Candidate Profile: Ellen Calves For Bedford Town Supervisor

BEDFORD, NY — In 2021's general election, residents of the Hudson Valley will be voting for local officials. In anticipation, Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Ellen Calves is seeking election as the Bedford Supervisor in November. The 49-year-old is running as a Democrat.

Learn more about Claves on friends-of-ellen-calves.com

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Ellen Calves:

Family

Heberto Calves (husband); three children Emma 26, Evan 19, Nina 17

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education

University of Notre Dame, BA in Government and International Relations; Emory University School of Law, JD.

Occupation

Nonprofit Director/Administrator (9 years); former attorney and fund manager

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Town Board Member and Deputy Supervisor

Why are you seeking elective office?

As Deputy Supervisor and a former nonprofit director, I love serving our residents, protecting what we love about our town, and moving us forward. Having been a leader in accomplishing our environmental goals, leading the police reform effort, and helping residents during COVID, I know that I bring the leadership and vision we need for a strong future. I want to do more to formulate our plans and drive forward our goals to maintain our beautiful town while improving our infrastructure, protecting our waterways, preserving land; filling up our storefronts and improving housing options; improving communications, being more welcoming to all, and making sure that all voices are heard.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

There are so many things we can accomplish together, but to do that we need to improve communication. Communication needs to help people come together to understand where we are, where we need to go, and give people an opportunity to weigh in on how we are going to get there. Opportunities to attend meetings and get involved need to be welcoming and inclusive. Opportunities to participate in town programs, get a question answered, or to apply for a permit needs to be clear, easy and accessible to everyone. I intend to work with the Town Board and department heads to develop goals and a communication strategy and then implement the policies and tools we need on the town website, newsletter, bulletin boards, via PR, and on social media to achieve them.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My vision of Bedford is both for now and the future, and I have the strategic, legal, financial, and community organizing background to take on a diverse set of goals, build consensus, and get things done. I will not only protect what we love about our semi-rural character and hold the line on taxes, I will also prepare us for a more sustainable and resilient future. I will make sure we have a plan for emergency preparedness including cell coverage and electric grid stability. We will improve energy efficiency and upgrade infrastructure to be more resilient in the face of climate change. We will support more housing options to help our seniors age in place. We will look at long term economic and community vibrancy in our hamlets by supporting libraries and helping create a liaison organization to enable partnerships between businesses, organizations and the town.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

As a member of the Town Board I know how important it is to have a leader in the Supervisor's seat driving forward the Town Board's agenda, communicating well with the public, involving stakeholders, working closely with the department heads to move projects ahead, and responding to residents. I challenged the sitting Supervisor in the Democratic Primary because I found this kind of leadership lacking and I want to offer my abilities and vision as a leader to move us forward.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I am proud to have been able to serve our community during the pandemic as a member of the Bedford Town Board. It has been a difficult time and I believe under Chris Burdick's leadership in 2020 we responded quickly and in a variety of ways during the lockdown that helped people get through this difficult time. I organized a resource guide for the community during the lockdown and recruited over 100 volunteers to help people who needed food and medicine. I worked with the Community Center to deliver masks and worked with local restaurants to expand outdoor dining and close the street for the sidewalk sale. I organized a bike event and helped manage the budget, open the pools and camps, and not lay off town employees. Supervisor Chris Burdick brought in a testing site and this year Supervisor MaryAnn Carr brought in a vaccination site, both valuable resources during a time when some of our residents cannot easily travel down county.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As the Program Director at Bedford 2030 I organized community programs, passed policies, and worked with residents, businesses, houses of worship, town government, and schools to achieve ambitious climate action goals. Prior to that I worked at a fund investing in large scale projects and worked in environmental law. From these experiences and community work, I know how to build consensus around public initiatives; I know how to navigate complex legal and financial deals; I know what goes into managing a budget and an organization; I know how to listen and learn from people with differing view points, and I know how to get things done in Bedford.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

At a time of frustration, I was reminded that everything leads to something. This advice helps me remember that putting ourselves out there in ways that are meaningful or just in ways that are necessary, they all lead to new windows of opportunity. This advice helps me keep moving forward and reminds me to try to learn from every experience, no matter how small, unplanned, or seemingly insignificant.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

By my actions every day, I work to perpetuate a reality where we care for one another and leave the world a better place for future generations. As Town Supervisor I will continue to be driven by this philosophy to make Bedford better for everyone who lives here now and in the future.

Find information about absentee and early voting here: Election 2021: New Systems For Early Voting In Westchester. To find all your candidates, as well as statewide, county and local propositions, follow the links offered by the Board of Elections:

• View the 2021 General Election Candidates List.
• View the 2021 General Election State Propositions.
• View the 2021 General Election County and Local Propositions.