Four candidates vie for pair of Lewisboro Town Board seats

SOUTH SALEM, N.Y. - When voters head to the polls on Nov. 4, they will be tasked with filling two seats on the Lewisboro Town Board. Seeking re-election are incumbents Andrea Rendo and Mary Shah alongside newcomers Adam Giardina and Julia Hadlock. Shah and Hadlock will be running on the Democratic and Working Families lines, while Giardina and Rendo are on the Republican and Conservative lines.

Supervisor Tony Gonçalves (D,WF) will be running for another term unopposed, as will Receiver of Taxes Deirdre Casper (D,R,CON).

Before Election Day, The Katonah-Lewisboro Times offered the four Town Board candidates the opportunity to address voters and explain, in their own words, their qualifications and what they see as the most important priorities if elected. (Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.)

ADAM GIARDINA

Please outline your career, leadership, and educational accomplishments.

I’ve been a contracting executive in the construction business for 40 years. I’ve created and provided jobs throughout the entire Hudson Valley, and my experience covers all aspects of a contracting project, from drawing up a concept to cutting the ribbon on opening day.

My wife Julieann and I, residents for 24 years, have been raising two boys and a girl at our home in South Salem. During that time, I’ve served as a dedicated volunteer in town, including 20 years with the Lewisboro Baseball Association, serving as president, vice president, treasurer and coach. I’ve guided multiple baseball teams to tournaments in Cooperstown and throughout the Northeast and volunteered as a basketball coach with Lewisboro Parks & Recreation. I’ve helped secure more than $400,000 from private donors and state grants to renovate Lewisboro ballfields, and I also work as a fundraiser with the John Jay High School athletic director to fund JJHS Spring Training trips.

What are the most important issues facing the Lewisboro Town Board, and why are you the most qualified to address them?

Our police department and Town Court need workspace fit for their importance, and the Town Board has been unable or unwilling to come up with a suitable, permanent place for them to do their jobs. The "solutions" they come up with are not just inadequate, but pointlessly expensive. Also, many residents of the town have told me personal stories of their water problems, from septic issues at Lake Waccabuc to people living at Oak Ridge who have had trouble getting sanitary water for years, despite attempts by the Town to fix them.

Challenges like these and others are going to need a lot of contracting work, and that's where my primary qualifications lie. I've been in construction for more than 40 years. I know all the ins and outs of qualifying the right contractors: evaluating bids, finding inefficiencies, negotiating contracts, sticking to a budget and getting a job done on time. Lewisboro residents have had enough of a Board majority fumbling its way through complicated projects and wasting God-knows-how-many taxpayer dollars in the process.

If elected, what will be your top priorities over the next year?

We need a comprehensive review of maintenance projects that have been mishandled or ignored for so long. Once we've done that and prioritized them according to urgency, we need to budget out the top few most pressing tasks for our town.

To my eyes, I can already tell you the police and court spaces will be at or near the top; we can't afford to keep moving them around every few years with no plan for the future.

Another top priority will be Town-owned facilities. I spent years raising both public and private money to maintain Lewisboro's ballfields; I know where to look to find support for keeping our public facilities in better shape, and I know how to find the best people to get it done.

JULIA HADLOCK

Please outline your career, leadership, and educational accomplishments.

For the past 25 years, I have worked as a non-profit executive in health care and community development, serving as Executive Director with United Way, Boys & Girls Club, and Bridges to Community. I help organizations evolve through strategic planning, staff development, and operational improvement. Under my leadership, organizations have achieved measurable growth and improved outcomes.

Currently, I am the Senior Director of Medical Operations at Blythedale Children’s Hospital. Beyond my professional career, I am deeply engaged in community service. I have volunteered extensively in Lewisboro through my sons’ schools, Scouting, and sports—believing that strong community engagement helps communities thrive.

I served on the Katonah-Lewisboro School District Board of Education for nine years, chairing multiple committees and serving as Board President during my final two years. As President, I led with integrity, ensuring meetings were focused, productive, and respectful.

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Educational Psychology from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Evaluative Clinical Sciences from Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine.

What are the most important issues facing the Lewisboro Town Board, and why are you the most qualified to address them?

The recently developed Comprehensive Plan identifies key goals and priorities that should guide the Town Board’s work. The plan reflects diverse community input and provides a clear framework for addressing the town’s challenges.

The Board will need to evaluate efficient approaches for developing the town’s offices and campus to meet both community and staff needs. Fostering small business in the hamlets—while balancing responsible growth and preserving the town’s rural character—is also an important opportunity.

Additionally, we must protect natural resources and open spaces while addressing infrastructure needs, including sidewalks, cellular coverage, and water and sewage systems.

My experience leading complex organizations and serving in public roles has strengthened my ability to manage diverse interests and perspectives, find common ground, and reach consensus. I have effectively budgeted within a tax-cap environment and understand the intricacies of municipal budgets, ensuring that resources are used responsibly and transparently. Combined with a track record of strategic planning, staff development, and community engagement, these skills prepare me to help the Town Board set thoughtful priorities and make balanced, forward-looking decisions for Lewisboro’s future.

If elected, what will be your top priorities over the next year?

In my first year on the Town Board, my top priority will be to gain a thorough understanding of town operations, build strong working relationships with my Board colleagues and town employees, and engage directly with residents to understand their goals and concerns.

This foundation will enable me to contribute meaningfully to major initiatives, including evaluating plans for developing the town offices and campuses. I will also focus on the effective management of current and near-term projects, such as improvements at the Town Park bath house, new pickleball courts, and road and culvert repairs.

Additional priorities include improving walkability and safety within the hamlets as we expand opportunities for residents to enjoy local businesses, and reviewing local permitting and building processes to ensure they are efficient, transparent, and aligned with community character—supporting residents’ ability to improve their properties while preserving Lewisboro’s unique charm.

ANDREA RENDO

Please outline your career, leadership, and educational accomplishments.

For four years I’ve had the honor of serving Lewisboro on the Town Board as a Councilwoman. I also apply my municipal-law expertise as the current Harrison Town Attorney. I’ve served on multiple appointed committees for Lewisboro and Westchester County addressing matters ranging from law enforcement to affordable housing.

I’ve worked as a public and private attorney for nearly 35 years, representing especially the indigent and underrepresented. I earned my undergraduate degree from SUNY Binghamton and my law degree from Albany Law School. My family and I have lived in South Salem for 20 years, where my husband Todd and I have raised our two children.

What are the most important issues facing the Lewisboro Town Board, and why are you the most qualified to address them?

First and foremost, fiscal responsibility. We must mind our fund balance closely, guard against careless spending, and prepare a long-term capital plan. We must also include infrastructure investment in this process. That includes maintaining current facilities, roads, parks, fields, and buildings, as well as the new Town offices that must be built due to their having been dislocated from Lewisboro Elementary School. Finally, we must remember the quality-of-life issues facing our residents, including clean water, clean lakes, and peaceful cohabitation with our neighbors. All these issues highlight another need: a Town Board that treats all residents with respect and fairness, from how participants are treated at public meetings to the allocation of Town resources for community events.

I am most qualified to address these matters due to my four years’ experience on our Town Board; through my service I have become intimately familiar with what Lewisboro needs. Thanks also to my experience as Town Attorney in the Town of Harrison, I bring a working knowledge of municipal law to address each issue as it arises.

If re-elected, what will be your top priorities over the next year?

First, a top priority is carefully respecting our fund balance. A healthy fund balance is how we maintain our bond rating and favorable interest rates; it’s also critical for front-ending expenses for grant-funded projects as well as for various infrastructure-related capital projects.  We are obliged to weigh the advice of our financial advisors and our Comptroller, who recommend establishing a long-term capital plan. As it stands, we have been using our fund balance haphazardly and on an ad hoc basis, without looking ahead to possible future projects that may prove necessary.

Second, we must find the most appropriate locations for our new Town Court and Police Station. With my running-mate, Adam Giardina, we will ensure they are built correctly and in the most cost-efficient manner. We must end the wasteful, disorganized way the Board has tried to keep these departments housed; we want our newly constructed and acquired buildings to reflect how proud we all are to live in this community.

Third, we need to finish the updates to our Town Code, including provisions covering short-term rentals and excavation and fill guidelines, as well as to finish the proposed tree ordinance. These updates have been put off for far too long.

MARY SHAH

Please outline your career, leadership, and educational accomplishments.

I am a health sciences librarian and archivist at Norwalk Hospital. I have served the network for almost 20 years. I earned my bachelor’s degree from the New School for Social Research and master’s degree in library science from Southern Connecticut State University. I have been active in teaching global health, health literacy, quality improvement, artificial intelligence, and library instruction.

I am a senior member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals, a member of the mental health care team, and work with colleagues on the ethical use of artificial intelligence. I served for two terms on the Lewisboro Library Board of Trustees (seven years as vice president), two decades as a library fair volunteer (a few years as coordinator), one term on the Conservation Advisory Council. I was elected as Councilmember in 2021. I serve as liaison for the Advisory Council for People with Disabilities, Conservation Advisory Council, Emergency Management Committee, Human Resources Department, Library Board of Trustees, Parks and Recreation (Advisory Council and Department), Thrive Coalition (Drug use prevention and mental wellness), Senior Services, and Zoning Board of Appeals. I have served as Deputy Supervisor since 2024.

What are the most important issues facing the Lewisboro Town Board, and why are you the most qualified to address them?

I am proud that we updated our comprehensive plan for the first time this century. This lays out our priorities as a community and provides a framework in which it can be accomplished. My continued focus is fiscal responsibility and creating a budget that takes into account the needs of the town and its employees, providing for facility improvement while remaining reasonable for the taxpayers. We also need to take care of our infrastructure and improve water quality throughout town. Many town roads are repaired and repaved, two playgrounds  have been upgraded and one new structure installed, and there is more work to be done. We will have a new bathhouse for the town pool in the spring. We also need to protect our environment; it is our responsibility so future generations can enjoy it as we do. The most important priority is connecting people with the community and the resources that they need. Everyone deserves to feel that they belong. I meet people where they are and, with respect, build connections so we can get things done. I make decisions based on facts and the thought that I serve all of Lewisboro. When our children graduated from John Jay High School, my husband knew that I was not finished serving our community, so we chose to stay.

If re-elected, what will be your top priorities over the next year?

If I have the honor to be re-elected, I will continue the great work that our board has started. The town facilities work will continue: the renovations of the new building will be complete, and we need to build a new police department headquarters. We need a community center, with dedicated space for the senior citizens as well a place where we can get together and focus on what we have in common. The structure may take time, but the events we host to build community will continue throughout the year.