Patricia Maher appointed to Walden Village Board

By Connor Linskey
Posted 4/14/21

At last Tuesday’s Walden Village Board meeting, Patricia Maher was introduced as a Walden trustee.

“I thought long and hard on this and I couldn’t have thought of a better …

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Patricia Maher appointed to Walden Village Board

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At last Tuesday’s Walden Village Board meeting, Patricia Maher was introduced as a Walden trustee.

“I thought long and hard on this and I couldn’t have thought of a better person to fit the trustee position,” said Walden Mayor John Ramos regarding Maher’s appointment.

When Ramos approached Maher about the trustee position, she was both surprised and excited.

“I’ve always wanted to be a trustee for the village and sit on the board,” she said. “I honestly just never had the time to. As a working mother, I’ve got kids in sports and involved in activities. I’m also juggling my volunteer activities with [Hudson Valley] Honor Flight and everything else. So just adding one more thing to my plate kind of wasn’t an option for me at the time, so I never really ran for trustee.”

Maher added that since the COVID-19 pandemic began she has had more time on her hands, which has allowed her to take on the role of Walden trustee. As a lifelong resident of the Village of Walden, Maher noted that she is thoroughly invested in the community.

As a trustee, Maher aims to work to fill Walden’s vacant storefronts. She has already reached out to Amanda Dana, the Orange County Tourism director, and Bill Fioravanti, the economic development director for Orange County, asking for advice on how to occupy the storefronts and retain those businesses.

Maher has a huge passion for music and the arts. Being a part of theater and dance programs were some of her favorite childhood memories. She grew up right down the road from Samuel E. Wright, an actor and singer best known as the voice of Sebastian the crab in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” In addition, Maher added that music and the arts is an important part of Walden, as the village is home to the New York School of Music as well as the Hudson Valley Conservatory. She is looking forward to exploring avenues to help increase the growth for the village’s arts-based businesses to ensure that Walden stands out as a village of the arts in Orange County.

“I know it is Mr. Wright’s wish to see an amphitheater built right here in the village and I look forward to helping make that become a reality,” Maher said. Maher was part of the planning team to develop a health and wellness initiative for the Town of Montgomery called Move Well Montgomery. Since being diagnosed with Lupus seven years ago, she has made changes to ensure that she is eating a balanced, nutritious diet and exercising regularly.

“I learned not to take one day for granted and to do whatever you can to live your best life,” Maher said about living with Lupus. “I would love to take the lead on this project [Move Well Montgomery] for Walden to help our residents make small changes that can truly impact their lives in a positive, healthy way.”

Maher is running for Orange County Legislator, District 17. She noted that if she is elected to that position, she will continue to serve as a trustee in the Village of Walden.

“Honestly, this [Walden trustee] is almost more important to me than legislator,” she said. “This is my hometown. This is where I lay my head to sleep every night.”
As a trustee, Maher cannot wait to make an impact in her new position.

“Walden is already such a great place to live and raise a family,” she said. “I know if we work hard and most importantly work together, we can continue to make it even better.”