Berard, Lord to Run Uncontested in March P’ville Village Elections
By Janine Bowen
Next month’s Pleasantville Village Board election will be an uncontested race as an incumbent and a political newcomer will team up to fill the two seats.
Two-term Trustee Mindy Berard and first-timer Steven Lord were the only candidates to submit petitions by Tuesday’s deadline to appear on the March 18 ballot. Both will be on the Village Party line. Lord will replace veteran Trustee Brian Skarstad whose term is expiring on March 31.
“I think I can help, and with the seat coming up from Brian, it just seemed like the right time,” said Lord, 45, a Green Meadow Road resident since 2000.
Berard, 54, the confidential secretary to North Castle Supervisor Michael Schiliro, announced her plans to run for another term last month.
“I really look forward to continuing … to work on positive changes to the village,” she told The Examiner when she revealed her plans to run for a third term.
Lord, a business consultant whose office is located in the Marmaduke Forster House on Bedford Road, helps troubled companies that want to change direction. He said his business experience will make him an effective village board member.
“I have a lot of experience in business and ideas to deal with issues that condemn a lot of municipalities — not enough money and too much demand on services,” Lord explained.
Lord said his goal is to represent the best interests of village residents. He said he has neither a political agenda nor will he make promises to make changes.
“My general approach to politics is that you don’t know everything going on until you’re sitting there [on the board],” Lord said. “It’s not realistic to make promises until you’re in the seat.”
While Lord has not previously held elected office, he has been active in the community over the past decade. He has served on the PCTV board, the Pleasantville American Youth Soccer Association and the local swim team board. He has also been involved with projects involving Green Meadow Road, a private street.
As a result, he has met and worked with several current board members, all of whom are supportive of his village trustee bid. Lord said would be able to work successfully with the current members.
“Steve is a civic-minded guy who’s stepping up for this very important job, and we’re thankful that he is,” said Dan Turner, head of the Village Party, which is currently the only party in Pleasantville
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
