Founding Up2Us Board Member Francesca Hagadus-McHale Endorsed by Mt. Pleasant Democratic Committee

Mount Pleasant Dems Announce Full Slate for Town Board Election

The Mount Pleasant Democratic Committee will run a full ticket for Town Board this year, the first time in years the party will contest the supervisor’s seat.

Late last week the committee revealed it had nominated Valhalla Fire Commissioner and 40-year town resident Joe Bonanno to take on Carl Fulgenzi for supervisor next fall. He will be accompanied on the slate by former councilwoman Francesca Hagadus-McHale and political newcomer Evan Echenthal.

Bonanno, 58, who joined the fire department shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, said he has enjoyed community service, having also volunteered as a CYO basketball coach and Boy Scout leader. He wants to continue to give back by working with all town residents and focus on public safety and keeping taxes low by broadening the tax base.

“This is the time to show that local government can be accountable and can get things done, and it’s a way to sort of ladder up and show that to get rid of these political differences between us all, and show that things can get done locally and it’s time to make a difference,” said Bonanno, who was a longtime Nestle employee and most recently director of sales and revenue management with the Buitoni food company.
Hagadus-McHale, 67, who surprised in a 2018 special election to become the first Democrat on the board in 30 years before being defeated the following year, said she wanted to stress greater transparency and reaching out to residents throughout the town.

The retired teacher said that running alongside strong, well-known community members will give the trio a good shot at balancing the board.

“I’ve always felt we need to be more united as a town, that there are people who don’t even know that they live in Mount Pleasant,” Hagadus-McHale said. “So that is one of the things that we want to work on, to bring people together.”

Echenthal, 55, an attorney and 15-year town resident in the unincorporated section of town near the New Castle border, said he finds that residents outside the hamlets are often forgotten. Members of the Democratic ticket intend to reach out to all residents to address their needs, he said.

Fulgenzi, supervisor for more than six years, said he will run for re-election. He pointed to the town’s strong financial standing while maintaining taxes and tackling multiple projects as key accomplishments.

“There are too many things going on,” Fulgenzi said. “I have a lot to finish up before I get out of here.”

He said incumbent councilmembers Laurie Smalley and Tom Sialiano are both interested in running again but their candidacies are not official.

Two Up2Us Founding Board Members are Candidates Endorsed by the New Castle Democratic Committee

Lori Morton and Holly McCall have been endorsed by the NCDC in their bids for Town Council and Town Supervisor.

Read the Press Release below:

NCDC Endorses 2021 Candidates 

Holly McCall is Town Supervisor Candidate Leading Ticket

The New Castle Democratic Committee, activists from every part of this town, has unanimously voted to endorse a strong group of candidates who will keep New Castle and Westchester County moving forward in the coming years. At the County level, the committee will support George Latimer and Tim Idoni, seeking reelection as County Executive and County Clerk, and Vedat Gashi, seeking reelection to the County Legislature. At the local level, the Committee endorsed five candidates, Holly McCall for Town Supervisor, Lori Morton for re-election to the Town Board and, Michael Weinberg and Jennifer Bounds who are seeking first terms on the New Castle Town Board, and Noah Sorkin, seeking reelection as Town Judge.

 Holly McCall, standout member of the Chappaqua School Board, for Town Supervisor.

Holly and her husband, Christopher, have two children attending Bell middle school. She has been an active member of the local community since relocating to New Castle with her family. “We knew this was home the moment we pulled into town.” Holly says of her family’s decision to move to New Castle in 2015.

Holly was elected to the Chappaqua Central School District Board of Education in 2019. As a key leader in an organization substantially larger than the Town government, Holly has focused on responsible fiscal management, race, equity and social justice in the school community. She currently serves on the Strategic Planning Committee, Facilities Committee, Health & Safety Committee and is Co-Chair of the Community Advisory Board on Racism and Equity. Prior to serving on the Board of Education, Holly was the Vice Chair and then Chair of the PTA at Roaring Brook Elementary School and is currently Co-Chair of the Bell Middle School PTA’s Annual Craft Fair.

Holly earned a BS in International Business and Business Management and after graduating from college, worked in financial services project management in Florida and Virginia.

In 2012, Holly led a successful national effort seeking fair access to credit for stay at home parents and has also served as a Board Member for the Family and Home Network, an organization supporting families through information and advocacy. She is a member of the New Castle League of Women Voters, founding member of the Board of Directors of Up2Us to Act, a non-profit promoting civic education and engagement and currently serves as Treasurer. She is an animal lover who enjoys spending time with her family.


Dr. Lori Morton - seeking re-election to New Castle Town Board

Lori is a 15-year resident of New Castle. She and her husband Mark moved to Chappaqua as newlyweds and are proud parents of two daughters, both currently Bell Middle school students.

Lori is a Vice President of Research at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, leading Cardiovascular and Renal Research as a 19-year veteran scientist at the company. At Regeneron, she serves on many STEM Education, women’s leadership, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. Lori holds a Ph.D in Genetics and Molecular Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences from Douglass College of Rutgers University.

Lori has a robust record of community leadership in New Castle. She served as a founding member of the CCSD PTA STEM Committee, and led the organization as chair from September 2016 through June 2019. She has also been a founding contributor to the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, and has served as a Board Member since 2012. She was a founding Board Member of Chappaqua Friends of Hillary, and continues to serve as board member of Up2Us. She was a District Leader in the New Castle Democratic Committee from 2017 until she yielded the seat upon beginning her term as New Castle Town Board Member this January. She serves as Town Board Liaison to the Sustainability Advisory Board and the Conservation Board. She has been a member of the New Castle Beautification Advisory Board since January 2020, and volunteered on the Housing Committee of the New Castle Master Plan in 2014. Lori has also served Westchester County as the Executive Director of the AHA Westchester Heart Walk, and serves as a member of the Westchester County Laboratories and Research Board of Managers.

Lori has been recognized for her leadership and volunteer efforts in STEM Education with a Point of Light Foundation “Daily Point of Light” award and the “914inc. Women in Business Award” in 2019.


Michael Weinberg is seeking election to the New Castle Town Board.


Lifetime Westchester County resident Michael Weinberg moved to New Castle with his family 13 years ago. For the past two years he has served on State Senator Pete Hackham’s staff as a special advisor while continuing to run his own finance and consulting business. Michael has been managing and running small business over his almost four-decade career. Working with Sen. Harckham has provided Michael with a wide understanding of the workings of New Castle and 14 other towns in the district, as well as hands-on experience regarding state issues and their impact on municipalities.

Additionally, Michael is an active member of the Democratic Party in Westchester, where he has built relationships with local elected officials and worked to elect Democrats around the county over the last 30 years. A Democratic district leader in New Castle, he is a strong and persistent advocate for social justice and equity, better access to healthcare and good government.

Michael is a familiar volunteer and trusted friend to many in New Castle. Both of his children graduated from Horace Greeley High School, and he has been an active member of the Chappaqua and Millwood Chambers of Commerce, serving on their respective boards of directors. He has coached Little League baseball, played in local softball leagues and assisted students at Greeley with the annual Relay for Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

Michael has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota in genetics and cell biology, as well as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from George Washington University. An outdoors enthusiast, he can often be found hiking in nearby parks with his rescue dog.


 Jennifer Bounds - seeking a seat on the New Castle Town Board.

 Jen has been a Chappaqua resident since 2014. She has served on the New Castle Council on Race and Equity as part of the Business and Commerce committee where she led the effort to bring diverse vendors to the farmers market. Jen is running for town board to deepen her commitment to attract diverse businesses and residents to New Castle and to work on the revitalization of our town.

 Jen has two children at Greeley who are avid lacrosse players and has served on the Greeley Youth Lacrosse Board and currently serves on the Greeley Lacrosse Board.

Jen heads US operations for a European manufacturer and spends her workday doing whatever it takes to move projects forward for her employer, customers, and other stakeholders.

She holds a BA in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and an MBA from NYU Stern.

New Castle Democratic Committee Co-Chair, Randee Glazer stated “I am so proud to field this amazing, accomplished group of candidates whose many contributions to the Town of New Castle have exemplified their commitment to making our town the best it can be.” Co-Chair Jane Silverman added, “we interviewed 12 candidates and were truly impressed by the professionalism, intellect and proven track record of commitment to the town by Holly, Lori, Michael and Jennifer.” We believe that this extraordinarily, well-qualified slate of candidates will continue to make the Town of New Castle a wonderful place to live now and in the future  .”