Morelle will be an ex-officio voting member, and joins other community leaders on the council such as University of Rochester President Joel Seligman and Wegmans Food Markets CEO Danny Wegman, who serve as co-chairs.

"Bringing new jobs to upstate, and our region in particular, has been my most consistent priority since joining the Assembly," Morelle said. "Working with the outstanding members of the council will be a great honor, and I am grateful to the Governor and Speaker for this opportunity to contribute to the rebuilding of our economy."

"The regional approach to creating jobs takes into account the unique strengths and challenges of New York's diverse areas, and represents a huge leap forward from previous economic development policies," Morelle said.

Overseen by Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy, the regional councils compete for a share of state funding to support local projects. In December, the Finger Lakes council was awarded $68.8 million for several initiatives, including a new Health Sciences Center for Computational Innovation at the University of Rochester and a business incubator for High Tech of Rochester.

Morelle is a member of the Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry, and authored a well-received 2005 report highlighting the need for state policies that encourage a new era of entrepreneurial investment and high-tech innovation in New York.