This statement was provided by Democratic town council candidate Maura Curtin, who is also on the Serve America Movement line.

I want to thank every voter who has taken the time to speak with me during this campaign. I have knocked on hundreds of my neighbors’ doors and introduced myself to commuters at the train station to share why I am running for town council. Pelham is a very special community, and I’ve found that all of us feel fortunate to call this wonderful place home.

I grew up in Mount Vernon and my family settled in Chester Park in 2014, when my husband Charlie and I bought a home perfectly suited for our young daughter, as well as my 84-year-old father. Service has always been a hallmark of my family. My dad is a retired deputy fire chief; my brother Robert is a fire lieutenant; my grandfather and great grandfather were firefighters; and my sister is a nurse. After the sudden death of my mother, I became a volunteer grief facilitator for the Bereavement Center of Westchester. I volunteered with the American Red Cross in downtown Manhattan for months after 9/11. I am, at my core, a community organizer, logging hours of service with the PTA (I was elected to site-based council in 2018), Pelham Together, the Chester Park Association, the Pelham Newcomers Club, and the community engagement committee for the Board of Education. I am also a member of St. Catharine’s Church and have been a class mom at Hutchinson for three consecutive years. In 2017, my daughter entered kindergarten and I teamed up with a bipartisan group of like-minded parents to pass a bond for a new state-of-the-art elementary school that will serve generations to come.

I hold a BA in Political Science from Fordham University and am the Managing Director for New York State Senator Alessandra Biaggi’s Political Committee. Prior to my work with our Senator, I was a Marketing Executive for various media and internet companies including; iVillage, MySpace, Conde Nast, and Tumblr. With more than two decades of experience in digital best practices, e-commerce, negotiation, budgeting, business development, direct marketing, public relations, and fundraising, I am confident that I would be an asset to the Pelham Town Council.

As town council member, I will pursue expanding programs and opportunities for our seniors and youth, making sure to simultaneously develop new revenue streams that do not further burden taxpayers. For example, Westchester County offers grants and programming to towns with a youth bureau. Working with fellow Council members and the dedicated employees of our town, I will explore opening a Pelham youth bureau, incorporating the important work of Pelham Together and our Recreation Department. I will also look for ways in which the town’s resources can help parents when school is closed and most workplaces remain open. A program such as this, similar to Tiny Tots in the summer, could generate revenue for the town. And after recently meeting with the Pelham seniors, I’m committed to identifying a dedicated space for them to use daily while offering them more programs, services, and opportunities to connect.

These proposals emerge not only from conversations with residents concerning what’s needed, but from my practical political experience. I regularly attend meetings where elected officials gather to share best practices and effective solutions. That’s an invaluable resource for ideas about how to address Pelham’s changing needs. For example, a recent New York State audit found our town was lacking a comprehensive IT governance policy or disaster-recovery procedures. While I trust this reflects a lack of information, not a dearth of caring, it’s indicative of the reality that times are changing, and new approaches are required to address today’s challenges, and tomorrow’s.

I will work closely with stakeholders and the community on these and other ideas, including expanded, easier-to-use municipal information on a mobile-friendly, ADA-compliant website. I’ll also put to work for Pelham the relationships I’ve built with New York elected officials and their teams, including Senator Gillibrand, Congressman Engel, County Executive Latimer, Assemblywoman Paulin, and County Legislator Clements, as well as Senator Biaggi.

I am proud to have earned the endorsements of those officials, as well as former Pelham Mayor Michael Volpe, the SAM Party, and VoteMama (a group dedicated to supporting mothers running for office). My running mate, Kristen Burke, and I are both committed to representing the entire town. Everyone who calls the Village and the Manor home, of all backgrounds and parties, is part of the beautiful character of our town. I believe that working together, we are the best choice to serve ​Pelham Now.