Mark Witmer, Incumbent for Town Board, served 10 years Mark is in his 10th year as Caroline’s Town Supervisor, He is a biologist, naturalist, and teacher. He and his wife, Ann Herzig, returned to Caroline in 2003 after living in Caroline during their graduate studies at Cornell. They have two daughters. Ruth is in the final year of her horse veterinary studies at Colorado State University, Mark’s alma mater. Freida is an artist with an interest in fiber arts and is entering a fashion design program this fall. Their family is completed by Sparky, a happy mutt, Uno, a half-blind cat, and some chickens. Mark plans to continue work to hone land use regulations that will guide Caroline’s future toward the community’s goals, work to facilitate transition to affordable renewable energy technologies for the residents of Caroline, continue work with our municipal and county partners to provide countywide emergency medical response, complete the buildout of affordable, high-speed broadband in Caroline, complete the renovation of the Historic Town Hall, and complete construction of the Coddington Valley Rail Trail. We are making real progress in each of these areas. He looks forward to continuing our work together to keeping Caroline such a great place to live. Contact: [email protected]
Michele Brown, Incumbent Town Councilmember, served two years Michele retired from Cornell in 2021 after 26 years as a book conservator in the Olin Library Conservation Lab. She continues her private practice in book restoration in her home studio. Born in nearby Endicott she graduated from Fordham University. A Caroline resident since 1996. Michele served on the Land Use Task Force, the Planning Board, and the Zoning Commission before being elected Councilmember in 2023. During her tenure, Michele has developed a disaster plan for the Old Town Hall and the Town Hall Annex. Disaster preparedness is of concern, and she hopes to continue working on a town-wide plan. She also hopes to continue her work as a liaison to the Planning Board, the Town Justices and the History Room Advisory Committee. In keeping with her passion for conservation, she is interested in assisting the town in caring for our historical collections. Michele looks forward to working on the town broadband project, the trail, restoration of the town hall, and other projects facing the town. She enjoys working under Mark Witmer’s leadership and with the rest of the Town Board on projects important to the well-being of the citizens of Caroline. Contact: [email protected]
Jonathan Bates, Incumbent Town Councilperson served 1 year Jonathan moved to Caroline in 2017. Through the spring of 2022, he served as General Contractor on a new house on Slaterville Road. Today he enjoys the evolving farm, and resides in a comfortable, passive solar home. As he became more interwoven into the fabric of the Town of Caroline, he enjoyed serving on the Town Board expanding community connections and strengthening his local roots. Jonathan looks forward to applying what he’s learned in the last year on the Town Board towards his goals. He will continue serving on the Agriculture Committee, advising on energy, sustainability and conservation and supporting small businesses. His business, Food Forest Farm, has been profitable for two decades. Jonathan sees this as an asset when communicating with the public particularly as new economic opportunities arrive. He’s volunteered on many non-profit boards, including roles as treasurer and board president. He makes a conscious effort to listen and communicate well, especially during roles in leadership positions, and as a youth and adult educator. He now works part time as a Cornell Cooperative Extension Agroforestry Educator. Contact: [email protected]
Nicole Pence, Caroline Town Justice Attorney Nicole Pence, moved to Caroline in 2003 with her husband, Eric Craft, after finishing her Ph.D. at Cornell University in the field of molecular physiology and genetics. After earning her law degree from Cornell Law School, Nicole spent 11 years handling family court cases as an Attorney for Children and as assigned counsel in both criminal and family court. She then joined the Schuyler County Public Defender’s office where she practiced criminal defense and family law. Nicole now works as an assistant county attorney in Tioga County where she compassionately prosecutes neglect and abuse cases in family court and advises the Department of Social Services to support their role in protecting children. Nicole brings 15 years of legal experience to the Caroline Town bench—including trials, appeals, and mediation. She has appeared in town and village justice courts throughout the State of New York, as well as County and Supreme Courts. Nicole supports alternatives to incarceration and problem-solving courts like treatment courts, so long as the safety of the Caroline community can be maintained. During her career as an attorney, Nicole has demonstrated a consistent dedication to equity, justice, and the rule of law. Contact: [email protected] Irene Weiser, Tompkins County Legislature District 7 for Caroline and Danby Irene Weiser, Tompkins County Legislature District 13 for Caroline and Danby Irene Weiser is a retired veterinarian, 34-year Caroline resident, and a 4-year Danby property owner. She served nine years on the Caroline Town Board, where she led successful efforts to ban fracking, protect our water, and expand broadband. Additionally, she convened the Emergency Medical Services Task Force that laid the groundwork for expanding emergency medical services. For the past 15 years, she has led Fossil Free Tompkins to shut down the Cayuga coal plant, stop new gas pipelines, and win millions in clean energy funding. She continues to challenge NYSEG to deliver fair rates and an affordable clean energy transition. As your County Legislator, Irene will prioritize fiscal restraint while securing the safety net and protecting people’s freedoms. She is especially passionate about planning for climate-change related extreme weather events. Over the past few years, our community has experienced high winds, flooding, extreme heat, drought, a local wildfire, and hazardous air from distant fires. Before serious disaster strikes, the County must coordinate planning across emergency services, public health, human services, local governments, and community partners to keep people safe. Irene will work to expand cell, broadband and emergency services in our towns, and to support our rural economy. She believes that when rural communities thrive, the whole county benefits. Contact: [email protected]