Members of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council were featured speakers at a Rochester Downtown Development Corporation event Thursday.

Co-chairs of the council, Wegmans CEO Danny Wegman and University of Rochester president Joel Seligman, discussed funding initatives and upcoming development plans. Seligman also talked about how delays in state funding can effect job creation in the area.

"That's where the first 68.8 million dollars are helpful, and the I-390 project, and Eastman Business Park. We're focusing on job creation and we took seriously the Governor's assertion that the essence of strategic planning was jobs, jobs, jobs. That is what we focused on in our plan and in implementing of it that's utmost in our minds," said Seligman.

"This is the end of the first quarter in a four quarter game. We have a long way to go, and the Finger Lakes – Maggie Brooks, Tom Richards, Sandy Parker, led by Joel Seligman and Danny Wegman – they were superb. They did a marvelous job, and there's a long way to go," said Bob Duffy, (D), Lt. Governor and former Rochester mayor.

"The Governor's plan is a five year plan. The Governor's already asked for 200 million dollars more in funding this year for the economic development councils, So I would say at the end of four years to hear what people think about where we are," Duffy continued.

The $68 million was awarded to the Finger Lakes Regional Council for 93 projects. Four out of 10 regional councils were awarded $100 million each.