August 31, 2021
Speaker Heastie Continues Statewide Tour on Long Island
Pictured in the first photo with Speaker Heastie in Huntington Station is (from left to right): Assemblymember Steve Stern and Assemblymember Steve Englebright.
Pictured in the second photo with Speaker Heastie at Farmingdale State College is (from left to right): Farmingdale State College President John Nader and Assemblymember Steve Stern.
Speaker Carl Heastie today continued his annual statewide tour on Long Island with Assemblymember Steve Stern, touring Huntington Station and then visiting Farmingdale State College, where they met with Farmingdale State College President John Nader and others to discuss the Cannabis Production and Management Program and the Offshore Wind Training Institute (OWTI).
“Investments in our environment – from our water and sewer infrastructure to alternative energy sources – are investments in the future of our state and our communities,” Speaker Heastie said. “It was great to see the forward looking work being done at Farmingdale State College to prepare New Yorkers for careers in green jobs and new industries like legalized cannabis.”
On the first stop on the tour Speaker Heastie and Assemblymember Stern toured Huntington Station in Suffolk County. They were joined by Assemblymember Steve Englebright, chair of the Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation, and Long Island Association President Matthew Cohen.
“It was an honor to have Speaker Heastie join us in Huntington Station to see the progress that has been made in revitalizing an economically distressed community,” Assemblymember Stern said. “Much of the work that remains to complete this renewal depends on critical sewer infrastructure and investment in protecting our precious sole-source aquifer. This infrastructure will also enable the development of workforce housing, foster economic development and expand job opportunities for our young people, enabling them to stay on Long Island to raise their own families.”
Speaker Heastie and Assemblymember Stern were later joined by Farmingdale State College President John Nader, Provost Dr. Laura Joseph, School of Business Dean Dr. Richard Vogel, and Urban Horticulture and Design Chair Dr. Jonathan Lehrer at Farmingdale State College to discuss the Cannabis Production and Management Program, which will give students the education necessary to succeed in the legalized cannabis industry. They also discussed the OWTI, which was created by the State University of New York (SUNY) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in order to train 2,500 workers for the offshore wind industry. This is part of the largest public investments in offshore wind workforce development by any state.
“Farmingdale State College is an outstanding resource for students in our community and beyond. Its first in the state Cannabis Production and Management Certificate Program will help ensure that this new economic opportunity is accessible for all New Yorkers,” Assemblymember Stern said. “As the chair of the Assembly Subcommittee on Renewable Energy, I am especially excited about the Offshore Wind Training Institute, which will help fight climate change while providing good paying jobs for our young people. I thank Speaker Heastie for joining us to visit the Farmingdale campus to see first-hand the innovative programs available in our community.”