Meet Sarah
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Dedication to Public ServiceSarah Brannen has dedicated her career to public service. She has worked in the governmental and non-profit sectors with a focus on community and economic development. She will bring this wealth of experience and policy knowledge to her work addressing the issues facing the City of Poughkeepsie, her hometown, where she and her husband, Dan, have chosen to raise their two boys, Walter and Charlie.
Sarah’s appreciation for community service began at an early age as she watched her grandparents volunteer for the senior center, soup kitchen, 4H, and at the polls each election day. All the while, they made ample time for their six children, fifteen grandchildren, friends, and neighbors. They were part of the Greatest Generation and instilled in her the value of community and service to others. |
Experience to Make an Impact
Sarah receiving the Dutchess Regional Chamber of Commerce 40 Under 40 Award
After graduating from Poughkeepsie High School, Sarah attended Barnard College and then worked as an investigator of police misconduct during the Bloomberg administration in New York City. She then went on to receive her Master of Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University and became a policy advisor to the Speaker of the New York City Council.
While at the NYC Council, Sarah led a number of initiatives. These included developing an incubator kitchen, a partnership with a non-profit organization and governmental agencies that trained food industry entrepreneurs and offered a program for immigrant women to learn baking skills. She also created a fine amnesty program that resolved more than $50 million in debt to the city and advocated for an expedited process for inspections of new businesses, which became the New Business Acceleration Team. Sarah also managed projects to expand primary health care services, healthy food access, and to improve the city’s procurement procedures.
After launching a successful career in public policy, Sarah had the opportunity to work in the Hudson Valley and returned home to Poughkeepsie. Living in the city for the past several years, she has seen a number of deeply troubling issues. Poughkeepsie continues to struggle with foreclosures and vacant and abandoned properties. Homeowners who have been able to maintain their homes are seeing stagnant property values and high tax increases. The city suffers from low revenues, increasing costs, and an unfair sales tax sharing formula with the county. Moreover, we’re not capitalizing on the opportunities and resources we already have.
In addition to these financial challenges, families with children in Poughkeepsie worry about the struggling school system and opportunities for their children. Many are therefore leaving, further dampening the future of the city.
To change the trajectory of this city and put it on firm footing for the future, Sarah will focus on identifying opportunities to generate economic activity, making Poughkeepsie a place that people want to visit and live, and ensuring the needs of all residents are met. This will require strong leadership, creative vision, and hard work to get it done.
While at the NYC Council, Sarah led a number of initiatives. These included developing an incubator kitchen, a partnership with a non-profit organization and governmental agencies that trained food industry entrepreneurs and offered a program for immigrant women to learn baking skills. She also created a fine amnesty program that resolved more than $50 million in debt to the city and advocated for an expedited process for inspections of new businesses, which became the New Business Acceleration Team. Sarah also managed projects to expand primary health care services, healthy food access, and to improve the city’s procurement procedures.
After launching a successful career in public policy, Sarah had the opportunity to work in the Hudson Valley and returned home to Poughkeepsie. Living in the city for the past several years, she has seen a number of deeply troubling issues. Poughkeepsie continues to struggle with foreclosures and vacant and abandoned properties. Homeowners who have been able to maintain their homes are seeing stagnant property values and high tax increases. The city suffers from low revenues, increasing costs, and an unfair sales tax sharing formula with the county. Moreover, we’re not capitalizing on the opportunities and resources we already have.
In addition to these financial challenges, families with children in Poughkeepsie worry about the struggling school system and opportunities for their children. Many are therefore leaving, further dampening the future of the city.
To change the trajectory of this city and put it on firm footing for the future, Sarah will focus on identifying opportunities to generate economic activity, making Poughkeepsie a place that people want to visit and live, and ensuring the needs of all residents are met. This will require strong leadership, creative vision, and hard work to get it done.