Carolyn Comitta
| Carolyn Comitta | |
|---|---|
| 58th Mayor of West Chester, Pennsylvania | |
|
Assumed office January 4, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Dick Yoder |
| Member of the West Chester Borough Council from the 5th Ward | |
|
In office January 2, 2006 – January 4, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Barbara McIlvaine Smith |
| Succeeded by | Tom Paxson |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Tom |
| Children | Two |
| Residence | West Chester, Pennsylvania |
| Alma mater | West Chester University, Widener University |
| Occupation | Politician, Educator, Financial officer |
| Website | Office of the Mayor |
Carolyn Comitta is an American politician, educator and financial officer. She is a member of the Democratic Party, and is currently serving as the Mayor of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Comitta is the first woman to serve as Mayor of West Chester, the seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Early life and education
Comitta received her BS in Education from West Chester University (then West Chester State College) in 1974, and her M.Ed. from Widener University in 1989.[1]
Professional career
From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, Comitta worked in the Octorara Area School District as a special and gifted education curriculum specialist and teacher. Since 1988, she has been a member of the Board of Directors of World Information Transfer, Inc., a non-profit, non-governmental educational organization focused on health- and environment-related issues.[1]
She currently serves as the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of her husband's firm, Thomas Comitta Associates, Town Planners and Landscape Architects.[1]
Political career
Comitta was first elected to the West Chester Borough Council in 2005, taking-over the Fifth Ward seat vacated by incumbent Democratic Councilwoman Barbara McIlvaine Smith. While on Council, she served as chair of the Borough Council's Public Safety Committee, and also chaired the Planning Zoning, Business & Industrial Development Committee. She also served as a member of the Parks, Recreation and Environmental Protection Committee, as well as the Finance Committee.[1]
She sought the office of Borough Mayor in 2009, and defeated Councilman Bill Scott in the Democratic primary. She was elected unopposed in the fall general election, and took office the following January. In succeeding the term-limited incumbent Mayor, Republican Dick Yoder,[2] Comitta became West Chester's first ever female Mayor, and its first Democratic Mayor since 1992.[3]
On January 7, 2016, Comitta announced her intent to run for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 156th District, challenging incumbent Dan Truitt.[4]
Personal life
Comitta and her husband, Tom, have two grown children.[1] Tom Comitta is a Planner and Landscape Architect.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Government Information: Mayor". Official Biography of the Mayor. The Borough of West Chester. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
- ↑ Kristie, Dan (11 January 2010). "For Yoder, being mayor was 'a thrill'". The Daily Local News. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
- ↑ Showalter, Connor (January 5, 2010). "Comitta becomes borough's 1st female mayor". The Daily Local News. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
- ↑ http://www.dailylocal.com/article/DL/20160106/NEWS/160109872
- ↑ Rybczynski, Witold. Last Harvest: How a Cornfield Became New Daleville. New York: Scribner. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-7432-3596-9.
External links
- Office of the Mayor official government website
- Carolyn Comitta for Mayor official campaign website