Team
Matthew Cohen
Stacey Sikes
Stacey I. Sikes is an experienced leader of innovative programs in business, government, the non-profit sector, and higher education. She serves as the Vice President of Government Affairs and Communications for the Long Island Association (LIA), the leading business organization in the region that supports Long Island’s economic growth. At the LIA, she is the primary advocate for its legislative agenda, manages the Membership Department, coordinates the work of the member Board Committees, and oversees the organization’s press and digital communications.
Stacey previously served as the Executive Dean of Entrepreneurship and Business Development at Hofstra University, where she supervised the globally recognized Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Scott Skodnek Business Development Center. Under her leadership, Hofstra was the only organization in New York State to receive a 2021 U.S. Small Business Administration Lab-to-Market award for its efforts to support a diverse population of entrepreneurs during the pandemic.
In 2022 Stacey was elected Chair of the Board of Accelerate Long Island, a non-profit collaboration among Long Island’s research and academic institutions and business community to support the growth of high-tech startup companies, and previously served as its Assistant Executive Director.
Stacey has served as a speaker on several Newsday panels offering advice to businesses navigating the economic challenges presented by COVID-19. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the New York Community Trust-Long Island and was selected to serve on Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine’s Transition Team in 2023. Stacey has been honored by regional and national non-profit organizations, including Girls Inc. of Long Island, where she currently serves on the Advisory Board; the Urban League of Long Island; the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; City & State; and the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. Stacey has also been recognized by regional media outlets for her work, including Long Island Business News (most recently as one of the most “Influential Long Islanders”); Herald Newspapers; Blank Slate Media; and Long Island Press. Stacey is a volunteer with Girl Scouts of Suffolk County in her community.
Stacey’s career started in government, serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko; Director of Special Projects for Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi; and Deputy Regional Representative for United States Senator Charles Schumer.
Stacey received her BA and MA in Government and Politics from St. John’s University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and also served as an Adjunct Instructor. She was born and raised on Long Island and lives in East Northport with her husband Rich and two daughters.
Michelle Byrne
Michelle Byrne is the Chief Financial Officer of the Long Island Association. She joined the organization in January 2009, first serving as Corporate Controller. She was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in December 2014 and oversees all financial aspects including accounting, budgeting, treasury, and audits. She also serves as Chief Financial Officer of the LIA Foundation and Accelerate Long Island and as the Finance Director for ANYITC Fund Corp.
The Long Island Association is the leading business organization in the region. The LIA Foundation’s primary exempt purpose is to support the initiatives of the Long Island Association. Accelerate Long Island is a unique collaboration among Long Island’s world class research institutions and its business community to commercialize research and create an entrepreneurial ecosystem. ANYITC Fund Corp. provides seed investments for local start-ups in partnership with Empire State Development.
Prior to joining the Long Island Association, Michelle held similar positions in corporate retail and was an auditor with PricewaterhouseCoopers, servicing some of Long Island’s largest public and privately held companies. Michelle is a Certified Public Account and holds a bachelor’s of science degree in accounting from Long Island University.
Dr. Steven Kent
Dr. Steven Kent, Chief Economist of the LIA Research Institute
Public board director, economist, and Wall Street consumer strategist, Steve Kent has spent his career helping companies identify and position untapped value by leveraging the interplay between business performance and investor motivation.
He served as board director, audit committee financial expert, and ESG leader for Extended Stay America (NYSE:STAY), where he leveraged capital markets and consumer expertise to help shepherd the company through a range of strategic maneuvers, and finally its sale to private equity.
Steve spent most of his career at Goldman Sachs & Co (NYSE:GS), where he advised IPO issuers on value identification, Wall Street positioning, and exit strategy development; initiated coverage on 180+ companies engaged in global corporate finance activities; and was also recognized eight times as “best stock picker” by The Wall Street Journal; and appeared or was cited more than 100 times in media such as The New York Times, CNBC, and NBC.
He has spoken, guest lectured, or taught at institutions including Columbia University, New York University, and Cornell University, as well as industry organizations World Travel & Tourism Council and Pension Real Estate Association. Currently, he is an Associate Professor at the Business School at Molloy University.
Steve holds a Ph.D. in hospitality management from Iowa State University, an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business, and a Bachelor of Arts in economics, magna cum laude, from Stony Brook University, as well as the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.
