Gwen Van Laeken
City Council At Large

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“Progress with Purpose”

Gwen Van Laeken is ready to roll up her sleeves and dive into the work that will shape Canandaigua’s future. She’s all about bringing people to the table, ensuring your diverse voices and ideas drive our community forward.  Gwen’s plan? To foster thoughtful growth for our historic city while keeping taxes low and ensuring our investments make a real impact—from enhancing parks to strengthening quality neighborhoods to supporting our local businesses. Gwen believes in the power of community input and strategic planning at the heart of effective governance. She is committed to making Canandaigua a wonderful place for everyone, every day. 

Gwen's aims to help Canandaigua city residents in the following ways:
Economic and Community Development

• Support local businesses. Support small businesses, welcome innovative ideas, and strengthen our local economy to benefit community members, visitors, and families moving to the area.  
• Vibrant Parks and Neighborhoods: Champion investments in parks and neighborhoods to enhance sustainable natural beauty, foster inclusive accessibility, and create vibrant community spaces that bring people together across generations.
  

Effective Governance

• Improve Government Communication: Engage more proactive government transparency and community engagement to inform decision making. Gwen brings experience in communications and community feedback strategies to support responsive local government.
• Flexible Long Term Strategic Planning: Prioritize long term planning and smart investments to address long term and emerging community needs. Gwen brings experience having and led participated in and led numerous strategic planning projects in the public and private sectors.
• Low Taxes: Ensure responsible fiscal planning, innovative practices, and smart collaboration to help manage the lowest possible tax burden on local residents.

Gwen’s Professional Journey: A Commitment to Civic Engagement
Gwen brings a wealth of experience and leadership from her impactful career in civic engagement and nonprofit management. For nearly a decade, she was a pivotal part of RIT’s Office for Leadership and Civic Engagement. Her dedication to community service led her to become the Executive Director of Leadership Rochester Inc. This well-regarded regional nonprofit is dedicated to connecting diverse cross sections of community leaders and educating them about public policy and critical emerging issues so that they are empowered to respond, support, and strengthen our regional community.

Today, Gwen continues her passion for local impact as the Executive Director of the Partnership of Ontario County. In this role, she oversees community wide coalitions and programs that deliver vital services to residents across Ontario County, enhancing the quality of life and fostering community well-being. 

Throughout her career, Gwen has also been an active participant on various nonprofit boards, often serving in leadership and chair positions. Her extensive experience and steadfast commitment to community enhancement underscore her qualifications and readiness to serve Canandaigua.

Gwen’s Personal Background
Gwen roots run deep in the region having grown up in Wayne County. Gwen became a young single mom in college. She worked tirelessly, juggling multiple jobs and commutes to MCC, SUNY Brockport, and RIT where she earned multiple degrees in Business, Economics, and Management Information System. Later she completed the coursework for her MS in Science Technology and Public Policy at RIT. 

Gwen and her husband Greg found love and married in Geneva NY at St Peters Episcopal Church. Together, they moved to Connecticut and Switzerland gaining global experience and perspectives. They returned home to upstate NY in 2005 so they and their three kids could be closer to family and community roots. They initially settled in Webster where their oldest child graduated and moved to Canandaigua in 2013.  It was Canandaigua city’s great schools, beautiful community parks, and walkable neighborhoods that convinced them to call this their home. Now, Gwen is eager to give back to the community that has given her family so much, advocating for Canandaigua’s growth and sustainability.

Gwen Van Laeken is committed to nurturing a vibrant, beautiful, and caring Canandaigua, bringing balanced leadership and a strong community-focused vision. Her extensive experience in civic engagement and leadership equips her to effectively advocate for Canandaigua’s growth and sustainability.