(Nyack, NY) — Governor Andrew Cuomo has endorsed Village of Nyack Trustee Jen Laird-White’s candidacy for Mayor.

“I am endorsing Jen Laird White as the next Mayor of Nyack because of her vision and commitment to improving the quality of life for all residents in the community,” said Cuomo. “I am delighted that she has taken her extraordinary skills into public service.”

“I am honored to receive Governor’s Cuomo’s endorsement,” Laird-White said. “I look forward to working with the Governor to advance the interests of the Village of Nyack.”

On September 13, 2011, Jen Laird-White won the Democratic Mayoral Primary for Village of Nyack. She is currently the Deputy Mayor and a Trustee for the Rockland county river village.

Congressman Eliot Engel has graciously endorsed Jen White for Mayor.

Rockland County Democratic Committee chair Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky announcing the Committee’s endorsement of Jen White for Mayor of Nyack.

Kristen says:

I am proud to endorse Jen White for Mayor of the Village of Nyack. Jen’s vision and intellect will ensure Nyack is well positioned to weather this difficult financial climate and face future challenges. Jen listens, cares, and works collaboratively with the Board, village businesses, and residents. Jen White is the right choice for Nyack’s future.

New York State Assemblymember Ellen Jaffe endorsed Democratic candidate Jen White for Mayor of Nyack.

Nyack Farmers Market.

With this letter we wish to express our unconditional endorsement of Jen White for Mayor of Nyack. While we have enjoyed serving with Richard Kavesh on the Village Board it has become evident to us all that in order to move Nyack forward in these difficult times, we need a proven, effective consensus building leader.

From our experience working with both, we are confident that leader is Jen White.

Doug Foster, Village Trustee
Steve Knowlton, Village Trustee
Louise Parker, Village Trustee

We, the undersigned merchants in Nyack, support Jen White’s candidacy to be the next mayor of Nyack.

In coming to this decision, we recognize the symbiotic relationship between the downtown merchants and our residential community.  We see the health of our business community as an essential component of Nyack’s ability to move forward.  Similarly, we recognize the importance of the residential community to our businesses.  Both the business and residential communities must be healthy in order for Nyack to move forward.

Over the past several years we have watched Nyack and other similar small villages struggle.  The Internet age, the reality of our economy and international competition has required villages like Nyack to change in order to survive.  While we are saddened that Nyack can not survive as it once was, we are enthusiastic about the future of the village, providing we are willing to make some adjustments in order to thrive.

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By John Shields

I am writing on behalf of three former Mayors of Nyack — Terry Hekker, Nancy Blaker Weber and myself — to endorse Jen White for mayor in the 2011 election.

OFFICIALLY, the Village of Nyack position of mayor is part-time.  However, at this critical point in time it is our opinion that we need someone who is available to take care of daily village business, such as meeting with police, merchants and community groups.

These meetings typically usually take place during the day.

In addition, recent catastrophic events, such as the flash flooding, in July, affecting downtown Main Street and Catherine Street, resulted in damage and hardship for residents and merchants.  This pointed up the need for an executive who is able to respond quickly.  Jen was there.

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We, the undersigned, would like to give our endorsement to Nyack Mayoral candidate Jen White in the Democratic Primary on September 13th.

We are a group of parents, teachers and children’s advocates who have been involved with helping kids for years.  We can tell you, without reservation, that long before she sought elected office, Jen has been dedicated to the well being and improved circumstances of children in our community.  While not all of us live in Nyack, we are all involved with the children of Nyack.

Whether building the Children’s Garden at Upper Nyack Elementary School, creating park programs that teach kids about nature and science or raising funds for a Kids Gardens in Memorial Park, Jen is tireless in her desire for all children to have a hand in nature.

By helping to encourage and establish rowing, boxing and other athletic programs for kids, Jen champions the needs of all of the children in our area, rich, poor, young or almost ready to become adults. Jen works overtime to improve circumstances of all of our youth.  Her ideas for kids seem endless and instead of just talking about it, Jen rolls up her sleeves and makes it happen.

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I have a new appreciation for shelter having spent the summer outside sketching Nyack. The heat, the rain, the wind, the insects and the man made plague, the car, have challenged my every day. I have somehow managed to turn art making into an endurance sport. I was not deterred by any of these adversities, but my awareness of the vicissitudes of the outdoors has been acutely heightened by this project.

One soggy morning in early August, on the third straight day of rain, my eye caught the Bell Tower of St. Ann’s church, stopping me in my tracks, despite the inclement weather. The gray sky as a back drop held the tower in sharp relief, as if the building itself had been placed on a matt for framing. The diffused light allowed my eye to trace the contours of the bell inside the tower. I felt as though I could reach out and touch the course black iron of the tower’s bell and feel the thickness and the cold of the metal. But I couldn’t sit and draw from curb side as I normally do. The rain would have turned my paper into pulp and my ink lines into water color. That’s when I saw a yard sign in front of the house I was standing next to that shouted in green text on a white back drop: Jen White for Mayor.

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As I read the great post by Kris Burns I must say I have had a similarly inspiring experience working with Jen on the environment – specifically the Hudson River. Taking stewardship of our river – making Nyack a premier, forward thinking community can become a reality if Jen is elected. Already with Jen’s enthusiasm – stopping stormwater and sewage pollution has become a priority and we have gathered incredible expertise to make some dramatic changes, raise public awareness and mirror these changes in village government.

Having a healthy river that we can safely swim and fish in would be a dream for all- we are not too far from that with inspired leadership. After every meeting with Jen I feel we can accomplish amazing, fantastic things. I am always struck by her openness, intelligence and excitement for what can be accomplished. Imagine a healthy vibrant waterfront – the possibilities are endless..