Cornerstone Alliance names new president and CEO

Victoria "Vicki" Pratt of Lake George, N. Y., is the new president and chief executive officer for Cornerstone Alliance.

 

She comes to the organization as the result of a nationwide search for a new CEO after Wendy Dant Chesser left in September, ending nearly eight years with the organization including five years leading it.

 

Pratt says she is looking forward to working in the community, one that has experienced  many signs of growth and transformation in recent years. Her goal is to use her skills to help the community capitalize on those opportunities as she works with the Cornerstone staff. 

 

Pratt will be responsible for overseeing the economic development efforts of Cornerstone Alliance including job creation efforts, existing business retention, financial performance, and others. 

 

She comes with extensive economic development experience and is a certified economic developer. she has served a variety of communities including Rochester, New York; Wichita, Kansas; and most recently Warren County, N.Y.

 

"Victoria’s extensive on-the-ground experience building relationships and executing economic development transactions at local and regional levels align perfectly with Cornerstone Alliance’s investor-driven goal of continually developing a narrow and deep focus on economic development including job growth," says Cornerstone Chairman Phil Maki. 
 

Pratt is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo. She continued her education with coursework at Cornell University and the University of Wisc.-Madison along with professional training offered by the International Economic Development Council, and others.
 

She has a 21 year economic development career and serves on the International Economic Development Council's Economic Development Organization Accreditation Committee.

 

"The Cornerstone Alliance Board of Directors and staff listened to our investors, who through annual surveys have continually communicated that economic development is the most important concern and should be the focus of Cornerstone Alliance," says Maki.