Elected Officials
Town of Manlius Government
John Deer
Town Supervisor
John worked as a Database Developer at a local company for years before jumping into local politics. John is always looking for ways to bring technology to bear, solving problems and bringing to light new perspectives with his love of data analysis.
John was the Vice Chair of the Town of Manlius Democratic Committee and works diligently to empower Democratic candidates around Onondaga County. John ran a robust campaign for Town Clerk in 2017 and worked on the campaigns of Mike Montes for Onondaga County Sheriff and Dana Balter for Congress in 2018. Recently John worked as the Field Director of Tony Malavenda for Onondaga County Executive.
John and his wife, Prerna, a Registered Nurse, moved to Central New York in 2013 and fell in love with the Fayetteville-Manlius area. They set down their roots, making the Town of Manlius their home and know it is a great place to raise children. John will bring energy, an important technology perspective, and strong analytical skills to the Board.
John served as a Town Councilor from 2020 – 2021 and was elected as Town Supervisor in 2021.
Sara Bollinger
Deputy Supervisor
Now in her second term on the Town Board, Sara is focused on using the Comprehensive Planning process to increase resident involvement and provide a realistic blueprint for future development in the Town.
Sara has worked in the not-for-profit sector, representing people with disabilities, veterans, children in foster care, refugees and other disadvantaged groups. As an agency Executive Director, Sara has demonstrated leadership and managerial skills. She now owns a management consulting business.
Sara and her husband, Chris have lived in the Town of Manlius for more than 30 years and have been active with the community. Sara has also participated in regional, state and national associations. She is a member of the Village of Fayetteville Comprehensive Planning Committee and the Greater Manlius Chamber of Commerce.
Sara believes that informed and engaged citizens are the backbone of sustainable communities. She has practiced civic engagement through issue advocacy, political action and public service. She believes in collaboration and the ability of people with different and sometimes opposing views to work together for a common cause.
Alissa Italiano
Town Councilor
Councilor Italiano was appointed to the Town Board in January 2022. She has been an amazing addition to the Town Board with her experience. Vote for Alissa Italiano in November!
I know what it’s like to be told something isn’t possible – to struggle and to be challenged. When I realized I faced struggles as a student with a disability, it helped me realize everyone faces these struggles and much worse. I’ve been advocating to make changes for the better when it was relevant to me, and now I’m paying it back and forward in my professional life. Changes that not only affected me at the time, but effected change for those who came after me.
I hope to bring in opportunities for economic development, affordable housing, especially for seniors/elderly and those with disabilities, but also for young, working families just starting out. Manlius should be a place where people and families can grow, through every phase of life.
Katelyn Kriesel
Town Councilor
Katelyn is currently serving in her first term as Town Councilor for the Town of Manlius. She serves as the chair of the Sustainable Manlius and the Economic Development Committee. She is liaison to the Planning Department and the Village of Manlius.
Katelyn advocated for the creation of the sustainability committee in 2020. She and the members of Sustainable Manlius led the Town to be certified as a NYSERDA Clean Energy Community in January, 2021. The Town is currently applying for designation as a DEC Climate Smart Community. Katelyn is leading the effort to develop a community solar array on the Town’s retired landfill adjacent to the Erie Canal. Katelyn and the members of the committee launched the successful Manlius EarthFest 2021 webinar series, educating the community on a variety of sustainability subjects including heat pumps, recycling, composting, solar energy and electric vehicles.
In addition to her role as a Town Councilor, Katelyn is a member of the Board and a Director of the Greater Manlius Chamber of Commerce. Katelyn represents the interests of the residents and business owners of the Town of Manlius, and is an advocate for creative economic development initiatives. She is leading the conversation on how we can strategically use the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) funding for economic development in our community. In her role at the Chamber, she is a collaborator and prioritizes relationship building across the aisle as she strives to promote our community as a tourism destination.
Katelyn has leveraged her role as an elected official to bring attention to critical national issues and how they can be addressed at the local level. Katelyn believes that all politics is local, and that we can be leaders in climate action and social justice at the local level. She helped to organize the Facing Racism event in 2020 and has been a passionate advocate for environmental sustainability in our community.
Outside of her role in the Town, Katelyn is a single mom of her two daughters, Alianna and Vivienne. She is a 2005 graduate of Fayetteville Manlius High School, and has dual degrees in Political Science and Psychology from SUNY Buffalo. Katelyn runs a Financial Advisory practice in Manlius where she focuses on Socially Responsible Investing. She is also the President and Founder of the Sustainable Economies Alliance, a nonprofit organization working to expand sustainable finance in Central New York. Katelyn is an expert in renewable energy, fossil fuel divestment, sustainability and corporate social governance. She recently bought her childhood home in the Village of Manlius where she is proudly raising her daughters, their two cats, and their famous dog, Henry.
William Nicholson
Town Councilor
I grew up in Fayetteville with my seven siblings, and where my parents have lived for over 50 years. I returned to the area to raise my own son, and have grown to love this Town even more throughout the last 25 years. At this remarkable moment, what we need more than anything is competent, inspiring leadership.
I believe that we can be civil and respectful of differences, and that we can disagree without being disagreeable. I am eager to work with fellow leaders across our region to ensure that our Town’s needs are met and our constituents’ interests are protected. Collaboration and cooperation are necessary now more than ever to address the complex problems that we face as we bounce back from this challenging pandemic.
Working together with a diverse group of determined people to make change for the better is my passion, regardless of party or position. I will work for all of the constituents of our Town, solving problems, and making life better for all of us. With our team’s commitment to sustainability, smart comprehensive planning, and transparency, I believe that we are on track to secure a bright future for generations to come.
Michael Nesci
Town Councilor
Now, a long-time resident of the Town of Manlius, I’d like to share a summary account of my life experiences, which focuses on my dedication to public service, involvement in various community activities, and transition into a career as a labor representative and advocate. Born and raised in Utica, New York, my family background includes a lineage of public servants. Despite facing financial constraints, I pursued civil service aspirations, initially working in multiple industries before joining the Minoa Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician.
Throughout my tenure with the Minoa Fire Department, I held several positions, contributing significantly to enhancing safety measures and emergency preparedness in the town. Subsequently, I joined the Utica Fire Department before transferring to the Manlius Fire Department. Within the Manlius Fire Department, I had the distinct privilege to take on multiple roles, including Municipal Fire and EMS Instructor, Professional Standards Officer and Tactical Medical Officer, focusing on improving departmental standards and readiness for active shooter incidents.
Additionally, I engaged in teaching advanced life-saving courses and served as a Tactical Medical Officer for the Village of Chittenango Police Department. I also ventured into entrepreneurship, establishing a company providing emergency medical training and consulting services.
My commitment to community extends to coaching youth sports and volunteering in various capacities, emphasizing the importance of personal responsibility and professional conduct.
Despite sustaining a career-ending injury while on duty and calling on my experience as an elected union representative, I embraced new opportunities and joined CSEA as a Labor Relations Specialist, advocating for employee rights and welfare.
Expressing a desire for collaborative governance, I pledge to involve residents in decision-making processes. My diverse background, spanning public service, entrepreneurship, and labor advocacy, equips me with a deep understanding of the community’s needs and challenges, and fuels my commitment to driving positive change in the Town of Manlius.
With a passion for the same, I pursued further education in labor studies and actively engaged in local politics, aiming to address economic challenges, political divisions, and threats to democracy at the grassroots level.
Heather Waters
Town Councilor
Heather is a Venture Partner at Akili VC and trained community mediator. She previously worked as an Assistant Dean for Advancement at Syracuse University and holds a BA from Mount Holyoke College and an MS from Columbia University. She advocates alongside fellow LGBTQIA+ community members and people with disabilities. Born and raised in the town, Waters lives in Fayetteville with her husband, Sterling, and their 11 year-old, Riley.
Heather was elected to the Manlius Town Board in 2019 and invites residents with young families and newcomers to participate in government. Heather is a trained mediator, and she authored the updates to the Town’s public meeting rules, which launched the “Open Podium” public comment program. She led the town’s pay equity audit, Co-chairs the Comprehensive Plan Committee, the Tree Commission, and she serves as the liaison to the Police department. She is a member of the multi-agency Critical Response Committee and the Deer Management Committee.
David Rothschild
Town Justice
I am a lifetime resident of Manlius, a married father of two young children, and have been an attorney for the past 22 years. I began my career as an assistant district attorney in Onondaga County, arguing criminal appeals and prosecuting felony-level crimes involving domestic violence. I then worked as a court attorney in Syracuse City Court for more than nine years, providing legal advice to more than a dozen different judges in the context of both civil and criminal matters. Since leaving City Court, I have been the legal advisor to Onondaga County Court Judge Thomas Miller for the past eight years. In that capacity, I have assisted Judge Miller with all aspects of more than 80 felony jury trials, and helped him write thousands of decisions regarding criminal matters. I have also been active in the community, teaching elementary school students about the criminal justice system and serving as the legal advisor to the Fayetteville-Manlius High School mock trial team.
John Boyd
Town Justice
As a resident of Manlius I have lived in New York my entire life. I currently live with my wife, Katie, a pediatric nurse practitioner and our two wonderful children, Magnolia and Willow.
Since graduating from Syracuse Law, I have continued to serve our community by volunteering as a coach for my Syracuse Law’s Mock Trial Team, serving as a member of the Village of Fayetteville’s Planning Board, serving on the Volunteer Lawyers Project board and serving on the board of the William Herbert Johnson Bar Association as its Treasurer.
I am a Court Attorney for the Fifth Judicial District working in the Syracuse City Court. I provide legal advice to the judges of the Court in civil, criminal, small claims, and landlord tenant cases. Before joining the Court I was an assistant district attorney with the Onondaga County District Attorney’s office. I prosecuted felony cases in the Economic Crimes Bureau. Prior to that he was a litigation attorney at Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC, in its Syracuse office.
Village of Fayetteville
Mark Matt
Village of Fayetteville Trustee
I have lived in the Village of Fayetteville resident for 30 years, our children attended and graduated from F-M schools and served as volunteer firefighters with the Fayetteville Fire Department. I coached youth travel soccer for years and have decades of volunteer service working for our environment and serving as a Rotarian. This is our home. As a current member of the Village Comprehensive Planning Board Steering Committee, I’m committed to listening to all our village residents to ensure our village keeps that beautiful neighborhood quality we all enjoy. I have experience working with planners and engineers and on budgets and legislation. I’ve also built relationships at the Town, County, and State levels and feel that my skills as a team player would benefit our village government.
Casey Cleary
Village Trustee
We have a lot of work ahead to prepare for the future we envision in our new 10-year plan. I want to advocate for modern communication by leveraging technology to engage residents, optimizing the use of village tax dollars, and partnering with neighboring municipalities towards collaborative progress. I plan to help take the Village of Fayetteville to the next level in pursuit of our climate smart goals.
Onondaga County Government
Onondaga County Comptroller
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Onondaga Sheriff
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New York State Government
Assemblyman District 127
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NY Attorney General
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Governor
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United States Federal Government
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