Erin Corraro is the Deputy Director for the Western New York Regional Office of Empire State Development
(ESD), which oversees New York State’s economic development efforts in the five-county Western New York region. Erin brings her experience as an economic development professional to the role, facilitating efforts to promote a growing Western New York regional economy, encourage business investment and job creation, and support diverse local economies across Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties-part of ESD’s statewide mission to support business growth through the efficient use of loans, grants, tax credits, real estate development, marketing and other forms of assistance. The Western New York Regional Office also places an emphasis on the core strategies of implementing smart growth, fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and workforce development within the tradable sectors of advanced manufacturing, health and life sciences, and tourism.
Prior to her current role, Erin served as the Deputy Director of Economic Analysis and Research in ESD’s Albany office and has been with ESD since 2015. She has been working in the field of economic development since 2006, holding business development and research roles for economic development organizations in both North Carolina and Louisiana before returning to New York State in 2015.
Erin has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Canisius College, a master’s degree in Urban Planning from University at Buffalo and a Ph.D. ABO from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. A native of Western New York, Erin moved back to the region in 2022 with her husband and son. She is excited to have come full circle and looks forward to putting her skills to work in the Queen City.