Meet The Candidates

 My name is Fred Hutchinson. I grew up in nearby Castleton and, in 2001, moved my family to the Village of Chatham. We rented a small two-bedroom apartment there for just $750 a month, including heat and hot water. In 2005, we were able to buy our first home right here in the Town of Ghent, and Ghent has been my home ever since.

I’ve raised three children here, all of whom attended the Chatham Central School District. I am very proud of their hard work and dedication to this community—from my eldest son's hundreds of hours of community service with Sean’s Run, to my middle son's two State Championships with the Varsity Baseball Team, to my youngest son's involvement in both theater and Varsity Soccer.

As a two-time school board member and president, a 22-year volunteer soccer coach, and a founding member of the FC Columbia soccer program, I like to think my children learned a core lesson I aimed to teach them: that if you love a community, you need to find a way to serve it.

I am running for Ghent Town Supervisor with that mission in mind. I want to serve the community that helped me raise such wonderful kids, and I want to make it possible for these terrific young men—and all our young people—to remain in this community if they so choose. High rents, impossibly high mortgages, and a rising average cost of living now threaten these hopes. The sense of community I was fortunate to have raised my family in is beginning to disappear.

This November, please consider voting for me as your Town Supervisor. I will work with the Town Board and the Columbia County Board of Supervisors to preserve our history and our values, making living here affordable again and raising a quality of life that embraces generations to come.

Thank you, Fred Hutchinson Teacher, leader, friend, and neighbor.  Vote November 4th.

 Hi, I'm Penny Coulson-Sanchez. I grew up on a dairy farm in Old Chatham, graduated from Chatham High School, and after years away, I chose to come back home to Ghent. Serving this community would be an honor.

I have over 20 years of managerial experience in healthcare, specifically in coding and compliance. At Montefiore Medical Center, I served as a practice manager, where I balanced budgets and managed both union and non-union employees. My work with Westmed, Caremount Medical, and United Healthcare/Optum as a coding compliance manager taught me how to communicate effectively with medical professionals, ensuring accurate coding and implementing corrective actions. 

These roles required diligent research and a commitment to finding the right solutions, preparing me to handle diverse situations and people daily.

Why am I running now? These are challenging times for our country and our town, and it feels right for me to step up to serve Ghent. Our challenges demand action, not just talk.

• Community: Ghent is a beautiful town, but we lack a central hub. The sense of community varies depending on where you are. We need to look out for our seniors and children—it takes a village. I will research and develop programs to unify our community, serving both ends of the age spectrum.

• Housing: Families are being priced out of their own community. I will pursue grants and partner with organizations like Habitat for Humanity to bring real solutions.

• Supporting Farmers: Agriculture built this community. I will ensure our farmers are aware of and can access every available grant and program.

My colleagues describe me as intelligent, fair, trustworthy, responsive, and responsible. These aren't just words—they are how I'll serve you.

I'm not running against anyone. I'm running for everyone in Ghent.

Thank you for your time. I hope to earn your vote this November 4th.

My name is Carl Quinn. I am a lifelong Columbia County resident—born in Hudson, raised right here, and a proud Chatham High School graduate, Class of 1987 (Go Panthers!) with a NYS Regent's Diploma in Science and French.

In 1997, I met the love of my life, Laurie. She moved here from Syracuse with her two boys in 1998, and in 2000 we bought our home here in Ghent, where we raised our sons in the community I still call home. Sadly, Laurie passed away suddenly in 2021 from a brain aneurysm. In an instant, our lives were shattered.

I've always had a strong connection to our community. In the hope of continuing that and giving others the same opportunities I've had here, I'm running for Ghent Town Board in the November 5th election. I know firsthand the challenges, hardships, opportunities, and joys that residents face in our community, and I believe my experience can help others in similar situations. I genuinely care deeply about this community and its residents.

I co-founded two community nonprofits that continue to grow and remain active today. Through that work, I've sat with you while you held your loved one's hand as they took their last breath from cancer. I've been with you after a fire tore through your family home, taking your memories and leaving you feeling alone. I've spoken to many of you with loved ones battling substance use disorder, working together on suggestions and plans for help. I've been here when you've lost someone to an overdose—young lives snuffed out in an instant from a disease some struggle to understand.

I've been here for this community in the past, and I will continue to be here in the future—the same way this community has been here for me and my family.

In my professional work, I collaborate with county agencies, lawyers, judges, town supervisors, mayors, law enforcement, housing organizations, and service providers from substance treatment to mental health. I've built strong relationships that give me firsthand experience in knowing how to reach out, who to reach out to, build consensus, and put plans in place to get things done.

I hope to have the opportunity to continue doing great things for the community we love and call home.  In the end, we're all just walking each other home.

Please vote Carl Quinn for Town Council on November 4th.