Power Called Out of Retirement to Serve as BOL Chief of Staff
Ben Boykin, Chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators, announced Thursday that Dennis Power, the former White Plains Councilman and retired Westchester County Program Director for the Department of Environmental Facilities [DEF], will join his administrative team as Chief of Staff.
“I am extremely pleased to have my former White Plains Council colleague and highly talented community leader join me and the BOL in this pivotal role,” said Boykin. “I have known Dennis for nearly 30 years and have worked closely with him on numerous key economic, environmental and social issues facing White Plains and our county. He brings extensive legislative, managerial and political experience to the table and is well known as a community bridge builder who is well respected in White Plains and throughout the County. Having worked for the County for seven years, he also brings an understanding of how Westchester government operates.”
Power served as a Councilman for White Plains for 10 years [1988-91 and 2006-2011] and in his last term was Chair of its Youth Board and Recreation Advisory Council as well as Chair of the Sustainability & Environmental Advisory Committee [SEEC]. Since 2012 he has served in a volunteer capacity as the Chair of the Community Development Citizens Advisory Committee advising Mayor Tom Roach and the Common Council on the distribution of CDBG [Block Grant] funds from the federal government.
From 2006 to 2013, he also worked for Westchester County and, most of that time, served as Director of Program Development for DEF. He assisted in coordinating efforts of the county’s Global Warming Task Force and Climate Change Committee, worked on numerous recycling initiatives and environmental management systems and acted as DEF’s lead liaison with FEMA in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy.
Previously, in the private and nonprofit sectors, Power spent 15 years working for Merrill Lynch in sales, trading and marketing capacities. On the local front, he served as Executive Director of WestHELP Greenburgh, was Director of Development and communications for Westchester ARC and Director of Corporate and Government Relations for The Hudson River Museum. As a volunteer, Power was actively engaged in social issues and was the Founding President of SHORE, Inc. [Sheltering the Homeless is Our Responsibility] and served on the White Plains Public Housing Tenant Council.
“When presented with the opportunity,” said Power, “to come back off the sidelines and play a key role at this critical time for our County, I welcome the challenge. Returning to action to utilize my diversified experience to support my long-standing colleague, Ben Boykin, and to work alongside the newly energized Board of Legislators, in tandem with our new County Executive, George Latimer, will be both exciting and rewarding.”
Dennis Power will begin work at the Board of Legislators on Monday, Jan. 22.
