Tuesday, February 15, 2011

CANAL CORPORATION HEAD RESIGNS

Canal communities like Gasport must have solid working relationships with the Canal Authority for the preservation and betterment of existing facilities, equipment and attractions. A lot of canalside communities were impressed with its director Carmella Mantello. It was announced just over a week ago that she's stepping down. Here's what the Saratogian newspaper says about her replacement:


As Schenectady loses a mayor to the state’s Canal Corp., the woman he is replacing in the position could possibly become the new mayor of Troy.

Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton will be recommended as the new director of the state’s Canal Corp., according to a state press release.

The current director and Troy resident Carmella Mantello is helping him during the transition, she said. And even though the Collar City has been abuzz with rumors of her possible run for mayor, she did not substantiate that possibility.

Mantello has served as director of the state’s Canal Corp. since May 2005. In 1999, she campaigned to become Troy’s mayor but lost to Mark Pattison. She is also a former member of the Troy City Council.

Stratton was elected mayor of Schenectady in 2004. He represented District 2 in the Schenectady County Legislature for two years and was a Schenectady City Council member at-large from 1992 to 2002, officials said.

He served as the economic development and small business liaison to the state Senate minority leader from 2000 to 2003. He worked at Empire State Development in the Office of Science, Technology, and Academic Research for 13 years. After graduating from SUNY Oswego, he began his career at General Electric in 1981 where he worked in the cable television and broadcasting department in Schenectady and later moved to the corporate government relations department in Washington, D.C.

“The choice of Mayor Stratton as director of the Canal Corporation is an excellent one,” said Thomas Grasso, president of the Canal Society. “He is a well-respected community leader and strong supporter of New York state’s storied waterway. Therefore, to have a man of his stature and leadership abilities in this role bodes well for the future of the canal, and I am very confident he will robustly advance the goals and objectives of our magnificent canal system not only for the betterment of the canal system and the state, but for the people of New York as well.”


Read the entire article here:

http://saratogian.com/articles/2011/02/09/news/doc4d535deebdaba943463618.txt