FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 2, 2021 Contact: Guy Turchetti, Chairperson Canandaigua City Democratic Committee 585-747-4913 CANANDAIGUA CITY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE ENDORSES SLATE OF 2021 CANDIDATES Canandaigua, NY—The Canandaigua City Democratic Committee has unanimously endorsed Dan Unrath for Mayor and Dr. Stephen Uebbing, Renée Sutton, Thomas Lyon, and Dr. Sim Covington, Jr. for the At-Large seats on Canandaigua’s City Council in the November 2, 2021 election. Uebbing, Sutton, and Lyon are incumbents seeking re-election. Covington is running his first campaign. “We have an extremely strong slate,” Committee Chair Guy Turchetti stated, “and we feel very fortunate to have candidates with such a wide variety of experience, knowledge, and perspectives.” Dan Unrath, currently Ward 2 Representative on City Council and a member of the Environmental and Ordinance Committees, would be honored to serve as Canandaigua's Mayor. Dan's degree is in Economics. He has worked in child protection, probation, and parole, and served as a volunteer firefighter for seventeen years. He has been a strong supporter of local charities and participated in many fundraising events. Currently Dan volunteers for Meals on Wheels and hopes to return soon to Habitat for Humanity. Between his City Council, government, and educational experience, our committee believes that he would be a great mayor. Dr. Stephen Uebbing is running for his third term as an at-large council representative. He currently serves as the Chair of the Planning Committee and is a member of the Finance Committee. Uebbing spent the better part of two decades successfully running the Canandaigua City School District, and is currently a professor at the Warner Graduate School of Education at the University of Rochester, where, among other notable accomplishments, he helped lead the successful effort to turn around East High School. His experience with budget and policy development has been invaluable in his time on Council, and his efforts to improve life in Canandaigua have consistently benefitted the residents of our city. Renée Sutton is seeking her second term as an at-large candidate after also serving as the Ward 4 representative on City Council. She is currently the Chair of the Ordinance Committee and a member of the Environmental Committee. Employed by UR Medicine’s ACO Accountable Health Partners, Renée works with employers, insurers, physicians and hospitals, including our own F.F. Thompson Hospital, to improve healthcare delivery and clinical outcomes. During her time on Council, she’s been a strong advocate for her constituents, whether in Ward 4 or the City as a whole, and has been a consistent model of transparency and accessibility. The third incumbent seeking re-election to an at-large seat on City Council is Thomas Lyon, who was appointed to fill the remainder of Councilmember Robert O’Brien’s term after O’Brien’s sudden death in the fall of 2020. Lyon was chosen because of his work experiences as well as his participation in local government. He is a member of the Planning and Environmental Committees. Lyon previously served as the Economic Development Specialist in Canandaigua and is currently a County Planner, as well as County Fair and Equitable Housing Officer for Wayne County. His extensive committee participation includes: Chair of the Climate Smart Canandaigua Task Force, former Chair of the Canandaigua Comprehensive Plan Committee, former Vice-Chair of the City of Canandaigua Charter Review Committee, former representative from Canandaigua to the Ontario County Planning Committee, and a former Commissioner on the Canandaigua City Planning Commission. His experience has been an asset on Council, and Lyon will surely continue to increase his positive impact on the city after election to his first full term as an at-large representative. The fourth at-large candidate is Dr. Sim J. Covington, Jr. who is currently the Chief Diversity Officer at Finger Lakes Community College. Dr. Covington has worked for the State University of New York (SUNY) 16+ years, and is a proud six-time graduate of the SUNY system. His academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling, Certificate of Advanced Study in School Counseling, and Master of Science in Educational Administration & Policy Studies – Higher Education Leadership, all from the University at Albany, State University of New York. Next, he completed his MBA in Technology Management at SUNY Polytechnic Institute and his Advanced Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management at Empire State College. Finally, Dr. Covington completed his Ed.D. at Northeastern University in Boston Massachusetts and is currently a student at the University of Alabama. Dr. Covington has worked with several law enforcement agencies in our area on diversity training, and is a member of Rotary International and the Canandaigua Rotary Club. As a member of Council Dr. Covington will bring his excellent leadership skills, his experience working with local, state, and federal governments, his developed relationships with many Canandaigua stakeholders from city government and administration, law enforcement, the Chamber of Commerce, the Canandaigua City School District, and his involvement in and dedication to the Canandaigua Community.
