Wishnie appointed deputy county executive

After having served for five days as Acting Westchester County Executive, Richard Wishnie has been named deputy county executive by Ken Jenkins, who himself was elevated from deputy county executive to county executive by the Board of Legislators.

Jenkins was selected by the Board of Legislators to serve as county executive until a special election is held on Feb. 11 to determine who will fill out the remainder of George Latimer’s term as county executive. Latimer resigned to become a member of Congress, representing New York’s 16th Congressional District.

Wishnie, who formerly was a county legislator, had been serving as the county’s commissioner of emergency services.

“Richard exemplifies what it means to serve the public with integrity, vision, and dedication,” Jenkins said. “I can think of no better person to fill this role, and it is my honor to appoint him and serve alongside him. His leadership and wealth of experience make him the ideal choice to continue driving our county forward.”

Wishnie reacted to the appointment by saying, “It is an honor to step into this role and continue serving the residents of Westchester County. I am committed to working alongside county executive Jenkins and our dedicated team to ensure Westchester remains a beacon of excellence in government and community service.”

Wishnie served six terms on the Board of Legislators. He had been a councilman for the Town of Ossining from 1976 to 1979 and served as the town supervisor from 1979 to 1983. From 1983 to 1988 he was director of operations for the New York State Workers Compensation Board.

Wishnie has been active with nonprofits in Westchester and in 2006 the Village of Ossining named a public park in his honor.

He was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Westchester Medical Center in Sept. 2014 and serves as chair of the Bon Secours Charity Hospital Board of Directors. He currently serves on the Westchester County Association’s Board of Directors.