Sheehy Receives Key Endorsements in Race for Putnam Legislature
News Article Article pages that do not meet specifications for other Trust Project Type of Work labels and also do not fit within the general news category.
By Rick Pezzullo
The former director of the Putnam County Office for Senior Resources has picked up some key endorsements in her bid for the District 5 seat on the Putnam County Legislature.
Pat Sheehy, a 40-year Carmel resident, recently was endorsed by district leaders in Putnam’s Republican and Conservative parties, along with getting the backing from retiring Legislator Carl Albano, who she is looking to succeed.
“It is my pleasure to offer my endorsement to Pat Sheehy for Legislator for District 5, from which I will have served my allotted tenure of three terms,” Albano said. “I have known Pat throughout my tenure as an active member of our community and a dedicated public servant. Pat has always interfaced respectfully with the legislators and advocated appropriately for the seniors and veterans throughout the county. Pat knows how to work as part of a team and is not afraid to take on a challenge, I believe she will be an asset to the taxpayers in District 5 and I would encourage you to join me in voting for her as your next legislator!”
At the GOP convention, Sheehy narrowly defeated fellow Carmel resident Greg Ellner, 10 votes to nine, while former Carmel Board of Education President Richard Kreps tallied eight votes. Ellner is vying to force a June 28 primary, while Kreps has bowed out of the race.
Meanwhile, the Conservative Party also supported Sheehy’s candidacy.
“Having interviewed three potential candidates, the committee concluded that Pat Sheehy, who is well known in the community, exemplifies a clear understanding of our seven core principles and has demonstrated a commitment to those values during her decades of public service on both a local and state level,” Conservative Party Chairman Jim Maxwell said. “We believe that Pat, who holds a Masters’ Degree in Public Administration, along with her first-hand knowledge of how government functions, will excel in serving the residents of District 5 while adhering to our conservative values!”
In the late 1980s, Sheehy was Director of the Office of Employment and Training in Putnam, where she developed one of the first programs recognizing services for veterans suffering from PTSD. As Director of the Putnam County Office for Senior Resources, which she held until retiring in 2018, Sheehy was instrumental in the redesign of the Carmel Senior Center and the design and development of the new Cold Spring Senior Center.
On the state level, she was appointed by Governor George Pataki to the position of Special Assistant to the New York State Commissioner of Social Services and served as his liaison to New York City Welfare Reform Commission of the Rudy Giuliani administration. She went on to become the NYS Regional Director of the Office of Children and Family Services covering a territory that spanned nine counties in Long Island and the Hudson Valley.
In addition, she was founder and past president of the Hamlet of Carmel Civic Association and past president of the Putnam Community Services Network.
“As your legislator, I would ring the bell and call out tyrannical leaders who would threaten our Second Amendment rights or infringe on our civil liberties. I would also continue to support the sound fiscal policies carried out by County Executive MaryEllen Odell keeping our taxes at or below the 2% cap,” Sheehy has stated. “My experience with state and local government has taught me how to manage and assess budgets and proposals with the ability to separate “wants” from “needs,” just as we all do with our “kitchen table” budgets. My years of experience on both a local and state level are the foundation that shores up my qualifications to effectively carry out the job of county legislator.”
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
