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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.

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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. 

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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. 

Elaine Denton

Town Councilor

Elaine is a passionate advocate for social equity that will use her voice to ensure the Town Board represents the people who live in the Town of Manlius. She volunteers with Moms Demand Action, the Syracuse Peace Council, CNY Solidarity Coalition and Indivisible NY24. She runs her own graphic design business and uses her knowledge of design, technology, and communication to enable all members of our community to be informed and participate in our government.

Elaine grew up on a dairy farm her family has owned for 8 generations in West Winfield, NY. She graduated from Mount Markham High School and earned her bachelor degree in New Media Design from Rochester Institute of Technology. Elaine has lived in Manlius for over 10 years with her husband, Matthew, their children, Caprice, Lionel and August, and an assortment of chickens.

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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.