John Ramos was appointed deputy mayor of the Village of Walden at the Village Board organizational meeting last Tuesday.

His appointment came after Faith Moore withdrew from the position. She did this to focus on family obligations. Moore will continue to serve Walden as a Village Trustee.

As deputy mayor, Ramos will run Village Board meetings if Mayor Susan Taylor is unable to attend. He is looking forward to his time as deputy mayor.

“We have a great team,” he said. “I want to see the community center being built. I’d like to see Mickey Millspaugh’s park come to fruition. I’m still a trustee and my terms another year and a half. In that timeframe I’m hoping to get those two things either open or pretty much close to open.”

Ramos has been a Village of Walden resident since 2006. He served on the Village of Walden Planning Board from May 2014 until his appointment to the Board of Trustees in Oct. 2015. He has served as a Village Trustee since then.

Wille Carley and Cheryl Baker were introduced during the organizational meeting. They were elected Village of Walden Trustees during this year’s election.

Carley previously served as a Village Trustee from 2010-2013. He left the Board of Trustees to start the Tabernacle of Faith Christian Fellowship, a church in the City of Newburgh. Now that the church is doing well, he now has the time to help out the Village of Walden.
“We have the people in place, we have the resources in place,” Carley said regarding his church. “I believe in volunteerism and so this is my contribution back to my community with a number of other things I do.”

During his tenure, Carley aims to be a voice for the community. He added that he will communicate citizens’ views to the Board.

“I believe that everyone needs a voice,” Carley said. “I do my best to be the voice for those that can’t speak for themselves.”

Carley brings a skillset to the Village that can be leveraged to help its residents. For the past 10 years he has overseen New York and New Jersey for the Emergency Management Program for the Department of Veterans Affairs. At that position, he has gained experience leading people and resources, which is valuable for a Village Trustee.

As a resident for 15 years, Baker ran for a Village Trustee seat because she wanted to make a difference in her community. As an emergency dispatcher for AAA, she has experience with problem solving and quick thinking. These are essential skills for a Village Trustee. She is looking forward to being a voice for Walden’s residents while serving on the Board of Trustees.

“People matter and they should know that,” she said.