Young Professionals Track

Monday, March 20, 2023 8:15am - 11:15am

Young Professionals Track Agenda

Speakers:

Senator John W. Mannion

Senator John W. Mannion is a lifelong Central New Yorker and the grandchild of Irish immigrants. His mother worked at New York Telephone and his father for New York Central Railroad, raising John and his siblings on Syracuse's famous Tipperary Hill. He now resides in Geddes with his wife, Jennifer. They have three children, two in college and one recently graduated. 
 

John is a graduate of the SUNY System, attending Binghamton and Oswego. He brings to the Senate nearly three decades of classroom experience as a teacher in the public school system. He spent twenty-one years as an Advanced Placement Biology and Chemistry teacher at the West Genesee School District in Onondaga County. 
 

He has been a strong advocate for teachers and students, negotiating labor contracts and representing educators in his capacity as President of the West Genesee Teachers’ Association. 
 

He has been embedded in his community for decades, volunteering with many organizations while coaching and refereeing soccer, basketball and baseball. The Mannion family loves the people and places of Central New York and they enjoy the diverse cultures and historical significance of the region. 
 

Elected to his first term in 2020, Senator Mannion proudly serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Disabilities. As Chairman, he has built a strong legislative record advocating for the state’s most vulnerable citizens. Senator Mannion has secured the first cost of living increase for DSPs, expanded the preferred source program to boost employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, mandated a report by OPWDD on the agency’s pandemic response, and continues to work towards solutions to address the critical workforce and housing shortages. 
 

Utilizing his science and education background, Senator Mannion is an advocate for environmental protections. He has secured funds to deploy new technology to combat Harmful Algae Blooms and provide long-term protection to the drinking water supply for hundreds of thousands of Central New Yorkers. 
 

Senator Mannion is a strong proponent of safe, clean, nuclear power and believes it is a vital source of energy that will keep costs down for consumers as the state transitions towards its climate goals. 
 

Senator Mannion is committed to creating jobs and opportunities that will continue the economic and population growth in Central New York. He was the prime co-sponsor of the historic Green Chips legislation that provides low-cost power to the computer chip industry in New York. The legislation has been credited by Micron as a determining factor in its decision to invest $100B to build a Chip Fab in the Senator’s District in Clay, NY. 
 

Senator Mannion believes strongly in government transparency and accountability. He authored legislation to create the Upstate Flood Mitigation Task Force, moving a dormant body with no appointees to full membership with a charge to deliver actionable flood mitigation strategies within twelve months. 
 

Senator Mannion represents the 50th Senate District, which encompasses the towns of Camillus, Cicero, Clay, DeWitt, Geddes, Manlius, Salina in Onondaga County; and the cities of Oswego and Fulton, and the towns of Constantia, Granby, Hannibal, Hastings, Minetto, Oswego, Palermo, Schroeppel, Scriba, and West Monroe in Oswego County. 

Senator James Skoufis

James Skoufis and his family moved to the Town of Woodbury from Queens in 1995 for many of the same reasons we all choose to live in the Hudson Valley: a better quality of life, an education that strives for nothing short of excellence, and a strong, friendly, and caring community.
 

After graduating from Monroe-Woodbury High School, James went on to become the first in his immediate family to attend college. He earned a Bachelor's Degree from The George Washington University and Master's Degree from Columbia University. Along with the fortunate help of scholarships and student loans, he worked his way through college, holding a job every semester.

Having spent the first many years of his life in New York City Public Housing and being only one generation removed from food stamps, James understands what the uncertainty of tomorrow feels like. He knows the experience of living paycheck to paycheck and is committed to creating opportunities that allow everyday New Yorkers to thrive.
 

During his six years in the State Assembly, James fought for the Hudson Valley's working- and middle-classes. He's been a champion of better schools, stronger infrastructure, leveling the playing field, and fighting corruption. James was first elected to the State Senate in 2018, and soon took over chairmanship of the Investigations and Government Operations Committee, where he continues to deliver results for his Hudson Valley constituents while serving with integrity.
 

James lives in Cornwall and has a loving daughter, Ava, born in 2021.