Press Release
MAYOR KYRIACOU APPOINTS DIVERSE POLICE CHIEF SEARCH COMMITTEE
Beacon, NY:Mayor Lee Kyriacou announced the creation of a diverse Police Chief Search Committee, to recruit, screen and recommend candidates for Beacon Police Chief.The Mayor appointed Councilmember Terry Nelson as chair, along with twelve additional members to represent the community, police and city.
The Mayor’s announcement creating and appointing the search committee occurred at the July 27th City Council workshop.Mayor Kyriacou moved quickly to begin the transition process after the retirement of Police Chief Kevin Junjulas and Captain Gary Fredericks, who served their final day on July 7th. The City Council approved the Mayor’s appointment of former Beacon Police Lieutenant William Cornett as Acting Chief of July 6th.At the Mayor’s request, At Large Councilmembers Amber Grant and George Mansfield screened executive search firms and recommended Public Sector Search, a firm with a strong history of identifying diverse candidates.On July 20th, the City Council approved the engagement of Public Sector Search to assist in a nationwide search for Beacon’s Chief of Police.
Search Committee Chair Nelson and the full committee will guide Public Sector Search on what the community is looking for, and Public Sector Search will closely support the committee to identify, screen and present the right candidates.
Mayor Kyriacou stated:“We are committed to finding the best possible candidate through an open and transparent process. I have full confidence that Chairman Nelson will lead an open and inclusive search.”
Committee Chair Nelson Added:“With great diversity comes great ideas. I’m honored to Chair the Police Chief Search Committee. We have a wonderfully representative group of people who will work hard to find the best candidate for Beacon, and the public will play a key role in the process.”
The City of Beacon Police Chief Search Committee consists of:
Chair:
1.Terry Nelson – Councilmember Ward 1
Community Participants:
2.Deborah Felder – school guidance counselor; involved in local NAACP chapter
3.Deacon Marty Mayeski – Saint John’s the Evangelist; Lewis Tompkins Hose Chaplain
4.Pastor John Perez – Faith Temple Church of God in Christ
5.John Rembert – former City Councilmember; retired U.S. Army veteran; ordained clergyman
6.Molly Rhodes – director, Teach for America
7.Stefon Seward – Beacon High School graduate; co-founder Beacon for Black Lives
City Participants:
8.Air Rhodes – Councilmember Ward 2
9.Michael Deane – Chair, Human Relations Commission
10.Sands Frost – Beacon Police Lieutenant
11.William Cornett – Beacon Acting Chief of Police
12.Anthony Ruggiero – City Administrator
13.Gina Basile – Human Resources Director
About the City of Beacon:
Beacon, New York is located on the eastern shore of the Hudson River 60 miles north of New York City, with a population of 15,000. Originally a Native American settlement, the area was purchased from the Wappinger Tribe in 1683 and settled by Dutch and other Europeans, leading to the riverfront community of Fishkill Landing on the Hudson, and the mill community of Matteawan on Fishkill Creek. The two communities were incorporated together as the City of Beacon in 1913, named for the Revolutionary War signal fires on Mount Beacon. Beacon thrived as a 19th and 20th Century factory city, but as factories closed after WWII and the local economy declined, the city went through a period of hard times. Today, Beacon has successfully reinvented itself as a 21st Century river community centered around tourism, the arts and access to the scenic Hudson River heritage area. A diverse and thriving small city, it is now home to DIA:Beacon (one of the largest exhibition spaces in the country for modern and contemporary art), a network of Hudson River parks connecting to Fishkill Creek and Mount Beacon trails, and a vibrant historic Main Street of art galleries, shops, cultural venues and restaurants.
# # #
One Municipal Plaza | Beacon, NY 12508 | CityofBeacon.org
Facebook.com/BeaconNY | Twitter @CityofBeacon