A Year of Transition
- Jodi Brunner
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
By Julie Canepa
The annual Strictly Business Forum is nothing short of a phenomenon. Making it onto a coveted spot on the guest list of business and community leaders and political changemakers is an honor and a privilege. Participants are chosen judiciously, to reflect the ebb and flow of the business, education and organizational landscape of our community over each passing year.
Once Mike Carpenter has finished his opening roast (in the program it’s call introductions) and the moderators are facing their table of attendees, that is when the magic happens. It is the moderator’s role to ask the prescribed questions, listen attentively, catch nuances and trends, and reflect ideas back to the participants for clarification. Time passes and the unique group of leaders, assembled from diverse backgrounds and industries that seem to defy overlap, begin to connect.
Challenges are shared and seconded, solutions offered, successes are applauded, and new connections are forged in just a few short hours. There are smiles, laughs, honest sharing, great stories and kismet. It is an honor to share Table Six’s insights here.
My Table 6 attendees included:
Elizabeth Pearl, Owner & CEO - MPT, Pearl Physical Therapy
Elizabeth Goerlitz-Coryer, President & CEO, Coryer Staffing
John Bernardi, President & CEO, United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc.
Steve Leffler, MD, Interim CEO, UVM Health
Billy Jones, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives & Workforce Development, Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, Clinton Community College
Lisa Roberts, Senior Vice President, Champlain National Bank
As the attendees took a moment to reflect on how everyone’s business/agency fared in 2025. A common thread emerged: steady growth and transition amid an atmosphere of uncertainty.
Bernardi: “Every year is a year of transition, frankly. Whether you are in the non-profit business, or healthcare, or retail. It’s important to keep your eye on the ball, understand what’s important for our friends and neighbors in the region, and continue to be relevant.”
Roberts: “Volume on certain product types was slightly below previous years due to the impact of tariffs, interest rate changes and concerns over general economic uncertainty. However, we were able to pivot and relieve customer anxiety and we experienced steady growth in non-traditional areas.”
Goerlitz-Coryer: “We had intentional and steady growth amid changes internally. The closure of Nova Bus was concerning, but it was balanced by the excitement of new Canadian companies like Micro Bird needing our assistance. We had to be nimble. We were able to embrace and capitalize on the transition. We tightened finances, looked at our expenses differently and positive changes came from that.”
Jones: “Transition? A little bit!” he laughed. “We brought in new leadership to the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing (IAM) and conducted a reset of programming and training with the goal of showing the staff and the community that we believe in the place. We are open for business. We are going to contribute, not just to the workforce, but to the community.”
Leffler: “A year ago Vermont took a penalty on revenue. We made a decision to close some services resulting in statewide issues and conflict within the network. Now we are focused on providing service, being here for our patients, and doing the right thing for our communities across both states.”
Pearl: “Sick care is a really expensive model. We built a medical fitness center that focuses on exercise, nutrition, and stress management. If you don’t have good health, it doesn’t matter what your wealth is.”
What are you doing to recruit, train and retain talent that is different than a few years ago?
Jones: “We are talking to area businesses about how to meet their training needs. We are focusing on giving employees the necessary skills, whether that means pre-employment training or upscaling their existing skills. We are investing in the apprenticeship program through SUNY.”
Goerlitz-Coryer: “We support a wide range of businesses who are actively recruiting so we must be agile to meet their needs. Welders are in high demand. We are fortunate to have CVES, CV-TEC and IAM. They offer a lot of different trades and skills. Also, embracing technology helps bridge the workforce gap.”
Bernardi: “Another layer to the availability of a healthy workforce is quality of life. That is how you recruit and retain people. We also need to offer housing that is accessible and affordable, and find solutions for transportation issues.”
Leffler: “In healthcare we are focused on growing our own employees. We are partnering with community colleges and paying for medical training and education, particularly for positions that are difficult to recruit for like nursing, radiology, and respiratory therapy.”
Roberts: “We’ve increased our participation in job fairs. We also began engaging current employees to help source potential new employees. And we enhanced our onboarding experience in areas that were experiencing the highest turnover.”
Pearl: “I’ve started guest lecturing at physical therapy schools, invested in technology to help with clinical work, and recently added performance-based pay structures for clinical providers.”
Name one major state or federal policy change you would like to see and why.
Leffler: “We are watching what is happening with the Affordable Care Act subsidies because 30 to 40,000 people stand to lose health insurance if they are not extended.”
Goerlitz-Coryer: “Some of the processes that it takes to be in business in New York State—the audits, certifications and regulations—are a constant distraction from our day-to-day work.”
Jones: “In Albany and Washington everybody thinks they have a good idea to help people, but they don’t realize how they can affect businesses. The last thing business owners need is more paperwork and red tape that negatively impact how they can successfully operate.”
Roberts: “The Housing Act of 2025 was created to solve the nation’s housing crisis. If the Bill is passed it would be the most impactful and comprehensive piece of housing legislation since the Great Recession.”
Bernardi: “Government needs to get out of the way sometimes. Let private businesses and civic organizations drive things.”
Pearl: “I would love to see improvements in New York State healthcare reimbursement for independent business owners to support a more even playing field. Independents can help decrease the burden on hospitals.”
Where are you seeing the greatest return from technology and automation?
Leffler: “We brought in an AI tool called Abridge that takes notes during a doctor visit that is extremely accurate. AI for radiology and mammograms has been a game changer—for normal mammograms it is 100% sensitive. How we balance that against human expertise is the next real challenge.”
Pearl: “We are using AI to help with documentation. It allows the practitioner to look at the person during their meeting and not concentrate on taking notes. Some people worry that with AI we are going to lose the human touch. I think we help our clients by communicating better.”
Goerlitz-Coryer: “We use technology to onboard new hires and AI supports our work relationships with clients through the use of tools like digital reminders. It adds consistency and process.”
Jones: “Our priority is being able to deliver cutting-edge technology to make sure we’re upscaling and providing the skills that our workers need to meet industry requirements.”
Roberts: “COVID changed the way people bank. Now our customers are able to use technology to interact with us which offers them convenience and security.”
How are you balancing short-term performance pressures with long-term innovation or succession demands?
Bernardi: “Every interaction is an opportunity. We’re busy. Sometimes you’re drinking from the fire hose, but you want to take time to build support, think outside the box, and make relationships a priority.”
Pearl: “At the end of the day, we need to understand our business’ “why”. When we do, we can understand people’s motivation. When my team aligns with our ‘why’, we are stronger.”
Roberts: “Technology advancements keep coming so you have to keep up and invest in the future. You can’t wait until the end of the year; you have to keep an eye on the present. It’s the same with staffing. You have to have that balance.”
Leffler: “Post-pandemic our margins are not that strong, but we need to make a $500 million-dollar investment in the future to keep people safe, warm and dry. We need to make sure we are here for the next 50 years. We need to be brave and commit to investments for our future.”
Jones: “Stay in the now, but always with an eye on the future. Pressure leads to innovation and investing in technology. You need to depend on relationships with your partners to get you through the tough times. There is no way we can do this alone.”
Goerlitz-Coryer: “Our connections with community organizations allows our staff to give back and keep us informed of the region’s evolving workforce landscape. Supporting recently graduated individuals through our RAMP program helps build a strong foundation for innovation, succession and long-term resilience for our company and the North Country workforce.”
What is the single most exciting opportunity you see for the North Country in the next three to five years and what will it take to seize it?
Pearl: “There is an opportunity for better collaboration with larger organizations like CVPH, UVM and local independent medical offices. If we educate medical providers to address the root causes of chronic disease that will have a direct effect on the cost of managing illnesses, decreasing the burden on hospitals and provider availability.”
Roberts: “Continued expansion of existing manufacturing businesses and the influx of new companies will be an opportunity, but to take advantage of it we will need the physical locations, energy supply, workforce, and housing.”
Jones: “We have an opportunity to be the workforce development hub of the Northeast — to fill skills gaps and create pipelines to employment. Our greatest resource is our people.”
Leffler: “Over the next couple of years CVPH is going to see the replenishment of many specialists including orthopedic surgeons, obstetrician-gynecologists, neurologists, and ENTs. That will drive down wait times and improve access to care. CVPH will be a thriving hospital where people will be able to stay local and get treatment sooner.”
Goerlitz-Coryer: “We have a community that cares and that helps us attract businesses. Aligning education, training, and workforce systems and helping people to enter the workforce is an exciting opportunity for us.”
Bernardi: “Our greatest asset is our region’s spirit of collaboration. People ask me, ‘How did you pull that off?’ We all work together to make good things happen.”
Julie Canepa is Director of Employee Assistance Services (EAS) at Behavioral
Health Services North (BHSN).
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