COUNTY BOARD OF REPRESENTATIVES, District 13 Oneonta Wards 5 & 6
COMMUNITY OF RESIDENCE: City of Oneonta 5th Ward
EDUCATION:
B.S. Environmental Science, University of California, Riverside (2006)
M.S. Environmental Policy, Bard College (2014)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Environmental Planner for the Otsego County Conservation Association (OCCA).
- Built a bipartisan coalition to fight a high voltage transmission line;
- Lead author of the Otsego County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan;
- OCCA’s Circuit Riding Planner helping municipalities;
- Wrote $400,000 worth of grant applications for clean water and climate change protections.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: City of Oneonta’s Planning Commission member; Oneonta Little League baseball coach; Blendos Basketball League player; work with SUCO and Hartwick students on environmental policy; my wife teaches art and communications at BOCES; my son is a fourth-grader at Valley View Elementary school; and my family attends the Unitarian Universalist Church.
FAMILY: I live on College Terrace with my wife Lindy, son Raphael, and cats Yoshi and Nariko. My father-in-law lives in the First Ward.
PHILOSOPHY OF GOVERNMENT: I firmly believe in a unified, nonpartisan approach to county government. Business must be conducted in a transparent, ethical and inclusive way, allowing citizens to hold officials accountable.
MAJOR ISSUES FACING OTSEGO COUNTY: High taxes; lack of good paying jobs; inadequate supply of middle-class housing; weak environmental protections; and an opioid crisis.
MY QUALITIES: I’m hard working, energetic, and skilled at building consensus among my colleagues. I’m a relentless advocate while being fiercely loyal to my constituents.
STATEMENT: This is a truly exciting time to be a resident of Oneonta and Otsego County.
If given the opportunity to serve on the Board of Representatives, I’ll hold the line on taxes, fight for projects that’ll create jobs, provide better housing options, and protect our environment. Let’s inspire change in November. Vote Lapin for County Rep!
