Kate Beale | 20 Years in Washington & Championing Greater Rochester

Kate Beale spent more than 20 years in Washington, D.C., and says its best-kept secret is how much bipartisan work happens quietly behind the scenes. Now she’s back home in Pittsford leading advocacy at the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce.  In this local episode, recorded in person at Roc Vox Studios in Pittsford, hosts Emily McNulty and Steve McDonnell sit down with Kate to talk about how federal advocacy translates to a regional level, and and what it will take to keep Rochester competitive.  Here’s what you’ll hear about:  Three years as a Peace Corps agriculture volunteer in Paraguay, and the lessons she carried into public policy  How her time in Washington shaped her approach to bipartisan work  What brought her back to Rochester, and what her first four months at the Chamber have looked like  What the Chamber is prioritizing for 2027, and why talent and workforce are near the top  Why Kate sees Rochester at an inflection point, and what the community needs more of right now  Episode Breakdown:  0:00 Welcome and introducing Kate Beale  2:51 Icebreaker: This or That  5:58 Why she left Rochester, and what pulled her into policy  11:21 Three years in the Peace Corps in Paraguay  19:17 Coming home and heading to Washington  28:49 What brought her back to Rochester  31:53 Her first four months at the Chamber  38:48 The Chamber’s priorities for 2027, from workforce to the tech hub  50:53 What excites her most about what’s ahead for the region  Connect with Kate Beale on LinkedIn  Listen to more episodes of The Wilmac Wire:   Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | iHeart | Riverside