Our Founders

Paul Feiner
Paul Feiner began his career in public service at the age of l2, when he worked as a volunteer on the successful l968 Congressional campaign of Ogden Reid. Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude at Fordham University and a l98l graduate of St. John's Law School, Mr. Feiner immediately put his academic skills to good use. He led the campaign to open committee meetings of the Westchester County Board of Legislators to the public.

In l983 he was elected to the Westchester County Board of Legislators, defeating two opponents who were supported by the political establishment In l99l, he was elected Town Supervisor of Greenburgh, the largest town in Westchester County.

Mr. Feiner's unique Town Board meetings were so widely recognized as models of good government that they were profiled in a C-Span special report in l997. Hudson Valley Magazine said that Town meetings in Greenburgh are the best in the Hudson Valley. Feiner initiated a new concept called Dial Democracy, where residents have telephone access to Town Board meetings in progress.

In 2007 the Greenburgh Town Board adopted very strict ethics laws restricting the ability of elected officials from accepting contracts from those who have proposals before the town or business with the town. 

Paul Feiner is the only elected official in the United States to have based part of his salary on performance. He has tied salary increases to achievement of goals and has voluntarily returned a portion of his salary if his goals are not met. 

Spotlight Westchester Magazine named Paul Feiner the "most interesting politician in Westchester" in their "the Best of Westchester 200l issue". Mr. Feiner was also honored by the Rotary Foundation as a Paul Harris Fellow. Mr. Feiner also began hosting a weekly interview program on WVOX Radio (l460 AM) every Friday morning in January,2002
The August, 2008 issue of MONEY MAGAZINE named Greenburgh as one of the “BEST PLACES TO LIVE” in America. Greenburgh ranked number 80. “If you want to know what makes Greenburgh special, look no further than Town Hall. The city’s remarkably open government (the town supervisor makes house calls to settle grievances) mirrors a community light-years away from the parts of New York state that appear on primetime crime dramas. The magazine praised the town for its 600 acres of parkland, water park and “compelling arts community with galleries housed at, where else, town hall.”

Paul Feiner was the Democratic candidate for United States Congress from the 20th Congressional District in l998 and in 2000. Although Mr. Feiner lost the election to the chairman of the House International Affairs Committee, Mr. Feiner won the Westchester County portion of the district by nearly 65% of the vote. 

Mr. Feiner, an avid cyclist, has participated in numerous long distance charity bike rides.

Mr. Feiner was born on February l4, l956 and is married to Sherrie Brown, an attorney. They adopted 8 month old Julia Rebecca Feiner in November l999 from Russia. The family resides in Greenburgh, NY.

Joseph J. DioGuardi
Few former lawmakers have the resume as a reformer as former Congressman Joe DioGuardi, who happily now joins his nationally recognized good government reform organization Truth In Government with Rethinking Westchester Government.

The first practicing CPA ever elected to Congress, DioGuardi also had been the youngest partner in the history of the Arthur Andersen accounting firm before he made he ran for Congress in 1984. He would serve for two terms and sponsor legislation on fiscal reform that only in recent months is being recognized as problem solving tools for the federal government's current fiscal crisis.

In addition to two other runs for Congress, DioGuardi also authored "Unaccountable Congress: It Doesn't Add Up" and founded the Albanian American Civic League to confront human rights attrocities in former Yugoslavia and Kosova. A sought after speaker, he maintains a constant presence as both an activist for fiscal reform nationally and human rights internationally.

DioGuardi's concerns now center on fiscal policies in county government that appear no different than what plagued New York City in the 1970s when it when bankrupt and the ever enlarging federal debt.

Bob Meyerson
Bob moved to Scarsdale as a child in 1948 and went through the Edgemont School System. Bob graduated from Bradley University with a BS degree in Business Management and a degree in Wood Technology. His family was in the furniture business. After college Bob joined the US Navy and served in Vietnam. Upon returning, he went into business for a number of small companies. Twenty years later and the decline in the stock market of 1987 Bob went back into private industry until 1995 when he joined Fleet Mortgage as a loan officer. He is presently with Wachovia Mortgage.

Local involvements:

• V.P. Havilands Manor Association
  
• Past president of the Council of Neighborhood Association in White Plains
  
• Currently on the board of WPCNA
  
• Active member of the White Plains Affordable Housing Committee
  
• Past member of the Management Committee, 1997 Comprehensive Plan of White Plains
  
• Past president of the Men's Club of Westchester Reform Temple
  
• Past member of the Red Cross

Eleanor McDonald
Eleanor McDonald is a first generation American born of Irish immigrant parents. She was born in the Bronx and at the age of three came to Westchester where she spent all but of six of her life .

Ms. McDonald graduated ABDavis High School and went on to receive her BBA in Accounting and Finance from Pace University. She then studied at the New School of Management for her Masters in Management Auditing,

Ms. McDonald spent her career in Civil Service management. She started with three years employment with the County of Westchester: then twenty two years with the Town of Greenburgh where she went from Bookkeeper to Accountant to Deputy Comptroller to Comptroller. She was the first woman Comptoller of Greenburgh and then let to become the first woman Comptroller of the Town of Harrison for the next eleven years.

Ms. McDonald is known for her community activities. She cooks for the homeless at Grace Church through Our Lady of Sorrows Church. She volunteers at the Thrift Shop which is co-operated by the Woman’s Club of White Plains. Eleanor was the Treasurer of The Woman’s Club of White Plains and is the Treasurer of the College Club

Bobbie Anne Flower Cox, Esq.
Born and raised in Yonkers, N.Y., Bobbie Anne is a life-long Westchester County resident. A former competitive figure skater, she is now an attorney specializing in Real Estate and Property Tax Certiorari law. After practicing Environmental and then Municipal Finance Law with a nationally esteemed law firm for several years in New York City, Bobbie Anne left the firm in 2002 and started her own practice located here in Westchester County, in the Village of Bronxville.

As a Yonkers homeowner, Bobbie Anne saw her property taxes increase a whopping 24% in 2008 alone! Infuriated by this unfounded jump in taxes, she was drawn to Rethinking Westchester Government and is one of the group's original members. Concerned about the unprecedented and unfounded continuous rise in property taxes, Bobbie Anne sits on the Executive Board of the Rethinking Westchester Government, and she also heads the Legal Committee for the organization.

Bobbie Anne currently lives with her husband and child in Yonkers. She can be reached through her website at www.coxlawyers.com.

Robert A. Fois
A native of Eastchester, Bob is a journalist who has covered state and local government for over 20 years. Presently the editor of the news blog News Copy, New York, he was formerly news director at WVOX in New Rochelle and editor of Empire State Report magazine.

Bob is no stranger to politics throughout the Hudson Valley, having managed Congressional and State Senate campaigns. His run for County Legislator in 1999 focused on government waste and forecasted the notorious taxation presently on the backs of Westchester's taxpayers.

Formerly an assistant to former Congressman Joseph J. DioGuardi, who is now also joining Rethinking Westchester Government, Bob hopes to develop a team of "number crunchers" in the coming weeks that does surgery on the county budget.

Bob is also editor of Rethinking's blog, Taxpayers' Anonymous, and will be responsible for making as much noise in the mainstream media as humanly possible.

Joan Gronowski
Yonkers City Council - District 3
Joan Gronowski is a lifelong Yonkers resident. born and raised on Hawthorne Avenue. Joan attended St. Mary’s Parochial School and Blessed Sacrament Academy High School, beginning her employment with the City of Yonkers shortly thereafter.

Joan is a retired City of Yonkers employee and former member of the Service Employees’ International Union Local 704, having served as the Union’s Recording Secretary for ten years. Joan worked for many years in the city’s Office of Consumer Protection, corresponding with the private sector as a liaison to resolve constituent complaints and inquiries. Joan became a first-time candidate and in November 2007, was elected to the Yonkers City Council representing the Third District.

Candyce Corcoran
Candyce Corcoran a former Wall Street Banker and Finance Executive has lived within a 5 mile radius of her birthplace, White Plains Hospital for over 5 decades.  Candyce was the former Organizational Chair and District Leader for the WP's Democrat's and a County Legislator Candidate. Candyce is a well known community activist and has dedicated her teen and adult life to community service for the betterment of all, including the Homeless and Handicapped, Children, Safety and Animal Rescue.   She also held the rank of Commander for the Westchester Chapter of the United States Power Squadron. Candyce is a graduate of Pace University and did graduate work at CNR and Mercy College.  Candyce's latest endeavor is her children's book, "OLIVER", www.worldofoliver.com. "OLIVER" has been sold and praised throughout the US and as far away as Australia.  Candyce and "OLIVER" have been invited guests at children's  hospitals, libraries  and schools around the country. She resides in White Plains with her husband David and has two grown sons.

Stephen Mayo
Stephen Mayo is a resident of New Rochelle NY and has lived in Westchester County for 18 years. He is Managing Director of Mayo Linoleum Works, LLC, Bronx, NY, provider of manufacturing and distribution services to industry.  Member of the Bar of the State of New York since 1979; maintains a practice devoted to advising small businesses.  Host, "Take on the Issues," WVOX radio talk show, 1460 AM, every Tuesday at 2 PM.  Past Commissioner - New Rochelle Planning Board, Civic and community activities / board and committee service - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Childhood Learning Center, Republican Party, Conservative Club, Save Our Armory, American Youth Soccer Organization.   He has joined Rethinking Westchester because it is where people from all backgrounds and walks of life have finally combined, regardless of partisan political affiliation, to enhance the quality of life for everyone in Westchester County by "opposing waste of tax revenues, combating  bureaucratic duplication and enabling necessary governmental departments to reach their operational goals thereby."

Richard J. Garfunkel
Richard J. Garfunkel was raised and educated in Mount Vernon, NY, Boston University BA –American History. Lifelong Westchester resident, who has lived in White Plains for 33 and now resides in Tarrytown. Was a partner in a manufacturing business for 25 years. For 13 years has been a Registered Representative in the financial services field. He has been active in politics for 40 years. Alternate –Delegate to the Mid-Term National Democratic Convention in 1978. Last campaign served as Paul Feiner’s campaign manager. For 15 hears he has directed a high school charity fund, which sponsors essays on public policy. Hosts a radio called The Advocates on WVOX AM radio.

Lloyd I. Roos
Lloyd I. Roos, is a 40 year Resident of the Ardsley School District Section of Dobbs Ferry. Lloyd is an attorney and starting September, 2008 will volunteer part-time in the office of the Greenburgh Town Attorney.

Joseph Carvin
Town Supervisor of Rye Town
Professional Experience: over twenty years of business and financial experience built up in top tier global financial institutions. The senior US partner of a US$ 1.4 billion global hedge fund called Altima Partners which Joe helped create in July 2004. For the ten years prior to Altima, Joe worked for Morgan Grenfell/Deutsche Bank in global equity markets as both a financial analyst and fund manager. Joe also has considerable experience in economic development having worked for the US government overseas. He has served as a business advisor to the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) a group that teaches disadvantaged teens business skills.

Education: Masters Public Administration - Harvard University Masters Business Administration - New York University Bachelor of Arts - Tulane University

Awards: Ambassador of Good Will - Rotary Fellowship to Dakar, Senegal American Field Service Scholarship to Sydney, Australia

Activities: Business Development Advisor to the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) a group that teaches business skills to disadvantaged teens. While in London developed a stock market curriculum for NFTE students in London. Member of the Westchester Hispanic Republican Club. Member of the Junto an organization modeled after the discussion group created by Ben Franklin in the 1700's.

Languages: Fluent Spanish, Portuguese, French and Wolof Family: I live with my wife Rozlyn who is a qualified barrister in the courts of London and our 18 month old daughter Keira. My son Michael graduated from Princeton University.

Melvin Goldstein
Yonkers resident for 48 years.
Retired self employed consultant in the construction industry.
President of the Fort Hill Manor Civic Association, Yonkers.
Member Yonkers Green Policy Task Force.
Member Yonkers McMansions Task Force.
Member Yonkers First Precinct Community Council.
Member Yonkers Tuckahoe Road Watchdog Group.
Squadron Education Officer, Cross County Power Squadron.