Marissa Brett, Economic Dev. Westchester County Association

What was your greatest professional accomplishment in 2013 As Executive Director of the Blueprint for Westchester, an aggressive economic development initiative for Westchester County that's driven by the private sector, my great accomplishment was accepting the very first company into our Blueprint Accelerator Network, which nurtures promising young companies as a way of spurring economic growth here. That company, PlanGuru, is a software development firm that has already seen a 30% increase in business in just one year, under the guidance and mentoring of the Accelerator Network. There are now many other companies in the Accelerator. What are your predictions for commercial real estate in 2014? I see continued growth in the biotech, medtech, and healthcare industries that will spur new construction and the retrofitting and repurposing of current commercial inventory. Healthcare is a $10 billion+ industry in Westchester County. As Westchester's medical groups consolidate and grow, NYC hospital systems continue to establish footholds here, and the tech industries show increasing interest in headquartering here, the implications for commercial real estate and investment, as well as job growth, are nothing less than tremendous. What are your resolutions for 2014? Our largest task will be to rebrand Westchester County, and I resolve to lead the charge! I want to remake the county's image which still suffers from "bedroom community," into what it is today: a vital and growing center for the healthcare, biotech, and medtech industries. My second resolution is to put Westchester on site selectors maps for its pro-business attitude, outstanding lifestyle, educated workforce, culture, transportation infrastructure, recreational facilities, great location, and fine schools.