Biography...
Dennis Power rejoined the White Plains Council on July 20, 2006 (first by appointment, then by special election) to fill the seat left vacant by Councilman Robert Greer. Power is running for re-election to a new 4-year term on Democratic, Working Families and Independence party lines.
Power was a Councilman from 1988 to 1991 and joined Council colleagues in approving The Westchester. He decided not to run for re-election in 1991 to devote more time to his two children who were attending the White Plains Public Schools. He came back to local politics in 2005 when he ran against Joseph Delfino for Mayor.
Power currently works for Westchester County, helping to coordinate the Global Warming Task Force initiatives. He previously worked in the County’s Office of Economic Development. A graduate of Iona College, he has a diversified career background including a 15-year career at Merrill Lynch, three years as Executive Director of WestHELP Greenburgh, five years as Director of Development and Communications at Westchester Arc and a 5-year stay at The Hudson River Museum as Director of Corporate and Government Relations.
Power has been extensively involved in the White Plains community in a volunteer capacity for many years. He was the founding president of SHORE Inc. (Sheltering the Homeless in Our Responsibility) and is a longtime advocate for accessible, moderately-priced workforce housing. He participated for several years as a member of White Plains Public Housing Tenants Council where he helped families start a community garden across from the Slater Center. He was the founding president of Friendly Gathering, Inc., which over 16 years, brought 400 to 500 people together for an annual Irish cultural event, raising $185,000 for small local nonprofits providing services to children and families. Power was awarded the Jack and Ina Marash Distinguished Service Award in 1995 from the White Plains Human Rights Commission for community service.
Power has lived in the Highlands with his wife and family for over 28 years. His daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren live in the Battle Hill neighborhood of White Plains.
As was the case when he first served as a councilman, Power continues to be a strong proponent of open and accessible government. His trademark consensus-building approach was clearly evident in the defeat of the agreement involving New York Presbyterian Hospital’s large subdivision plan. He teamed up with Ben Boykin, Rita Malmud and Tom Roach in that 4-3 vote and with them again not to extend the Hospital’s special permit to build the Proton Beam Accelerator. He also joined those Council members in supporting the County’s initiative to build 180 units for seniors with moderate to below moderate income at Court and Quarropas streets.
Power firmly believes that Council members need to be proactive as legislators and has co-sponsored two pieces of legislation since returning to office – one dealing with de-mapping paper streets and dedicating parkland around the Greenway linear park and the other aimed at increasing developers’ ‘set aside’ requirements for new workforce housing from 6% to 10%.
Power voted against the sale of the city-owned Railside lots along the Greenway and played a leading role in saying NO to the request for exclusivity in developing a plan for the city’s 5 acres near the train site. “Achieving the delicate balance of a thriving downtown in a suburban community is the biggest issue facing the people of White Plains in 2008 and beyond,” says Power. “We must make sure that the vision for White Plains is ours.”