The Delaware County Democratic Committee will honor Sue Sklenarik as Democrat of the Year at its annual dinner to be held at 6 p.m. on Oct. 8 at the Castle in Walton.
Sklenarik became an election inspector in 2006 and was recruited to the Sidney Democratic Committee, where she quickly became treasurer and then chair in 2011. In her role as Sidney town chair, Sklenarik built the committee by recruiting members. The Sidney Committee excelled in petitioning, selling dinner book ads and tickets and creating candidate events. Sklenarik and her committee were known as a rapid response team, able to petition for candidates at the drop of the hat and under great time pressure. Under Sklenarik leadership, the committee continued to recruit and support local candidates. At one point, Democrats held the majority on the town council.
Keeping the Sidney committee active and involved was Sklenarik’s goal. She organized monthly breakfasts with her committee, sometimes bringing speakers in to address the group on topics of interest. She attended the Tri-County Labor Council and walked the picket line in support of Sidney Hospital nurses who were demanding better pay and working conditions.
In addition to her political involvement, Sklenarik helped establish the Friends of the Sidney Library and served as the board president. She was active with the Tri-Town Theatre group, both on stage and backstage and is currently a facilitator for a caregiver’s support group for the Alzheimer Association. She serves on the board of Family Planning of South Central NY. She is a passionate supporter of union organizations and was on the executive board for the Sidney Teachers’ Association for most of her teaching career, including serving on the negotiation team and as president. She is currently on the executive committee of the NYSUT (New York State United Teachers) Election District 11 and was awarded the Volunteer of the Year in 2017.
In addition to being a member of the NYS Democratic Committee, Sklenarik represented the DCDC on the Democratic Rural Conference.
Every year, She is a believer in the power of collective action, where the achievements of the group are to be celebrated, not necessarily the individual leaders. After a delay of two years because of COVID, the DCDC will honor Sklenarik, whose life and work embody the values and commitment that form the bedrock of the Democratic Party.
