By Stefan Yablonski
The new executive director of Fulton’s Community Development Agency wants to move the city out of “the shadows of Nestle.”
Nathan Emmons was appointed earlier this year. He had served for about one year as deputy director of the CDA.
He succeeds Sarah Farley, who resigned and is now a consultant to the Fulton CDA.
“I bring four years of direct experience being the former director of economic development and former director of rental assistance programs for the city of Oswego,” Emmons said.
He also has eight years of elected experience. He was a city council representative in the Port City and serves as an Oswego County legislator. He has also been the assistant dean of students at SUNY Oswego, the director of student life and leadership at Hobart and William Smith colleges, and was the associate director of the student centers and programming services at Syracuse University.
“I also served as a consultant in 2021, as the deputy director of the Fulton Community Development Agency from September 2021 to April 2023,” he added.
He said his priorities will include the implementation of the DRI on behalf of the city of Fulton, retooling the housing programs, seeking out development opportunities for the city and working on positioning Fulton to take advantage of the Micron project.
Emmons and his wife, Lisa, reside in Oswego. He sees living in Oswego as an advantage, not a conflict.
“Not in the slightest. In fact, I believe it’s an advantage as I can have a fresh look on how Fulton is positioned and provide some differing perspectives on how to move forward,” he said.
Fulton has seen a drastic decline in the number of manufacturing firms the past few years. He is looking to revert that.
“My role is to look at what is happening regionally and help Fulton to position itself to take advantage of the progress being made,” he explained. “I believe Micron will have a huge impact on southern Oswego County which includes Fulton. The city needs to be ready to pivot in order to respond to the new demands, proposed projects and developer interests. The city’s comprehensive plan will help guide many of our conversations moving forward.”
The DRI projects in Fulton are moving forward.
“Much of the work was delayed related to the COVID-19 pandemic — but it is moving forward now. Fulton has a wonderful opportunity to reinvent itself and get out of the shadows of Nestle,” he said. “Fulton needs to be forward thinking, analyze information, and invest.”
