Cortlandt Republican Town Committee Endorses 2021 Slate of Nominees

All information on this page was written and submitted by the nominees. River Journal North, as a matter of policy, does not endorse candidates.

Laurie Ryan
Nominee for Supervisor 

Laurie Ryan has been a resident of Cortlandt Manor for 25 years. She and her husband Richard are the proud parents of three bright and beautiful children. She loves her family, her three dogs, sports and spending time on the water. She earned her School District Leadership degree from the College of New Rochelle and master’s degrees in education and mathematics from Manhattanville College. She has enjoyed a 35-year career as a decorated high school math teacher and Math Department Chairperson. She has been a Hendrick Hudson Board of Education trustee for the past 12 years. Both have afforded Laurie vast experiences in leadership, management, communication, finance, strategic planning, and community outreach.   

Warren Smith
Nominee for Town Board
Warren has lived in the beautiful Hamlet of Verplanck’s Point since his birth in 1963. After graduating from Hendrick Hudson in 1981, he received a bachelors from Buffalo State College in graphic design. There, he met the love of his life, Marjorie Koepsell. They married and raised three amazing children together. For last 18 years, Warren has been the Director of Operations for a commercial printer in New York City. Over the years, Warren has been generous with his time, volunteering in his community as a lector at St. Patrick’s Church, a member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Society, a leader with Boy Scouts of America, and in 2020 as President of the Verplanck Residents Association. 

Tom Walsh
Nominee for Town Board
Originally from Watertown (N.Y.), Tom moved to Westchester in 1998. He attended SUNY Canton and earned degrees in Engineering and Construction Management.  He has been employed since June 1998 by Burnham Nationwide, Inc., in New York City, where he is Executive Vice President. Since 2018, he has served as a member of the Town of Cortlandt Zoning Board of Appeals. Tom is married to Meghan (O’Sullivan) Walsh. They have two children, Tommy, 11, and Maggie, 8, who attend schools within the Hendrick Hudson School District. We share our home with Molly and Irish, our rescue dogs. I look forward to serving our community and building for our future.  

Kylie Fitzgerald-Bernard
Nominee for Town Clerk 

Kylie is a third-generation Town of Cortlandt resident who graduated from Hendrick Hudson High School and received her bachelor’s degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in advertising & marketing communications. She is the proud mother of a beautiful baby girl and wife to Derek Bernard. Kylie has spent most of her career working as a corporate retail executive. Her true passion is giving back to people in need in the Town of Cortlandt, through her family’s charity, the Thomas D. Fitzgerald III Memorial Fund, which provides financial aid to families battling life-threatening illnesses. 

Peter Marengo
Nominee for Receiver of Taxes
Peter wants to give back to the community that has served him and his family well since 1999 (wife Renee, son Alex, 17). He has been a Croton District Leader and President of Croton Little League. As financial advisor to business owners, professionals and others, he helps people organize, coordinate and transform their life savings into the lifestyle and legacy they desire. His company Altium Wealth has a collaborative team who utilize technology to the highest level and closely adhere to a process-oriented environment for the betterment of their clients. Peter’s passion, organizational skill and attention to detail has served his clients well, and he intends to bring that same spirit and competency to the role of Tax Receiver.   

Robert Chapnick 
Nominee for Town Justice
Robert started his career in 2001 as an Assistant District Attorney. In private practice for more than 15 years, he has represented an incredibly diverse and broad range of clients throughout New York State in the federal, state and local courts, in all manner of cases, ranging from large scale commercial litigation and administrative proceedings to criminal and traffic matters. He knows and understands the court system. He and his wife Lauren reside in Cortlandt with their two daughters, who they will continue to raise in our strong, vibrant and safe community.