems, the looking for temporary space where we can bring all of us together and also providing the programming with the community and ensuring that we're able to train the individuals, enroll them, train them, and help secure meaningful positions. And so we're doing that in partnership with CenterState CEO and the community at large. It's going to take step-by-step. However, building that process is, I'm not afraid of it. I've done it before, and I look forward to having the opportunity to do it again. The community is a huge of ON-RAMP Syracuse, and they are going to be a big part of this planning process as well. I know that you and the rest of the team working on ON-RAMP are already thinking of ways to start community engagement sessions. So as you start to involve those who live around the ON-RAMP site, the future ON-RAMP site and work in the area and hopefully find jobs through ON-RAMP, what is important to you during the community engagement process? How do you envision being in the community, sharing where people can go to find resources to achieve that social mobility that you talked about? Yeah, the very first thing that I see happening is that we engage a community engagement consultant to help us facilitate this process because there are so many people that have been impacted over the years. I want to make sure that I hear their voice. I want to make sure that we're including their thoughts into what should be happening at the 1300 South Salina Street location in which we will permanently occupy within the next two to three years. And so I want to have that engagement to understand what ON-RAMP is, have people in the community be able to share what their visions are to go into the building and then lastly, make sure that they're a part of it. It is my desire to take that feedback and make sure that it is incorporated so the community knows that we not only heard them, but we executed on their requests and desires. Now it's a lot of planning right now. It's a lot of trying to put the puzzle pieces together to make the end product really great. But if you could kind of look into the future in that three, four, or five years from now, what do you hope to see in the 1300 South Salina Street space? I hope to see a state-of-the-art training center that helps individuals on the South Side of Syracuse, East Side, North Side, West Side of Syracuse, come together collectively to be trained in careers that they can secure meaningful wealth-building wages. I'd also want to see a community space in which we can come and have sports and / or have eateries. I see a space where there could be a small daycare for those who are in that training and have training opportunities there. I could see a community garden over in that space helping beautify, having a welcoming space as well as supportive services from our community partners. I could see a rapid transit rail, where it takes us from ON-RAMP directly to our other partners in a more efficient way. And I can see where you can get fresh groceries and food in that space that doesn't always offer the freshness of foods. There's a lot that I envision can be in that space. Right now, we want to hear from the community as well so that they can share that vision or we can incorporate their views as well. Well, Dr. Lacey, it's been so great talking with you today, and we really appreciate your time. We can't wait to see all that you accomplish. Thanks for being here. Thank you, Katie. CenterState CEO's podcast Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank, is available on all major podcast platforms or centerstateceo.com. Additional content and clips can be seen across CenterState CEO's social media channels. For new episode reminders, be sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast listening app and don't forget to leave a quick review or five-star rating. Thanks for listening to Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank.