RENSSELAER COUNTY LEGISLATURE - Key Persons
Brian has a long track record of public service and to the City of Rensselaer. Most recently he was elected to the Rensselaer County Legislature in 2021 to represent district 6, the City Of Rensselaer. Brian is grateful for the opportunity to serve as they City of Rensselaer representative and to help support the representatives to the best of his ability.
Prior to that, Brian was elected as the Common Council President for 4 years, and was a member of the Common Council for 16 years, of which he was the minority leader for 8 years. During that time Brian was known to be fair and honest representing all the residents of the city. His key legislation during that time was enacting a law to dock pay for elected Common Council members who missed too many meetings.
Brian was a graduate of Hartwick College where he received an BS in Information Science. He is currently employed as a Project Manager at Albany Medical Center and prior to that worked at Bank of America as an Applications Manager and Project Manager for 22 years.
As a new Rensselaer County Legislature Brian will work to make Rensselaer County and The City of Rensselaer the best it can be. Brian brings honest, experience, and energy to this position. If you have questions, concerns, or a vision for what would make our city and county better, Brian would love to hear from you. Brian sits on the Health Committee.
Dan is a lifelong resident of Rensselaer County, residing in the Town of Brunswick with his wife Darlene and their children, Lia and Patrick. He is the son of the former NYS Assemblyman Pat and Mary Casale.
Currently Dan serves as the District Director & Director of Intergovernmental Relations for NYS Senator Jake Ashby. Previously he served as the Director of Constituent Services for NYS Senators Daphne Jordan and Kathy Marchione. Dan also served for 13 years as a Brunswick Town Councilman and has worked in the private industry for 20 plus years in a managerial position for a large construction/aggregate company in the Capital District.
Dan has his Associate Degree from Hudson Valley Community College and a Bachelor's Degree from Utica College of Syracuse University
Dan is active member in several community organizations having served on many Boards and is currently serving on the Hudson Valley Community College Foundation Board and the Commission of Economic Opportunity (CEO) Board.
Dan serves on the following Legislative Committees, Chairman of Education and Environmental Committee's, and serves on the Veterans and Youth Committee. Dan is also Chairman of the Rensselaer County Energy Management Committee.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Deputy Supervisor of the Town of Hoosick
A lifelong resident of Hoosick Falls, Jeffery owns and operates the Wysocki Dairy Farm and has a long history of community and public service.
Jeffery has been the Deputy Supervisor of the Town of Hoosick since January 2011 and served as the Hoosick Chair of the Farmland Protection Committee that established the county Farmland Protection plan to safeguard open space and agricultural properties in the county.
Legislator Ken Zalewski was elected to the Rensselaer County Legislature on November 2, 2021 and took office on January 1, 2022. He serves on three committees of the legislature: the Environment Committee; the Local Government Committee; and the Personnel Committee.
Ken arrived in Troy in 1987 to attend RPI, and never left. In his 34 years in Troy, he has contributed substantially to the city's fabric as a neighborhood leader, community advocate, and long-time public servant.
In 2007, Ken was elected to the City Council to represent the residents of Troy's 5th District. He built his reputation on attentive constituent services and active representation. He regularly utilizes his background in Computer Science as an elected official, combining technology with a strong work ethic in order to make government more accessible, transparent, and efficient for the residents of our city.
Throughout his 10+ years of service to the people of Troy, he has drafted and passed meaningful legislation that has enriched the quality of life for thousands of residents. Legislation such as the Landlord Registry, the Vacant Building Registry, and enhancements to the Nuisance Abatement law continue to be utilized by city officials on a daily basis to improve our neighborhoods.
In his full-time job, Ken works at the New York State Senate managing a group of programmers. He is a past recipient of the Best of New York award for "Excellence in IT Operations, Support, and Service", and his work on the NYSenate.gov public website has earned it the Best Legislative Website in the U.S. award from the National Conference of State Legislatures.
As a first-term county legislator, Ken is already putting his previous legislative experience to use, joining his colleagues to urge the New York State DEC to revoke its permit for the S.A. Dunn landfill to operate in the City of Rensselaer, and drafting and sponsoring legislation to support the Expanded Bottle Bill, which will increase recycling rates and decrease litter and waste in our community.
Herrington has been with the Legislature since 1998. He was also a member of the Legislature from 1982 to 1985, following two terms as a member of the Brunswick Town Board in the 1970s and 1980s. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army where he attained the rank of captain.
As a successful businessman, Leon Fiacco has worked to create jobs and meet daily deadlines and budgets. As a legislator, Leon's focus will be on reducing property taxes, protecting needed services and creating good-paying new jobs.
Leon and his wife Dena teamed up to open Bella Moda on Route 4, which has become one of the fastest growing full-service salons in the Capital Region. Leon also helps manage various commercial properties owned by his family.
Leon's experience creating jobs and building businesses has been recognized by county leaders, who appointed him to serve as a member of the important Capital District Regional Planning Commission, which helps area counties apply for grants, and undertake transportation, infrastructure and economic development projects. Leon also serves as a member of the county Environmental Management Council, which supports open space and recycling efforts, and the North Greenbush comprehensive planning committee.
The Fiacco's have family and friends in each of the communities in District 2. Leon and Dena are the parents of a son, Luciano, and a daughter, Gianna.
Mark serves on the Aging, Agriculture, Planning & Tourism and Public Works Committees.
"I am honored to be chosen to represent the people of Troy on the Rensselaer County Legislature," says Fleming. "I will continue to serve with enthusiasm to promote and maintain a positive business environment in the county. A vibrant business community creates the tax base necessary to provide the services all of our residents deserve.
Job Titles:
- CONTRACTS & AGREEMENTS / Contracts & Agreements
- Minority Leader
- President and Founding Board Member of "Friends of Prospect Park
Peter D. Grimm, re-elected in 2021serves as the Minority Leader of the Rensselaer County Legislature. Representing the City of Troy, Grimm brings an enthusiasm and energy to the city's citizen spirit. An active community volunteer in Troy for decades, he believes in the effectiveness of grassroots participation in community quality-of-life issues.
Grimm is President and founding board member of "Friends of Prospect Park," an organization that has worked to preserve and rejuvenate one of Troy's outstanding natural and recreational resources. He also founded the "Clean Alleys" program, a volunteer effort to make Troy's alleys cleaner and safer, and was a founding board member of Troy United Ink, a publication devoted to strengthening pride in Troy through highlighting its diverse neighborhoods. Grimm is a past member of the F. Warren Travers Supreme Court Library and current member of the Commission on Economic Opportunity board and an appointed member to the NYS Committee on Open Government.
Grimm brings a unique skill set to his legislative position as a former successful businessman and entrepreneur. He had a career as Special Projects Manager for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Director of University Events at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Manager and founder of The Old Daley Inn Catering Company. Grimm is often recognized by his colleagues and constituents as having a contagious passion for planning and organizing. His hard work, commitment and personal integrity offer the community of Troy direction and leadership that is unsurpassed.
As County Legislator representing the City of Troy, Grimm serves on the Budget and Finance Committee and the Rules and Legislative Operations Committee. During his tenure, Grimm has worked to strengthen environmental protections, supported dedicated funds to boost tourism, voted to improve veteran's benefits and continues to fight for fair and equal representation.
Grimm is a life-long resident of Troy. He is a 1976 graduate of Hudson Valley Community College.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Vice Chairman - Finance
Wayne was appointed to the Rensselear County Legislator as a Representative of District 4 at the January 10, 2023, Legislator Meeting.
Wayne was elected to the Sand Lake Town Board in November of 2021. Where he served as Town Councilman until August of 2022, he was then appointed to the position of Deputy Town Supervisor until his appointment to the County Legislator. His experience also includes servicing on the Zoning Board for the Town of Sand Lake.
He has been serving his community as a volunteer within Kiwanis Club of Sand Lake since February 2019. Wayne has served on the Board of Directors, as Membership Chairman, Vice President and currently serves as President since August of 2022.
He is a resident, homeowner, and business owner in Averill Park. He has been the owner and operator of Creek Bottom Contracting LLC since March of 2015. Wayne brings over two decades of Business Management, Customer Service, and Budgeting experience to the County Legislator.
Wayne and wife Nicole are proud parents to five children Ashely, Andrew, Amiyah, Juliana and Jacob.