CGR

This month, CGR welcomes change management expert Amber Ramerman, expanding our capacity to help public and nonprofit clients turn recommendations into real-world improvements. We’re also launching new engagements in Mamaroneck and East Greenbush, and we’ll be connecting with local government leaders at NYSCMA and NYCOM in Lake George. https://mailchi.mp/0b36e00f69bb/cgr-may

CGR is proud to announce the addition of former Rochester Fire Chief John Caufield to our staff, as well as four highly accomplished new board members, in this month’s Brief. We’re also looking forward to connecting with nonprofit and community leaders at gatherings across New York this month as we continue advancing CGR’s mission through research, partnership, and practical impact. - https://mailchi.mp/efa827a5a033/cgr-april

In this month’s CGR Brief, we highlight how CGR is helping communities tackle complex local government challenges—from reimagining civic engagement in Hopkinton, MA, to supporting the Village of South Dayton as it considers dissolution. We also spotlight our EMS work across New York, including Ticonderoga’s successful ambulance district and our upcoming presence at NYSAC’s 2026 Legislative Conference. - https://mailchi.mp/deff975c1a89/cgr-march

Dialing up effectiveness in a thriving village - https://mailchi.mp/06892bffc196/cgr-feb-9949219

How do you take a thriving seaside village like Port Jefferson, NY and make it even more effective and desirable? See the results of CGR’s operational review in this month’s CGR Brief, along with news on fire service in Ithaca and upcoming events. https://mailchi.mp/820ab7487089/cgr-feb

CGR President & CEO Erika Rosenberg was featured in WHEC News discussing declining birth rates locally and across New York—and what these demographic shifts could mean for communities, planning, and policy.

Read/watch here: https://www.whec.com/top-news/state-and-local-birth-rates-are-on-a-decline-as-parents-talk-about-preparing-to-have-kids/

State and local birth rates are on a decline as parents talk about preparing to have kids For the first time, more people died in Monroe County in a year than were born, according to public records. News10NBC's Chief Investigative Reporter Berkeley Brean reported live from Highland Hospital, where he met newborn Tatum Barbaccia and her parents.

In this month’s brief, we begin 2026 with examples of how data and analysis are informing policy and planning across New York State—from initiatives designed to support upward mobility in Rochester, to an assessment of community vitality and environmental regulation in the Catskills, to long-term planning for fire service delivery in a growing town. Together, these projects demonstrate how evidence-based research can support effective decision-making and stronger communities. - https://mailchi.mp/5af4c7b3a0bd/cgr-jan

Happy Holidays from CGR - https://mailchi.mp/2defd146b224/cgr-decholiday2025

In this month’s brief, we highlight CGR’s latest work strengthening community systems—from evaluating Tompkins County’s fragmented EMS landscape to helping the City of Ithaca streamline its 500+ municipal fees. We also share how our team is giving back and invite you to continue supporting data-driven community change in 2025. https://mailchi.mp/8c808377d40f/cgr-nov

Since our founding in 1915 by George Eastman, CGR has had a simple, powerful mandate: to be the independent, non-partisan force that provides the research and data-driven insights necessary to build stronger, more equitable communities.

This past year, 2025, was defined by our work on the front lines of community change, partnering with leaders to address complex challenges with clear, actionable solutions. https://mailchi.mp/9d0e501ac1fb/cgr-annual-appeal