Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, which defines itself as serving a nine-county region including Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties, has announced that it will host its third annual “Regional Leadership Conversation” with the chief elected officials from Hudson Valley counties during its President’s Day Breakfast on Feb. 24 in Poughkeepsie. Dutchess County Executive William Steinhaus, Orange County Executive Edward Diana, Putnam County Executive Paul Eldridge, Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef, Sullivan County Legislature Chairman Jonathan Rouis, Ulster County Executive Michael Hein, and Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino have been invited to participate in the “conversation.” Pattern for Progress President Jonathan Drapkin will moderate the panel. Last year’s event drew more than 360 business, not-for-profit, academic and government leaders to Poughkeepsie for the event.


The breakfast will be held from 7:45 to 9:30 a.m. at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel and Conference Center, Civic Center Plaza, in Poughkeepsie. Tickets are $35 for members and $50 for non-members; table pricing is available. For more information, contact Pattern for Progress at (845) 565-4900 or www.pattern-for-progress.org.

The big question is why the 45-year old entity developed as a basis for plotting a vision for the Hudson Valley to "preserve and promote the social, economic and natural environments of the Hudson Valley region by building consensus for a pattern of growth that will insure a high quality of life" hasn't been involving Columbia or Greene counties more... is it our representatives' fault, or an oversight from the rest of the valley?

We'll let you know before the breakfast...