Mount Vernon – Mount Vernon Mayor-Elect Shawyn Patterson-Howard is wasting no time after her historic win in November. The first woman elected mayor in Mount Vernon and the first woman of color elected mayor in Westchester County has gathered a hand-picked team of committed residents and community stakeholders with deep roots in Mount Vernon to lead her transition team. Its goal is to vet potential candidates for high-level positions and provide key recommendations for city departments. The transition team has been organized into six committees that will address Public Safety, Economic Development, Government Operations & Finance, Health & Human Services, Public Works & Infrastructure, and Education & Workforce Development.
Informal transition planning has already ensued. Soon after Election Day, Mayor-Elect Patterson-Howard met with members of the current administration to fully grasp the issues and challenges currently facing Mount Vernon. The formation of this transition team provides a formal structure to evaluate those specific issues and propose actionable recommendations that can be adopted in the first quarter of 2020.
“We were very intentional in selecting chairs of the committee,” Mayor-Elect Patterson-Howard shares with Black Westchester. “We believe they have the local, regional and statewide relationships and systems-level thinking that will benefit Mount Vernon’s future.”
Former Mount Vernon City Council member and life-long resident, Steven Horton, will lead the transition as Director of the Executive Committee. All inquiries related to the operational aspects of the transition can be sent to Mr. Horton at transition@mayorsph.com.
“Our entire transition team will be very reflective of our community and stakeholders’ needs,” SPH continues.
Executive Committee consists of:
Director
Steven Horton (Former Mount Vernon City Councilman)
Public Safety
Charles Gardner (Former Yonkers Police Commissioner)
Health & Human Services
Henry Wilson (YCOP Executive Director)
Government Operations & Finance
County Legislator Lyndon Williams
Economic Development
Dr. Marsha Gordon (President/CEO of The Business Council of Westchester)
Public Works & Infrastructure
James Finch (former Mount Vernon DPW Commissioner)
Education & Workforce Development
Dr. Brenda Smith (former Mount Vernon Superintendent of Schools)
General inquiries may be directed to info@mayorsph.com. People interested in joining the Patterson-Howard administration should head to our new website and submit resumes for job consideration or if you are interested in volunteering.
“Our transition team will be both inward-facing and outward-facing as we continually seek input from the community on changes in policy, programs, and systems,” Patterson-Howard shared with BW in closing.
Mayor-Elect Shawyn Patterson-Howard informs Black Westchester that she looks forward to establishing an administration built upon professionalism and collaboration, one that the people of Mount Vernon deserve.
