Who They Are: Profiles of Our Elected Officials

This week: Town of Mamaroneck Councilwoman Judy Myers
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Town of Mamaroneck Councilwoman Judy Myers

(January 13, 2002) Passion. It's all about passion.

Judy Myers is passionate about community. She told the Gazette about the "step-by-step progression" of events that led to her heavy involvement in local politics and community service. It all started, according to Myers, in Belgium.

Belgium?

Myers, a native of Philadelphia, grew up in New Canaan, CT and went to Lewis and Clark College in Oregon. She worked in advertising in New York City, before moving with her family to Brussels in 1985. Like most of the wives of American businessmen in Belgium, Myers couldn't get a work permit. So she volunteered instead, working with the semi-professional American Theater Company as a board member and actor. Back in Westchester in 1988, Myers kept volunteering, this time with the Murray Avenue PTA and the Junior League (two terms as president). The Junior League work broadened her focus, Myers said, because the local chapter covers the whole Sound Shore area, from New Rochelle to Port Chester.

Myers was president of the Murray Avenue PTA when the sixth grades from Murray and Mamaroneck Avenue were moved to the Hommocks. Proud of her work making that transition go as smoothly as possible, she remembered, "It wasn't easy. There were many different constituent groups, and we met with a fair amount of resistance, because the move flew in the face of the neighborhood school concept. But we made it a growth and learning experience for everybody."

In 1997, Myers ran for a seat on the Town of Mamaroneck Board. She lost. Never one to spend much time idle, she joined the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Local Summit, a volunteer citizen's action group. At the time, Myers was beginning to see a need for local teens to have more of a voice in community affairs, so she developed the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Youth Council, which she still leads. Working with the Town of Mamaroneck Recreation Department's Toni Ann Guagliano, Myers encourages Youth Council members to identify needs in the community and find solutions, especially drug/alcohol-free recreational activities for teens.

Myers is especially proud of her work with R.A.D.A.R. (Responsible Action Drug Alcohol Resource), a drug and alcohol counseling program at Mamaroneck High School. "Helene Fremder, the drug and alcohol counselor, has been just amazing," Myers said. "We also have a new program called Safe Homes, to encourage parents to sign a contract not to allow underage drinking in their homes. It's a national program, and MHS is part of it now."

In 1999, Myers's dream of serving on the Town Board came true. She was appointed to fill a vacancy on the five-person Board, and was elected in her own right in 2000. She is liaison to the Town Traffic Committee, Board of Architectural Review, Board of Assessment Review and the Cable TV Board of Control.

Myers hadn't been in office long before the Town Board was faced with a huge challenge: the proposed Ikea development on the New Rochelle/Larchmont border. "I'm proud to have helped to fight and win the battle against Ikea, which took so much time and energy and sheer willpower," she said.

But her passion remains centered on the needs of the Town's teenagers. September's Battle of the Bands, a popular concert series at Harbor Island Park, brought over 300 fans and six bands together in what Myers called a "positive, safe environment." Working with the Village of Mamaroneck, the Town Recreation Department and R.A.D.A.R., Myers helped to get the Battle of the Bands project started three years ago. "It's a big success," she said. "We need to support and protect our youth. I feel so passionate about groups like R.A.D.A.R."

There's that word again. Passion. Naturally, Myers plans to run for office again in 2003. If elected, she wants to continue working on development of the Maxwell/Madison Avenue area, including more parking for the area near the Washington Square apartments. "I also want to see the Town work with the Village of Larchmont to preserve open space and develop more playing fields," she said. Concerned about the rising tax burden facing local residents, Myers points to the low tax increases during her tenure and plans to continue working toward keeping our taxes as low as possible.

Another passion these days is a Summit program aimed at pre-school children who haven't had the advantage of formal pre-school experience. "Many of these kids have been plunked down in front of a t.v. for hours on end, and then they're expected to be on par with kids who've been going go pre-school for a couple of years," Myers said. "These kids are just like sponges, so ready to learn."

She and Lynn Reichgott became involved with the Parent-Child Home Program, which trains parents of 3-5-year-olds to get their children ready for school. Myers is currently working on securing a grant for future funding for the program.

In her rare free time, Myers enjoys tennis, cross-country skiing, and taking care of her Golden Retriever, J.J. The dog is also a community activist, going with Myers to Head Start classes at the CAP Center, where she helps the children learn how to behave around animals. "We help the kids learn not to be afraid of animals, but to respect them. Some of the kids are scared and won't even approach J.J., but by the end of the program, they're grooming her for me! It's one of the most fun things I've ever done."

We have contacted all of the elected leaders in the Village and the Town, and the profiles will appear in the order in which the interviews were conducted. Check back frequently for more profiles.

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