The Yorktown Republican Town Committee (YRTC) recently held its nominating convention and unanimously endorsed their slate of candidates for the upcoming November election. Nominated for re-election were Tom Diana for Town Supervisor, Ed Lachterman for Town Council and Gary Raniolo for Town Justice. In addition, lifelong Yorktown residents Patrick Murphy and Jenna Lennox Belcastro were nominated for Town Council and Town Clerk, respectively.
“The Republican candidates, all endorsed unanimously and all highly qualified, offer Yorktown voters a combination of years of experience in town government as well as fresh new perspectives” said Kevin Byrnes, Chairman of the YRTC.
Like the incumbents, Diana, Lachterman and Raniolo, the two hopefuls for Town Council and Town Clerk have deep Yorktown roots.
Tom Diana, a retired police officer, and small business owner, is a lifelong resident of Shrub Oak. He has served as a Town Councilman since 2015 and was recently appointed to the position of Town Supervisor when former Supervisor Matt Slater was elected to the NY State Assembly. As a Town Councilman, Tom founded Yorktown Against Heroin which raised funds for ‘Dallas,’ the Yorktown Police Department’s drug detection canine. He is a member of the Yorktown Elks Lodge #2324 and the Sons of the American Legion squadron #1009.
Ed Lachterman, a small business owner, has been a resident of Yorktown for over 20 years, and has served as a Town Councilman since 2015. He was recently appointed to the position of Deputy Town Supervisor. Ed is a member and two-term president of the Yorktown Lions, a charter member and adjutant of the Sons of the American Legion squadron 1009, and a board member of Yorktown Against Heroin. Ed was a charter member of the Yorktown Civilian Emergency Response Team (CERT). He has also partnered with The Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK), The Harrison Apar Foundation, My Brother Vinny, United for The Troops, the Westchester Alzheimer’s Association, The ALS Foundation, and The Lustgarten Foundation.
Gary Raniolo has served as Yorktown Town Justice since 2011 and has been practicing law for 35 years. He previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Westchester County District Attorney’s office, working in the Local Courts throughout Westchester County prosecuting numerous cases from arraignment through trial.
Patrick Murphy is a lifelong member of Yorktown and holds a Masters degree in Computer Science. He started his career at ABC Cap Cities / Disney where he held positions of increasing responsibility in technology support, eventually serving as Director of Executive Support, focused on support for the Disney C-Suite. As owner of Murphy’s Restaurant in Yorktown for over ten years, he is keenly aware of the challenges faced by small businesses in town. Owning Murphy’s Restaurant gave him the opportunity to drive local community engagement through partnerships with organizations such as the Keon Center, which finds local employment for disabled young adults. Mr. Murphy is a 14 year member of the Yorktown Elks Lodge #2324, a 20 year board member of the St Patrick’s church Golf Outing committee, a 9 year Yorktown Athletic Club Girls Lacrosse coach, and a founding member of Yorktown’s FamJam, which raises money for local organizations. Other volunteer experience includes the Northern Westchester Hospital Community Board, Friends of Jaclyn Foundation and Meals on Wheels.
Jenna Lennox Belcastro is a proud product of the Yorktown community having graduated from Yorktown High School in 2005. She went on to become a special education teacher after graduating from Mount Ida College. For the past 8 years, she has worked in county and local government serving under the Westchester County Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler, managing the Westchester County Board of Health, and as the Executive Assistant under the past two Yorktown Town Supervisors. Under former Supervisor Matt Slater, Jenna assisted in starting the Town’s Accessibilities Committee to provide a voice for disabled residents in Town government. She also coordinated the Supervisor’s Youth Council. Jenna is heavily involved in the community as a member of the Yorktown Lions Club and Relay for Life. Jenna and her husband Dan, who is a White Plains Police Officer, are raising their two boys in Yorktown.
