County Names Human Rights Commission
MONTICELLO, July 2021– Sullivan County Legislators have unanimously appointed seven local residents to the Human Rights Commission to serve as an advisory panel to Executive Director Adrienne Jensen.
“I appreciate the willingness of this group to volunteer for such an important job: educating the public about human rights,” Legislature Chairman Robert A. Doherty said. “Reconstituting the board took longer than we had hoped after it had been disbanded under the prior Legislature, but this Legislature was determined to restore a fully functioning Human Rights Commission to Sullivan County, and I’m proud to say that’s now happened.”
The seven just-appointed members are:
· Neversink resident Jack Harb, a deputy with the Sheriff’s Office, where he serves as the union president and has been a School Resource Officer
· Monticello resident Al Dumas, a retired Public Works employee of the Village of Monticello and a firefighter
· Barryville resident Ari Mir-Pontier, an advocate for diversity and inclusion with extensive multicultural outreach experience at state and federal levels, and former executive director of the Human Rights Commission
· Swan Lake resident Bill Liblick, a longtime advocate for the most vulnerable and Chairman of the Outreach Committee of the former Human Rights Commission Board, current Co-Chair of the Sullivan County COVID-19 Task Force, and past member of the Charter Review Commission and Sullivan County Census Committee
· Bloomingburg resident Aaron Rabiner, a community advocate and three-term trustee of the Village of Bloomingburg
· Woodridge resident Dr. Sean Wall-Carty, a college professor, CEO/volunteer Board Chair of Nana’s House Child Care Center and former director of human resources for a local nonprofit.
· South Fallsburg resident Clara Lemaire-Pratt, Fine Art Curator, former Archives Department worker for the SYDA Foundation, former curator for an international fine arts gallery for emerging artists, immigrant and world traveler
Each member was selected by their individual legislator, and the two remaining seats are expected to be filled shortly. The board will meet regularly to discuss programs and policy and advise the Executive Director. The volunteer members will not conduct investigations.
“I would like to extend a hearty welcome to the new members of the Human Rights Commission. I look forward to welcoming the Commission in person once the final members have been announced,” said Human Rights Commission Executive Director Adrienne Jensen. “We will begin with some trainings to set our collective compass, and off we will go!
“The Commission is like an organic organism of the County; it is made up of elements from each district. I imagine that the Commission will metamorphose over time into something beautiful, healing and instrumental, providing useful input to the growth of our greater community,” she added. “These busy and accomplished community members are taking time out of their lives, to support unity. This is so vitally needed. More than the ‘what,’ I am interested in the ‘who,’ as it is in part through the modeling of desired attributes we wish our community to embody, that we collectively move towards perfection. Of course, that concept exists as an ever-moving target. Therein lies the challenge!”
For more information about the Sullivan County Human Rights Commission, visit www.sullivanny.us/Departments/Humanrights or call 845-807-0189. The Commission is also on social media at www.facebook.com/SCNYHRC.