Economic Development in Upstate

So Eliot Spitzer has chosen someone from outside the region, and outside New York, to lead his charge to rebuild upstate's economy. Daniel Gunderson is coming up from Pennsylvania to serve as co-chairman of the Empire State Development Corp., the state's economic development arm.
He was serving as the No. 2 in charge at Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development. He's been busy there. The state just played a key role in triggering phase one of a massive investment in downtown Pittsburgh, that could bring new life to that city's cultural district. One positive aspect of Gunderson's hiring is his department was apparently pursuing industries similar to those of importance to upstate New York.

While Gunderson's geographic resume was probably a surprise to some, the reality is that the job's biggest challenge is a political one: Figuring out how to share power and scarce resources with the downstate co-chairman.