Up2Us Values Champion - Holly McCall

Holly McCall

Holly McCall is a founding member and Executive Director of Up2Us. Holly was elected to the Chappaqua Central School District Board of Education in 2018. 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 served on the Strategic Planning Committee, Facilities Committee, Health & Safety Committee and was 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, and continues to serve as a founding Board member of Up2Us. She is an animal lover who enjoys spending time with her family.

Updated 9/30/22

up2us Values Champion - Vedat Gashi

Up2Us is proud to add Vedat Gashi to our Wall of Champions.

Vedat Gashi has long been championing our democratic values. He came to the US as a refugee fleeing an oppressive regime in Kosovo. He later worked as a lawyer for the UN to help bring peace and democracy to Kosovo.

As a two term County Legislator, Vedat has chaired the budget and appropriations committee where he expanded services and resources, while cutting taxes. He sponsored a first in the nation gun safety law that requires gun dealers to post informational warning signs to customers, a move applauded by Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety. 

Vedat will stand with our allies Israel and Ukraine. He knows the hard realities and promise of the American dream, and has fought to protect that dream, for all of us.

We are proud to call Vedat Gashi our County Legislator, future Congressman and an Up2Us Champion.

up2us Values Champion - Ellen Hendrickx

Up2Us is proud to add Ellen Hendrickx to our Wall of Champions.

After 20 years as founding partner of an architectural design firm handling corporate interiors for companies nationwide, Ellen became involved in government in 2010. She first worked as Legislative Aide to MaryJane Shimsky and later added the concurrent position of Committee Coordinator for The Public Works Committee in the County Legislature. Ellen later joined CE George Latimer's Senior Staff as Assistant Director of Intergovernmental Services, and in 2019, she served on the Greenburgh Town Council to fill out the late Kevin Morgan’s term.

During her years as DL and Chair, she has worked on and run many campaigns to elect Hastings’ Mayors, Trustees and esteemed Judge DiSalvo. She has also worked on many other campaigns and staffed campaign committees for Legislator Shimsky, Greenburgh Town Judge Delores Scott-Brathwaite, Family Court Judge Arlene Gordon-Oliver and County Executive Latimer. 

Hendrickx has always had an impulse to help others—she was an active supporter of the Westchester County Immigrant Protection Act from its inception - within County Government and outside. Likewise,  with the NYS Green Light Law, she  was instrumental in putting together a group of volunteers to help ready an extension of Neighbor's Link in Nodine Hill in Yonkers.

Hendrickx’s experience as Democratic Chair, Legislative Aide and Committee Coordinator for the Westchester County Board of Legislators and then Assistant Director for the County Executive, all contribute to a breadth of experience that she can call upon to make a substantive contribution to the community.

The main issues Hendrickx will focus on include actively encouraging developers to build affordable housing, including adaptive reuse of former corporate and retail properties; realizing revenue from innovative sources that don’t rely on taxing Greenburgh residents such as implementing a demand/response program and actively seeking shared service opportunities to reduce expenditures; and stabilizing existing businesses and attracting new one. She also wants to explore finding ways to nurture small businesses that had started up online during the pandemic and helping them grow. 

Ellen was a resident of Hastings-on-Hudson from 1999 until 2012 before moving to Clarewood in unincorporated Greenburgh though with a Hastings address. During that time, she served as a member of the Hastings Architectural Review Board; was selected as a member of the Comprehensive Plan Committee; and was subsequently appointed as a member of the Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee. She became a District Leader in 2007 and has served as Chair of the Hastings on Hudson Democratic Committee since 2010.

up2us Values Champion - Lisa Tannenbaum

Lisa Tannenbaum received her BA from Carnegie Mellon University and her MBA from Northwestern University. She worked in the corporate world until 2016 when she transitioned to a career in politics and government. She was a Fellow in the Hillary for America campaign and helped to manage the office in White Plains. She later was Regional Field Director for George Latimer and Field Director for Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Most recently she served as Director of Community Outreach for Congressman Eliot Engel.

Lisa, a Democrat is running for Rye City Council on the Democratic line to bring her vast experience in business, politics and government to serve the people of Rye. If elected her goals are to preserve the character of Rye while meeting the evolving needs such as clean energy, wetlands protection and housing needs; fostering a welcoming community; enhancing infrastructure.

Lisa has been championing Democratic values throughout her career. She is committed to working to achieve equity for all races and is a strong advocate for Criminal Justice Reform. She believes in offering legal status and a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who call this country home. She strongly supports equal protection from discrimination for the LGBTQ+ community and has been endorsed by the Hudson Valley Stonewall Democrats. Lisa understands that climate change is a crisis. If elected one of her initiatives would be to make it easier to install clean energy such as solar. Many municipalities have adopted a NY State common permit process. Currently Rye delays installment by requiring a complex, multi-step process. Lisa is staunch advocate for common-sense gun legislation to reduce gun violence. She adamantly believes in women’s reproductive rights.

The Up2Us Board of Directors is proud to announce that Lisa Tannenbaum is an Up2Us Values Champion.

up2us Values Champion - Francesca Hagadus-McHale

Francesca Hagadus Democrat for Mount Pleasant Town Board

As a Founding Board Member of Up2Us, Francesca Hagadus-McHale has worked diligently to uphold our mission to ensure equality for everyone and protect our rights and resources. She will bring the same focus and dedication to the Mt. Pleasant Town Board. Of her campaign and running mates, she adds, “I am running with a strong Democratic Slate which will bring energy, transparency and inclusivity to Mount Pleasant.”

Elected to the Mt. Pleasant New York Town Council in 2018 as the first Democrat in 30 years, Francesca is seeking election to a full term. She has fulfilled her campaign pledges to bring greater transparency and inclusion to the Town Board, has resolutely worked to unify the diverse hamlets and villages of Mt. Pleasant and has introduced many initiatives to improve the effectiveness of town government.

Her organization of the Lights for Liberty Rally in Pleasantville demonstrates her commitment to securing comprehensive immigration rights. A public school teacher (and NYSUT member) for over 25 years, community activist, Democratic District Leader, tireless volunteer for Democratic candidates on the local level, through County, State, and Federal level, Francesca has demonstrated her strong commitment to the Democratic Party and Up2Us values. 

The Up2Us Board of Directors is proud of all its members who have stepped up to run, and we are proud to announce that Francesca Hagadus-McHale is a true Up2Us Values Champion!

Up2Us Values Champion - Jennifer Bounds

Jennifer Bounds

Jennifer Bounds has been a Chappaqua resident since 2014. She holds a BA in Public Policy from University of Chicago, an MBA from NYU and works as a business operations executive. She has a Freshman and a Junior at Horace Greeley High School . Her husband and children identify as Black. She has served on the Greeley Youth Lacrosse Board and is currently on the Greeley Lacrosse Board . Jen 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. She has been working with the Council since it was founded and actively seeks to help get the CRE funded and to implement some of the recommendations. 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 New Castle.

If elected she sees the following three issues as a priority:

Equity and inclusion—Jen sees the need to understand our history and constantly work towards the goal of racial equity. She advocates against asymmetric discipline in our schools and has pushed for racial equity on the CRE

Conservation and sustainability—by restoring and conserving the town’s green spaces. ” Climate change is an existential threat. We need to make large and small changes in order to reverse it while we still have an opportunity.”

Walkability—by developing better walking paths , especially those leading into the hamlets of Chappaqua and Millwood.

In alignment with Up2Us values, Jennifer Bounds strongly believes in the need to allow a path for people to enter the United States , particularly when trying to escape persecution on the basis of race, religion, or gender.  She is an advocate for gun control laws that ban assault weapons and restrictions and background checks on gun ownership. She pledges to uphold the Up2Us value to be positive and not malign other candidates of the same party.

Up2Us Values Champion - Michael Weinberg

Michael Weinberg

Michael Weinberg has been a political activist for over 30 years now working for liberal/progressive causes and candidates. He is running because he  wanted to step up and make a difference.

For the past three 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.

The  three biggest issues he  wants to address if elected are  increasing diversity in our town, increasing rental housing in our town, and increasing the economic volatility of our hamlets.  He believes we need to actively work to overcome the systemic racism our country was built on and work towards inclusion and equity. While addressing all of these issues, he believes we have a climate emergency and must work towards eliminating fossil fuels and increasing resilience while pursuing these goals.

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.

Up2Us Values Champion - Dr. Lori Morton

Dr. Lori Morton

Dr. Lori Morton is a 15-year resident of New Castle, and the mother of two. She has a strong and varied record of leadership in town, serving as a founding member and chair from 2016-2019  of the Chappaqua Central School District PTA’s STEM committee, a board member of the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, as well as a founding Board Member of Chappaqua Friends of Hillary, and continues to serve as board member of Up2Us.  Beginning in January 2021 she has served as a New Castle Town Board member , athe position for which she is seeking a full four year -term. In this capacity she serves  as Town Board Liaison to the Sustainability Advisory Board and the Conservation Board. She  also serves as 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 as 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 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.  She 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..  Her  training as a scientist has enabled her to provide  her community with much needed clarity and data-driven decisions  during the pandemic.

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.  Her  training as a scientist and her position as Vice President of Research at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, leading Cardiovascular and Renal Research at Regeneron  has enabled her to provide  her community with much needed clarity and data during the pandemic.

Her three priorities if elected are:

Stimulating housing diversity and investment in our New Castle hamlets of Chappaqua and Millwood. She supports energizing these hamlets with thoughtful pursuit of housing  and economic diversity, and  championing small business. Lori wants to achieve sustainable, positive growth for the Town of New Castle while never sacrificing a culture of diversity where everyone feels valued.

Preservation of the watershed, open and green spaces and pursuit of sustainability measures to reduce the community carbon footprint. Lori believes :human activity threatens all of our natural resources, and the ability of the planet to sustain life. Loss of polar ice is causing sea levels to rise, threatening all coasts, and destabilizing weather patterns resulting in storms of increasing severity. Humans have the opportunity to reverse course and pursue sustainable measures to combat climate change, preserve water quality, preserve open space and vegetation, and to create responsible and sustainable practices to manage waste..

Dismantling of racial injustice in municipal operations and institutions. She believes BIPOC residents face unequal opportunity across all areas of society, from education, to career opportunity, to healthcare, to criminal justice, to environmental justice, and more

When asked why she decided to run for office, Dr. Morton said: ”I appreciated that I could make a contribution toward measurable positive change in my community in the capacity of Town Board member. I also enjoy the variety of questions that come before the town board!

Up2Us Values Champion - George Latimer

George Latimer speaking at the first Up2Us Meeting

George Latimer has long been championing our democratic values, first as a Rye Councilman, then as a Legislator and Chairman of the County Board of Legislators, then Assemblyman and State Senator, and now as our County Executive.

Since his election to County Executive in 2017, he has championed so much of what we stand for, including  promoting gun sense, celebrating diversity and protecting  the environment.  He ensured gun shows could no longer be held at the Westchester County Center, established the Asian-American and Arab-American Advisory Boards and recently issued an Executive Order to facilitate the electrification of the County’s fleet to reduce the carbon footprint and save taxpayer dollars.

He steered Westchester through the worst of the pandemic with his strong  and steady leadership.

We are proud to call George Latimer our County Executive and our first Up2Us Champion.