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Meet Sylke
A Yale graduate and 30 year union member, Sylke grew up in a working class family in Nyack. She has devoted much of her life to community initiatives. She served on the boards of Rockland County's Helping Hands for the Homeless (10 years) and Creative Response to Conflict (8 years). She chairs the Local USA 829's Wellness Committee and led that group's creation of a dedicated benefits liaison who directly assists the union's more than 5,000 members.
Sylke is the secretary of the Central Nyack Civic Association and the Central Nyack Green Group, and helped found Central Nyack's Native Plants Community Garden. She is an active member of her local Quaker meeting and serves on the nominating committee for a world body of Quakers.
Sylke grew up and raised her children in Nyack, and she works passionately to improve life for Rockland County residents. She has served her community as:
- Board Director, Rockland's Helping Hands for the Homeless (10 years)
- Board Director, Creative Response to Conflict (8 years)
- Union member, USA 829 and IATSE (30 years)
- Chair, USA 829 Wellness Committee (6 years)
- Founder and Volunteer Coordinator, Central Nyack Community Pollinator Garden
- Secretary, Central Nyack Civic Association
Sylke's numerous petitions, signed by more than 2,000 community members, testify to her impact:
- Getting the pedestrian and bike paths on the Tappan Zee Bridge
- Creating an arts center at the Rockland Country Day school
- Creating a park on Dickinson Avenue
- Offering outdoor learning to help get students back to school during Covid in NY and locally
Why I Am Running
After working with her neighbors to start the Central Nyack Native Plants Community Pollinator Garden, Sylke headed up an initiative to preserve a local farm and create a passive park in Central Nyack.
Through this work, Sylke noticed Clarkstown wasting taxpayer dollars and a lack of transparency in Clarkstown's dealings with Central Nyack.
Sylke and her community in Central Nyack faced a number of frustrations and disappointments, including witnessing the town spraying Roundup and killing thousands of dollars worth of plants that the town had installed just a couple of years earlier. These experiences motivated Sylke to run for town council.
She intends to make sure that Clarkstown taxpayers' money is used effectively, for the good of the community.
Priorities
- Eliminate waste and stabilize taxes
- Advocate for affordability and working families
- Increase government transparency, integrity, and engagement
- Protect green space and the environment for breathable air, clean water, and a sustainable future
Endorsements
Sylke received candidate distinction from Moms Demand Gun Sense, and has been endorsed by:
- New York State Assemblyman Patrick Carroll
- Clarkstown Democratic Party
- Working Families Party
- Nyack Mayor Joe Rand
- Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson
- Tarrytown Trustee Effie Phillips-Staley
- Local USA 829 United Scenic Artists
- Democratic Municipal Officials
