Orange Partnership president named among North America's top 50 developers

Connor Eckert’s place among North America’s top 50 economic developers is more than a personal honor for the Goshen-based Orange County Partnership president. It is a sign that Orange County’s business recruitment strategy is producing the kind of investment wins that can translate into jobs, a broader tax base, and more visible development along the Route 17 and Stewart Airport corridors.

Consultant Connect named Eckert to its annual Top 50 Economic Developer Award, a recognition the firm uses to spotlight standout professionals in the field. Eckert also was elected to a full term on the New York State Economic Development Council, extending his influence beyond county lines and into the statewide conversations that shape where employers expand and where public dollars go next.

The Orange County Partnership says Eckert has helped position the county as a leading location for advanced manufacturing and innovation, with nearly $1 billion in proposed investment tied to major projects. The organization credits him with work on Balchem, Poly Craft, Amazon and Garonit Pharmaceuticals, a roster that shows how aggressively Orange County has been pitching itself to site selectors and corporate decision-makers.

That pitch matters because the Partnership’s mission is not symbolic. It is built around attracting investment and job creation through modern economic-development techniques and close work with site selectors, brokers, developers and local communities. For residents, that means the payoff shows up not just in award announcements, but in industrial parcels filled, construction activity, and new payrolls landing in places such as Goshen, Newburgh, Middletown and Montgomery.

The county’s recent FAST NY gains show that the pipeline is still being built. New York awarded $25.48 million in 2025 to the Village of Maybrook for the Switchyard Terminal for Economic and Advanced Manufacturing at the former Maybrook Rail Yard. Orange County had already secured a $462,000 FAST NY shovel-ready grant for Aden Brook Business Park in Montgomery, another sign that local officials are working to keep industrial land ready before the next company starts shopping for space.

Eckert’s background also underscores the local roots behind the strategy. The Partnership says he was born and raised in the Town of Montgomery, a detail that fits Orange County’s pitch as a place where economic development is not imported from the outside, but built by people who know the terrain, the labor market and the infrastructure constraints.

The timing matters, too. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Orange County’s population at 417,669 as of July 1, 2025, a scale that makes it one of the Hudson Valley’s larger markets for employers seeking a workforce, suppliers and access to the New York metro economy. With Consultant Connect serving more than 230 national and international economic development clients, Eckert’s selection signals that Orange County’s message is being heard far beyond Goshen. The next test is whether that recognition keeps turning into concrete projects, more visible business activity and a stronger local tax base.