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Supervisor Clifford "Kippy" WeigeltKippy comes from a family of small business owners. As a young man he worked for his father at the family's bagged soils business, "Swiss Farms". There, Kippy learned the ins and outs of business management. He learned the value of good work ethic, the importance of budgeting and finance management, and perhaps most importantly how to treat customers and employees with respect. Today, Kippy is part-owner and manager of the family business, now known as "Growmax". The business, one of three Kippy has owned, employs approximately 25 local residents.
As a small business owner, Kippy appreciates the impact government can have on a business’ bottom line. High taxes and fees mean less money for the business to pay wages and less money for investment and expansion. At the same time, he understands the value small businesses bring to the town, in the form of jobs, services, and tax revenue. Kippy was elected to the Claverack Town Council in 2003 and Claverack Town Supervisor in 2013. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Columbia County Government Committee, and is a member of the Columbia County Public Safety, Finance, and Public Works committees, as well as the Columbia County Board of Supervisor's Pine Haven Sub-Committee, and Airport Sub-Committee. |
Email Stephen
518-813-2516 |
Deputy Supervisor Stephen HookSince moving to Claverack over three decades ago, Stephen has been actively involved in his community. Through organizations like the Federation of Polish Sportsmen, the Claverack Republican Club, and the Claverack Fire Company, Stephen contributes many hours to projects and programs that enrich the lives of town residents.
As a past member and Chairman of the Town of Claverack Planning Board, Stephen worked to protect the rights of property owners, while balancing the needs of the greater community. He demands transparency and fairness and strives to find common ground to satisfy the needs of all interested parties, while working within the confines of the law. Elected to the Claverack Town Council in 2013, Stephen currently serves as liaison to the town Assessor's Office, Building Inspectors, Clerk's Office, Highway Department, Planning Board, Youth/Parks, and Buildings & Property. |
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Town Councilman George DuntzGeorge Duntz was elected to the Claverack Town Board in 2019. Following in the footsteps of his Grandfather, former Columbia County Coroner, County Clerk and Hudson Supervisor Don Tkacy, George understands the obligation to give back to the community and serve the community in anyway that you can.
George's education is in Criminal Justice and Sociology. In 1998, he earned an Associates in Applied Science in Criminal Justice from Herkimer Community College, and then a Bachelor of Science in 2000 from the State University at Oneonta. He's worked for the New York State Office of Children and Family Services for the past 19 years. George resides in Claverack with his wife Kate, and two sons Kameron and Jared. |
Email Doug
518-965-6785 |
Town Councilman Doug ColwellBorn and raised in Columbia County, Doug is a former elementary school teacher, recently retired Sergeant with the New York State Police and a member of the Town of Claverack Zoning Board of Appeals.
A graduate of Hudson High School, Doug attended Columbia-Greene Community College majoring in Criminal Justice, before going on to earn a Bachelors in Science from SUNY New Paltz, where he majored in Elementary Education with a minor in Sociology. In 1995, Doug began a career in education at the Germantown Central School where he was employed as an elementary school teacher. In 1999, he was hired to serve as the Director of Greene County Head Start. As Director, he oversaw five locations within Greene County and was responsible for budgeting, staff & curriculum development, grant writing and community and family outreach programs. Doug always dreamed of serving his community as a police officer and in 2000, he got that chance when he was called to join the ranks of the New York State Police. Doug's service as a Trooper was spent primarily here in Columbia County, but in 2014 he was named Assistant Canine Coordinator for the State's canine program. As Assistance Canine Coordinator, Doug oversaw the daily operations, maintenance and security of the State's canine training facility in Cooperstown. This role also required Doug to maintain the training and certification objectives for over 100 New York State Police Canine Teams and approximately 50 canine teams from outside agencies. This experience and vast responsibility helped to hone Doug's organizational, planning and leadership skills and afforded him the opportunity to work with multiple local, state and federal agencies within and outside of New York. In June of 2020, Doug retired. Being retired, Doug has the unique ability to serve the town in a nearly fulltime capacity as needed. He is eager to put his experience and work ethic to use serving as Town Councilman. Doug resides in Hollowville with his wife Darcy, daughter Alexandra and son Zachary. |
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Town Councilman Gene HallenbeckGene Hallenbeck is a dedicated public servant with a lifelong commitment to community and service. With a distinguished career as a New York State Trooper and a deep-rooted connection to Claverack, Gene brings a wealth of experience and a strong sense of responsibility to the Town Board.
He began his career as a New York State Trooper at the former Claverack State Police Barracks in 1987. Throughout his 32-year career, he took on many critical deployments, including a response to New York City on the night of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. His unwavering dedication to serving and protecting the people of New York has left a lasting legacy. Gene and his wife, Audrey, have been residents of Claverack for the past 30 years. Audrey, a retired school teacher, and their two daughters reflect a family deeply committed to the community. One daughter is a nurse in the Emergency Department at Albany Medical Center, while the other is pursuing her master's degree in epidemiology. |
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Town Clerk/Tax Collector Mary Jeanne HooseA lifelong resident of Claverack, Mary Jeanne Hoose has served as Claverack Town Clerk since 1993.
Mary Jeanne is the coordinator of the Mellenville-Philmont Food Pantry, a member of the Columbia County Town Clerks Association, the New York State Town Clerks Association, the Philmont Community Choir, and the Philmont Santa Claus Club. She also serves on the consistory at the 2nd Reformed Church of Claverack. With over 20 years of experience, knowledge, and history serving as Town Clerk, Mary Jeanne provides the institutional knowledge necessary to run an effective and efficient town government. In addition to her duties as Town Clerk, Mary Jeanne is also a Notary Public and serves as Town Tax Collector. Customer service is important to Mary Jeanne. She makes herself available to anyone in the community who needs her assistance; even meeting with residents during off-hours to ensure their needs are met. |
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Town Highway Superintendent Louis LamontWith 30+ years on the job, there simply is no experience like that of Louie Lamont.
Louie was appointed Deputy Claverack Highway Superintendent in 1996, and became Highway Superintendent in 1999. Louie regularly attends Cornell Highway School training programs, and is certified in Highway Safety, Bridge Inspection/Reconstruction, and Storm/Water Damage. He is credited with maintaining safe and smooth roads, while working with the Town Supervisor and Town Board to keep budgets tight and taxes as low as possible. |