Bethlehem’s newest senior economic developer can do it all

DELMAR — Brianne Conner, the town of Bethlehem’s newest senior economic developer, might be the first person to fill that position who can also fill in as a piano accompanist at Bethlehem’s Senior Choir practice in Town Hall.

A true Renaissance woman, Conner brings to her economic development position all the skills and discipline she acquired first as a musician with a master’s degree in piano pedagogy, then as a longtime director of a disability services program — while having also earned a second master’s in public administration.

Conner, the mother of five children ages 6 to 25, moved to Bethlehem from Albuquerque, New Mexico, in January 2023. She heard about Bethlehem from a Bethlehemite mentor she met while working on a disability project, and was attracted to Bethlehem’s schools, sense of community and easy access to surrounding areas such as the Adirondacks.

Initially upon arriving in the Capital Region, Conner and her husband operated a commercial cleaning franchise but decided it was not the right path. However, that digression provided her with small business experience and networking and learning opportunities with local commercial real estate developers and property managers.

Bethlehem Town Hall

When Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce President Teri Spina told Conner about the opening for a town senior economic developer, Conner jumped at the chance to apply her skill set to a new field.

Town Economic Development & Planning Director Robert Leslie said that after going nearly a year without a senior economic planner, “It feels great” to have Conner on board. John Taylor, the previous senior economic planner, resigned in May 2024 for position elsewhere.

Leslie said Conner brings great experience from a small business perspective because she has worked in both government and the private sector.

“We were looking for someone who could fill the boots on the ground and get out there to communicate with the community and businesses,” Leslie said. “She is a wonderful asset to the department.”

“I love meeting and hearing business owners’ stories, and getting behind the scenes to learn about what drives them to do what they do and how they need support,” Conner said.

She said having an outsider’s perspective is helpful to her job while she also learns the town’s history.

“I may not have sentimental memories of TollGate but I’ve been to a lot of places, and this is an amazingly special community that is growing and vibrant with wonderfully supportive and vocal people,” she said. “As a newcomer I also sometimes feel it’s helpful to be able to say, ‘Let’s get some perspective here.’ ”

Not content to rest on her skills, Conner plans on obtaining an economic development certification to gain additional expertise in the field.

Since joining the town, Conner has dived into at least two significant projects, including refining the New York state micro-enterprise grants application process. As an example, she said the grant imposes certain training requirements that proved to be a barrier for busy small business owners. The town now partners with the Community Loan Fund to offer a training program accessible at more convenient times with more useful training for the applicant pool.

Conner also oversees a study on building infrastructure in the town’s undeveloped and underdeveloped land in its industrial zones so that space becomes more attractive to new businesses and business expansion. Conner noted that there is room for both business development and green space, and said she works closely with Bethlehem’s Open Space Coordinator Lauren Axford.

“They are both important drivers of the community,” Conner said. “We value the economic health of Bethlehem in addition to the value the community puts on green space.”

Conner is also determined to improve the town’s site-plan application process.

“I see some things we can do internally to improve the process,” Conner said. “While we are business-friendly in a lot of ways, I believe improving the site-plan process can improve relationships with town businesses and make us more business-friendly.”

The one task she laughingly said she would relinquish is providing weekly updates for the newsletter on the Delaware Avenue complete streets project. Given some delays, she said there isn’t always something new to report.

On a more serious note, Conner stressed the importance of open and informative communication between her department and town businesses.

In fact, speaking with community members is a top priority for Conner.

“I’m the business liaison,” she said, providing her office phone number — 518.439.4955, x1189. “Call me so I can try to help you find an answer to your questions.”