James P. Galvin brings more than 35 years’ experience in financial management and new business and community development to his role as Executive Director of the Columbia Hudson Partnership. He joined the Partnership in 2000, and throughout his tenure he has focused on building a fiscally sound operation to increase cash flow and ensure adequate funding resources for new business and community development. As Deputy Director and Chief Financial Analyst from 2000-2002, Galvin increased the SBA technical assistance funding and expanded loan production in all programs administered by the Partnership. He also forged successful partnerships with state and local economic development agencies to leverage their resources for business and community projects throughout Columbia County.
Prior to joining the Partnership, Galvin held a series of increasingly responsible management positions with leading financial institutions in the Capital Region of New York State, including KeyBank and Key Venture Capital. As Senior Vice President in charge of Albany area sales for KeyBank, he was part of a 4-person executive team that improved district ranking from 23rd nationwide in 1997 to 7th in 1999. He also led KeyBank’s Northeast Regional Loan Center and Consumer Loan Division.
Galvin also managed KeyBank’s operations for Columbia and Greene Counties and led double-digit growth in loan and deposits throughout the counties, giving him hands-on knowledge of commercial and residential growth in the two-county area. He also worked directly with the SBA in Washington, DC, to ensure eligibility for small business loans, and he evaluated business plans for venture capital investment, where he gained substantial experience with federal, state and county regulations.
A graduate of the University of Ottawa, Galvin holds several certificates in management, business law, finance and accounting from his participation in corporate development programs and management programs at local colleges and universities, including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Russell Sage College. He resides in Ghent, NY.
Todd M. Erling joined the Columbia Hudson Partnership in January 2001 and brings a strong, diverse background in community and business development as well as architectural design and construction to his role as Deputy Executive Director. He works closely with the Executive Director in managing the daily operations of the Partnership and is directly responsible for economic development in the City of Hudson and Columbia County. He manages the County’s NYS Empire Zone Program and the local Zone administrative board, which provide incentives to businesses locating or expanding within designated Zones within the County.
With a degree in environmental design from Miami University’s School of Architecture, tangible building experience, and graduate work in environmental planning at Pratt Institute, Erling brings hands-on capabilities together with a deep appreciation for the work involved in new construction and rehabilitation projects. This background enables Erling to bring a holistic approach to economic development that focuses on the best in design and construction. He combines sound academic principles in planning and architecture with real estate and community development goals and objectives. He also brings to his role at the Partnership broad experience in all aspects of construction, historic restoration, “sensitive demolition” processes, and affordable housing/community development projects for communities in the Hudson Valley, Lake Tahoe and Pittsburgh.
Prior to joining the Partnership, Erling was a senior project manager at Kaaterskill Engineering Associates, where he managed all aspects of architectural and building construction design for residential and commercial projects in Cairo and Tannersville, New York. He also worked as project director for Housing Resources of Columbia County in Hudson, where he researched and implemented “green building” methods and materials for all projects and managed the rehabilitation of existing buildings, transforming them into new commercial and residential units.
Several of his projects have received awards or recognition from various agencies and groups, namely, from Historic Hudson, NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal, NYS Governor’s Office for Small Cities, and Global Green’s Greening Affordable Housing Initiative.
Erling has published several articles nationally and is currently completing a Master’s degree in environmental planning through the School of Architecture and Planning of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.
Martha E. Lane has been with the Columbia Hudson Partnership since April 2000. Her primary responsibility is managing the MicroBusiness Seminar Series, which includes classroom training for entrepreneurs as well as technical assistance for the owners of small businesses. During her tenure, she has increased attendance in the twice-yearly seminar series, while bringing new instructors and technical assistance providers into the program.
Lane brings firsthand experience in running a business to her role at the Partnership, having owned and operated a small business from 1988 to 1991. In addition to her work at the Partnership, she is currently co-owner with her husband of a Columbia County business.
Prior to joining the Partnership, Lane held a variety of positions in sales and marketing. She spent seven years in Seattle, Washington, working in marketing and research for financial institutions. After moving to Columbia County in 1988, she worked part time for the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce while operating her own business, and then spent five years in sales at HAVE, Inc. in Hudson.
Lane attended Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and currently serves as Vice President of its local alumnae association. She serves on the Hudson Opera House board of directors and chairs its membership committee. Lane and her family reside in Hudson.
David Pearce has been with the Columbia Hudson Partnership for the past six years, working on behalf of existing small businesses and startups. In this capacity, he provides technical advice on business planning and facilitates access to financial assistance through the MicroLoan Program. A small business owner himself, Pearce brings first-hand experience in starting and developing small businesses in Columbia County. He and his wife currently operate two successful businesses, which they started in the late 1980s. Pearce participates in several community volunteer organizations, and for several years he has been a member of SCORE, a national organization for counseling small businesses.
Prior to moving to Columbia County from New York City, Pearce held several management positions at JCPenney and was a member of the faculty at Hunter College. A Marine Corps veteran, Pearce earned his undergraduate degree at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and completed graduate study at New York University. He resides in Canaan.
Columbia County has nearly fifty country farm markets and orchards, many of them specializing in organic produce.
The Old Chatham Sheepherding Company is the largest sheep dairy farm in the United States.
Census/Demographics
The estimated population of the County is 63,668.
Hudson, once a busy port city frequented by whalers, is the Seat of Columbia County.
Arts & Culture
PS/21 - Performing Spaces for the 21st Century, is a new venue under the direction of Gwen Gould, offering classical sings under an open-air tent in Chatham. www.ps21chatham.org.
What's New
Migrant Farm Workers Get New Housing Through Innovative Program
Migrant workers on several farms in Columbia County are receiving new living quarters thanks to a unique program created by the Columbia Hudson Partnership.
