Joanne M. Mahoney became a trustee in June 2012, after being nominated by Governor Andrew Cuomo and confirmed by the State Senate.
In November 2007, Ms. Mahoney became the first woman to be elected as County Executive for Onondaga County. She is currently serving her second term as County Executive.
Shortly after taking office, Ms. Mahoney began working toward a greener, more sustainable Onondaga County. Through the County Executive’s “Save the Rain” program, a comprehensive storm water management plan has been developed to reduce pollution to Onondaga Lake and its tributaries. In 2011, Onondaga County was recognized by the EPA as a green infrastructure partner.
County Executive Mahoney was instrumental in the passing of a new sales tax-sharing agreement, which increases transparency in government. Under her watch, not only has the county maintained its AAA bond rating, it has been upgraded from “Negative” to “Stable.” The County Executive has also made literacy a priority, creating a fund that provides free books to young children. In partnership with Say Yes to Education, the county seeks to increase graduation rates and make college a possibility for many more city students.
Before running for County Executive, Ms. Mahoney was elected Councilor-at-Large in the city of Syracuse, where she served a four-year term, starting in January 2000. Prior to that, she worked for the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, where she spent five years as a criminal prosecutor.
Ms. Mahoney went to Syracuse University’s School of Management where she received a Bachelor of Science. She completed law school at S.U.’s College of Law. She and her husband, Marc Overdyk, have four sons and reside in the Town of Dewitt.
