Michele M Iannello

Michele M. Iannello (D-Kenmore) proudly serves the 10th District which includes the Village of Kenmore, the City of Tonawanda, a portion of the Town of Tonawanda and all of Grand Island. Michele began her first term in the Legislature on January 1, 2006. Before being elected to the Legislature, Michele served as a Trustee on the Kenmore Village Board. Michele is a Real Estate Paralegal and a former owner-operator of a small business. Her private sector experience has given her a vast knowledge of property values and the importance of the relationship between government and business. Michele is very active in the community and is involved in the following organizations: the Romulus Women's Auxiliary, the Zonta Club of Kenmore, the Grand Island Business and Professional Women, the Tonawanda Business and Professional Women, President of the Board of Directors of Hasek's Heroes, member of the Energy and Environmental Committee and the new Chairman of the Green Actions Community Committee. She serves both as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister at St. John the Baptist Church in Kenmore. She also is a member of the Niagara Erie Regional Coalition, the Grand Island Historical Society and The Clean Air Coalition of Western New York. Michele's top priority is delivering for her constituents in the 10th Legislative District. She started the first and only district-wide community focus group, the 10th District Community Improvement Initiative. The focus group members work to improve the quality of life for residents of the 10th District. The group consists of citizens as well as members of the business and non-profit communities. Most recently, the focus group worked to find volunteers for the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York's air monitoring study. The focus group has also assisted residents with individual problems and has assisted the Disaster Preparedness Committee in the Tonawandas to identify those residents who may need assistance in case of a widespread emergency. All members of the District are invited to participate in the focus group. Michele serves as Vice Chair of the Community Enrichment Committee and serves on the Public Safety Committee of the Legislature. In her first term as a County Legislator, Michele introduced her Reform Agenda which she continues to advocate. This plan includes: * Transparency ("User-friendly," open and accessible government) * Accountability (Keep elected officials mindful of their duties and obligation to the people they serve. This includes term limits for Legislators.) * Best Practices (Efficiently and effectively running the business of government.) * Fiscal Responsibility (Target practices and ventures that created the county's fiscal crisis and go on a debt diet.) * Structural Overhaul (Erie County Charter Review) She is actively working on major issues aimed at reforming County Government and improving the quality of life of Erie County residents: * Taxpayer Protection Law * Removal of the Grand Island tolls * Town of Tonawanda Landfill * Energy and cost savings within County Government * Re-examination of the State Aid Formulas regarding aid incentives for municipalities * Protecting wetlands * Climate stabilization She is the proud mother of Jordan M. Grimaldi and is married to Attorney Dennis E. Ward. She resides in Kenmore, NY.