Even the chamber of commerce serves multiple communities. “It’s actually a lot of residential, so there are not a lot of Mount Sinai businesses,” Dr. Criscione says. “The Chamber of Commerce is a multiple. It’s Mount Sinai and Miller Place, and Miller Place really has the majority of businesses, not us.” The geographic reality means students will likely work outside their immediate community, making regional partnerships and BOCES programs more valuable than hyperlocal business connections. Dr. Criscione acknowledges the constraint directly: “It does become a bit challenging for us.” EMBRACING CHANGE WHILE HONORING IDENTITY The immediate future presents challenges that require flexibility more than fixed plans. Over the next 18 to 24 months, Dr. Criscione emphasizes adaptation over specific initiatives.“Really trying to be adaptable as the policies and the funding shift. I mean, that’s a huge issue,” she says.“We really don’t know what’s ahead of us with the state, and we are 294 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 12
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