Endorsements, Nominations and Support
Marilyn-Joy Cerny.
In my personal experience in raising a child and running a business with my wonderful husband, I’ve learned that our approach to issues and problem-solving can be quite different. I’ve also learned that if we take the time to respectfully listen to each other, we can accomplish great things. I have stayed out of politics on Facebook but I feel compelled to say one thing about 2018. We have two fine candidates running for Town Board but as a woman I have felt woefully unrepresented in my 25 years in Pawling. According to the attached 2010 US Census figures, women compose 49% of our population but our Town Board is 100% male. I would never vote for someone just because of their gender, but this year we have a female candidate with great credentials.
I think Colleen Snow may be that different voice who will respectfully collaborate with her male counterparts and if they will do the same, the Town Board can accomplish great things. We are all entitled to our opinions and I do respect both candidates and am so grateful they are making this effort to serve our community. God bless them, this wonderful town, and our great country. #Vote2018
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Marilyn-Joy Cerny
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Betsy Brockway.
Coleen and I have served together for over a decade on the Christ Church
Nursery School Board. Her knowledge, communication skills and collaborative attitude has been greatly appreciated to help us support an outstanding preschool program for young families.
I believe her experience as a former School board member will enhance the running of the Pawling Town Board; Coleen is very familiar working within financial constraints, operating under State mandates, and handling personnel issues while trying to set goals improve the educational experience for all our Pawling youth and support dedicated staff. Coleen’s leadership skills as the School Board Chair helped to established a working environment of trust and mutual respect.
Her experience as a Social Worker in counseling local youth and families provides a deep understanding of what our families are facing today and their needs. I believe Coleen as a parent of three children, a working mom, and long time community volunteer would greatly enhance the Town Board’s future endeavors to continue Pawling’s success to attract new businesses and families to enjoy the community lifestyle that my family loved in Pawling. I hope residents will support her candidacy as running for the Town Board this fall. Betsy Brockway.
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Full Designation.
On July 11, 2018 Coleen Snow received the endorsement and nomination of The Women's Equality Party and has her place on the ballot in November under this influential political party. Coleen earned it properly and legally.
On July 12, 2018 a formal objection was filed by Pawling resident Michael Keupp according to the Dutchess County Board of Elections.
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On August 29, 2018 Erik Haight - Republican Commissioner of Elections for Dutchess County filed a lawsuit in Dutchess Supreme Court to remove Coleen Snow for the 2018 General Election ballot as the candidate of the Women's Equality Party for the office of Pawling Town Councilmember.
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On September 18, 2018 NY State Supreme Court Justice Maria G. Rosa, J.S.C. ORDERED that the petition is dismissed as time-barred and for lack of capacity and standing.
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Coleen Snow's designation holds and she will appear on the 2018 General Election ballot as the candidate of the Women's Equality Party!
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Jeff Asher.
Coleen Snow … Pawling’s Best Choice for Town of Pawling Trustee
September 9, 2018
I have known Coleen for about eight years and worked with her on the Pawling School Board for five.
During that time, I have seen her in tense, sad and joyous situations. Her actions have been nothing less than outstanding and well-thought through. She is a person of high character and outstanding values.
To appreciate all she has done for the community you need only look at her latest achievements on the School Board and as School Board President over the last five years. During that time, Coleen has made a huge cultural shift for the School Board by making it a respectful, hardworking and highly effective group who work well with our fine School Administration.
In my opinion, Coleen, as the President and leader of the Board, should be given the major credit for this cultural shift. The result is a smooth running Pawling School District where the Board and Administration have been able to stabilize our taxes thanks to the school’s well-managed finances.
Coleen’s fine leadership style is greatly enhanced by her career choice as a social worker. She approaches even tense situations with an eye to hear all sides and find the right and, sometimes not easy, solution.
In the spring of 2018, Coleen used her professional skills as a social worker to give selflessly crisis support for our teachers and students. She did so without pay and at a cost to her own practice. This is who she is.
I am pleased to say that Coleen’s need to give back to her community continues after ending her 6-year School Board duties in June. I sponsored Coleen’s joining Rotary. Not surprisingly, she is now a very active member of the Pawling Rotary whose motto is “Service above Self” with a special focus on supporting our Pawling youth.
And, this is who Pawling needs to be elected as our Town of Pawling Trustee. Without reservation, Coleen is my choice!
Sincerely,
Jeffrey A. Asher, PhD
President of the Pawling School Board
Secretary of the Pawling Rotary Club
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Endorsement.
On June 28, 2018 Coleen Snow received the endorsement of the Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation Endorsements for Judicial, County & Local Elections 2018.
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There were 11 endorsements in all and Coleen Snow was the only candidate endorsed for a Hudson Valley local race.
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Founded in June, 2001 as part of the New Alliance Movement, the Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation represents 113,000 union families across seven counties: Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan and Ulster. Our goal, working with our partner Central Labor Councils (CLCs), is to lay the foundations for a more visible and bold labor movement that reflects the hopes and dreams of working families in the Hudson Valley.
By pooling the resources of our four partner CLCs we have been able to hire staff to drive an aggressive agenda of labor programs to serve our affiliate unions and build power for all of organized labor.
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Dan Meagher.
Having recently returned to Pawling from my college years, I've been reminded how much I love this town. Its rolling hills, its historic village, and its immense potential all make Pawling a very special place—a stand out town in the County and the greater Hudson Valley.
What has struck me most upon my return, however, is the strong community here. Pawling is a town in which neighbors genuinely care for one another, where civic engagement matters, and where community is paramount.
I believe that local politics should always transcend national politics. This November we have the opportunity to vote for a new member to join our Town Board and we are fortunate enough to have a candidate that recognizes that the Pawling community should always come first. Coleen Snow is the candidate that rises above the political fray.
Coleen has shown her dedication to our community by serving on the School Board for over five years in her capacity as president. During her tenure, Coleen was successful in fostering a new culture of transparency and inclusiveness at the School Board. She plans to promote the same initiative at the Town Board level, meaning our community will be welcomed at its Board meetings and encouraged to engage.
Coleen is a dynamic personality who has demonstrated the power of effective communication with monthly meetings between the Town, the Village, the Chamber of Commerce and the School Board. The town can accomplish so much more when working together and Coleen would be a leader on the Town Board to that end. The spirit of collaboration has run through her leadership of the School Board, and the results have been felt by each family who has interacted with our school system.
Additionally, Coleen’s professional training as a licensed clinical social worker means she has the skill and experience that would be necessary to advance a new culture of respect and trust at the Town Board.
In a community as strong as Pawling, our Town Board should reflect the very same principles which we hold dear here in the Pride of the Harlem Valley.
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Republican Support.
On June 21, 2018 Coleen Snow was nominated at the Annual Pawling Republican Caucus by Susan Pierati and Deborah Klein seconded that nomination. Two other candidates were also nominated. In the full vote of those who attended, Coleen received 20 votes and came in 2nd place.
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Coleen continues to receive significant support and encouragement from the republican voters who know her well. Republicans who have seen the work and comittment at the Pawling Rotary, The Pawling School Board, the Pawling Resource Center, The PTA, The Mizzentop School Board, Christ Church Nursery Board, in her private practice and throughout Pawling's community.
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Trailblazers PAC Endorses Coleen Snow for Pawling Town Board
(POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.) – Trailblazers PAC, the
nonpartisan organization supporting local-level
candidates across New York State who stand for
clean government, announced its endorsement
of Coleen Snow for Pawling Town Board.
With a mission of “Front Porch Politics,”
Trailblazers PAC aims to move politics out of the back room so voters can take back local government from big money. Trailblazers PAC invests in candidates of any political party (even if they are running against each other) who make themselves accountable to their own voters by choosing to do better than the law requires and disclosing where all of their campaign money comes from.
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Trailblazers PAC has a track record of successfully investing in candidates since March 2017, and puts on popular “Front Porch Politics” workshops across New York and Pennsylvania. The group has held 18 workshops for candidates, supporters, and interested citizens in far-flung locations over the past two years.
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“I’m running for three reasons: to bring transparency to town government, to foster communication among the board and the community, and to increase collaboration among the stakeholders of Pawling,” said Snow. “Right in line with Trailblazers’ message of clean government, I want to use my experience as School Board President to make the Town of Pawling more responsive to its people.”
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“Coleen intends to make herself and her Town accountable to voters, and Trailblazers PAC is proud to stand with Coleen as she steps up for clean government in her Pawling community,” said Leslie Danks Burke, founder and president of Trailblazers PAC.
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Trailblazers PAC endorses candidates at the county or municipal level who raise the bar by disclosing every penny in and out of their campaign, make themselves accountable to their voters by raising funds from households inside their district instead of just from special interests, and commit to acting for clean government through Election Day and beyond.
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Marge Schweizer.
I would like to publicly thank our entire board of ed for your continued commitment of excellence to our students and entire school district. It can’t be easy to make some of the decisions you are faced with making. The finance aspect alone is, well, not my cup of tea. The standing Monday night dates for meetings must cramp everyone’s style on occasion. Some people may even forget that this time consuming, difficult, sometimes frustrating “job” is completely voluntary. For that you all deserve our sincere gratitude.
I have been blessed to work here for a long time, and I remember quite clearly that board meetings of the past were often very different. There was a different vibe which was not always pleasant. At times there was great animosity and mistrust within the board and between the board and the community you serve. Not quite Jerry Springer, but sometimes pretty close.
The culture and atmosphere at Board meetings these days is very different, and thankfully different in a good way. It is refreshing to see and work with a board that is polite, professional, and respectful of each other and all of those you interact with. While every board member deserves credit for these positive changes, I would like to specifically thank our outgoing board member Marilyn Beck and president Coleen Snow for their efforts in bringing about the positive changes that have occurred under their tenure. Marilyn was instrumental in weeding through and making sense of the financial aspects of the school budget and spent countless hours on the board and audit committee untangling the financial knots.
Coleen’s training, skills, and experience as a social worker no doubt enabled her to influence how we all interact, debate, and support one another for the common goal of educating our children. We remind our members often that this current board, under the leadership of Coleen Snow is one of the most supportive, respectful, and transparent boards we have seen in many years, and they get things done. It is wonderful to feel valued and supported, which we do, and for that the PCT thanks you.
When Kelly and I began our tenure as co-presidents of the PCT we had no prior experience and it was, most often, overwhelming. What we appreciated most was that we never felt ignored or taken advantage of by the board of ed. We asked to meet with Coleen on several occasions to discuss specific issues or concerns. She always made time for us. Of course, things did not always go the way we felt they should, but we did truly feel that our concerns were taken seriously and would at least be considered and discussed. That is huge for us as we continue to try to build an atmosphere of trust and respect within our membership and with the administration and board. Coleen worked very hard to create such a respectful, responsive board and we sincerely appreciate that.
As Coleen moves on to her next chapter in life, we wish her all the best. We will continue to work hard to preserve the spirit of cooperation and professionalism she has instilled. While we selfishly wish she would stay on, we understand her desire to use her exceptional leadership skills to help in other areas of the wonderful town of Pawling. Coleen’s ability to remain fair, reasonable, and objective will be an asset to whatever job, committee or board she chooses to become involved in.
We have to share, but that is ok, as we believe that we remain in good hands with the veterans of the board as well as our talented new members.
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Marge Schweizer
Pawling Congress of Teachers
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Endorsement and Nomination.
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Coleen Snow received a unanimous endorsement on May 3, 2018 by the Pawling Town Democratic Committee. The Democratic nomination was then confirmed after Coleen ran unopposed in the primary election on September 13, 2018.
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Camille Ludington.
Dear Fellow Pawling Residents,
I am writing on behalf of Coleen Snow, a woman I feel is a strong candidate for the Pawling Town Board. I have known Coleen for over 15 years in many different capacities, as a parent, social worker, Christ Church Nursery School Board member and PCSD board member.
Coleen has always been someone with strong values, dedication and commitment, to her family and to the Pawling community. Her hard work on the different boards she has served on shows her responsibility to what is right and in the best interest of the people of Pawling. Coleen takes pride in the work she does, whether it is her job or her volunteer positions. I have had to call upon her in many different situations, and she will always give support and direction in a positive, professional manner.
I believe that her background in serving our community in volunteer positions as well as her professional background would benefit the Pawling Town Board and the Pawling community.
Thank you,
Camille Ludington
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Primary Victory & Nomination.
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Coleen Snow received enough support and signatures among Pawling's registered Independence Voters to create a write-in primary. At that primary on September 13, 2018 Coleen received a significant majority of the write-in votes and all of the absentee votes.
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September 25, 2018 the Dutchess County Board of Elections confirmed Coleen Snow the winner of the primary and secured her spot on the Independence Party line for November 6, 2018.
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