SEEC Executive Director Julie Pacatte Elevated to Vice Chair of the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District
Election Underscores Schoharie County's Growing Regional Role and Alignment with Schoharie County’s move to the Northern Border Commission
SCHOHARIE, N.Y. — Schoharie Economic Enterprise Corporation (SEEC) is proud to announce that Executive Director Julie Pacatte has been elected to serve as Vice Chair of the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District (MVEDD), effective January 2026. The new role recognizes more than five years of board-level service and puts Schoharie County at the forefront of a region-wide effort to attract federal investment and drive sustainable economic growth.
The MVEDD is a federally designated Local Development District (LDD) charged with overseeing a region-wide Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), a critical framework that unlocks access to federal economic development resources for communities. As Vice Chair, Pacatte will help guide the district's strategic direction at a pivotal moment, as Schoharie County redirects its regional priorities toward the Mohawk Valley and moves to join the Northern Border Commission.
"Schoharie County sits at the edge of three distinct regions, now, we are ready to accept a bigger seat at the table in the Mohawk Valley," said Julie Pacatte. "I'm committed to making sure our communities benefit fully from every resource and partnership this region has to offer."
Five Years of MVEDD Leadership
Pacatte has served on the MVEDD Board since 2020, building a record of active engagement and tangible results for Schoharie County. Key contributions include:
Village of Middleburgh & Richmondville Community Visits – Arranged for MVEDD staff specialists to walk-about the local communities to prepare and deliver a Resource Handbook to advance community priorities.
Schoharie County Site Improvement Strategy — Coordinated a county-wide site assessment to identify and advance shovel-ready development opportunities.
MV Broadband Coalition — Active participant in regional broadband strategy, complementing her county-level broadband feasibility leadership, digital empowerment and advocacy work.
MV Brownfield Summit — Played a key role in launching the annual Mohawk Valley Brownfield Summit, now in its 5th year, bringing regional stakeholders together to turn legacy industrial sites and blighted properties into redevelopment opportunities.
Small Business Funding – Directed local small businesses to the funding resources managed by MVEDD known as MORECO and Bridge Financing.
Keep the Mohawk Valley Beautiful – Hosted local clean-up days with volunteers.
Southern Tier 8 and Appalachian Regional Commission
Prior to taking on the greater MVEDD role, Pacatte served five years on the Southern Tier 8 Regional Planning Development Board, representing Schoharie County through the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). Highlights of that service include:
ARC Engagement — Hosted former ARC Co-Chair Gail Mancin on a local farm tour, strengthening Schoharie County's relationship with federal Appalachian leadership.
Regional Food Processing — Advanced and completed a Regional Food Processing Feasibility Study for Schoharie County, identifying opportunities in value-added agriculture.
Workforce Development — Championed workforce programs supporting individuals in active recovery, mobilizing a $75,000 grant to SCCASA.
Broadband Infrastructure — Advocacy efforts contributed to securing a $30 million ESD ConnectALL grant to Schoharie County for its "last-mile" broadband build, on track to achieve 100% county-wide access.
Housing Awareness — Advanced awareness of the Schoharie County Housing Study across regional platforms.
Infrastructure Summits — Served as host and/or panelist for four regional Infrastructure Summits, elevating Schoharie County's profile among state and regional partners.
Opportunity Zones – Highlighted eligible pipeline projects to attract investment through a top-down government program from Washington, D.C., an incentive to spur private and public investment in America’s under invested communities.
About Julie Pacatte
A Howes Cave native and Cobleskill High School graduate, Julie Pacatte returned to Schoharie County in 2019 after a career spanning central Florida, the mid-Atlantic, and New York State, where she led award-winning community development initiatives and managed complex capital-stacking with state and federal programs. At SEEC Pacatte is credited with leading the organization to mobilize unprecedented multi-million dollar public-private investments and positioning the county in the top 3% of the nation on the broadband front. Before joining SEEC, she served as the City of Batavia's economic development director and previously spent seven years with the Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce and Industrial Development Agency. She also served as Interim CEO of both the Schoharie County Industrial Development Agency (SCIDA) and the Schoharie County Capital Resource Corporation (SCCRC).
About SEEC
Established by the private sector, the Schoharie Economic Enterprise Corporation (SEEC) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering economic growth in Schoharie County. Since its founding, SEEC has mobilized and tracked more than $330 million in public-private investments in the county, recognizing local business leadership and championing Schoharie County as a place worthy of investment. Julie Pacatte has served as SEEC's Executive Director since inception and was invited to join the SEEC Board of Directors in 2024.
For more information, visit seecny.org or contact SEEC at (518) 517-1700.
About MVEDD
Since 1966, the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, Inc. (MVEDD) is one of nine economic development districts (EDDs) and one of seventeen revolving loan fund grantees of the United States Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA), serving the counties of Fulton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego and Schoharie.
For more information, visit www.mvedd.org or Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, Inc. - Home