A veteran of government and not-for-profit operations in Onondaga County is marking his third week as head of the troubled Central New York Regional Market Authority. Bill Fisher previously worked behind the scenes as deputy county executive and as board chair at the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority. He says he’s focused on short-term financial and policy matters first, while also understanding changes in the food distribution business.
“The emergence of places like Wegmans and Price Chopper that do a fantastic job of delivering local produce to customers has transformed things, but at the same time, the patrons love coming here and meeting with the farmers face to face," Fisher said. "One of the things we're looking at is how can we get the word out?”
Fisher takes over as CEO after a state comptroller report this spring revealed financial mismanagement by the market authority’s board and previous executive director. Onondaga County is preparing to choose a firm to study the market’s operations and infrastructure needs. Fisher says it’s anticipated completion date by the end of the year will coincide with the start of the state’s budget cycle.
“The timing couldn't be better," Fisher said. "I've been provided with a draft version of the scope of services, and it's an excellent scope. It's looking at some short term things from an operation, from a facility standpoint, but more importantly, it's looking at the longer term vision. What could this be?”
That vision might include parts of an ambitious $90 million improvement plan released last summer. Fisher says he doesn’t blame previous market leadership for its bold wish list. But he says a starting figure is probably closer $8 million between the state and the county.
Click the audio link above to hear the complete interview with Bill Fisher.
