Lori Schakow has dedicated her 42-year career to improving the lives of children and families in New York State through various non-profit leadership positions. Since 2013, Lori has served as Executive Director of Child Care Solutions, Inc., the Child Care Resource and Referral agency for Cayuga and Onondaga Counties. She holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling & Psychological Services from the State University of New York at Oswego. Lori’s greatest joy is being the mother of two accomplished professional young women; and the enchanted grandmother of two delightful grandsons.
Over the last seven and half years, Sarah has been the Commissioner of the Onondaga County Department of Social Services – Economic Security. The Department is responsible for administering Temporary Assistance, SNAP, HEAP, Child Care Subsidies, Child Support and Medicaid. The Department employees slightly less than 400 employees and annual serves 40% of the County’s population. Prior to becoming Commissioner, Sarah served as the Department’s Program Coordinator for ten year. This included oversight of 500 plus annual contracts and working on homelessness/housing issues. Prior to this opportunity, Sarah worked at United Way of Central New York for thirteen years as Vice President of Community Initiatives and the first Director of Success By 6, a precursor to the Early Childhood Alliance.
Lori Schakow has dedicated her 42-year career to improving the lives of children and families in New York State through various non-profit leadership positions. Since 2013, Lori has served as Executive Director of Child Care Solutions, Inc., the Child Care Resource and Referral agency for Cayuga and Onondaga Counties. She holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling & Psychological Services from the State University of New York at Oswego. Lori’s greatest joy is being the mother of two accomplished professional young women; and the enchanted grandmother of two delightful grandsons.
Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul began her career in public service on her local Town Board before serving as Erie County Clerk, and then as a member of Congress for New York’s 26th Congressional District. Since 2015, she has served as the highest-ranking female elected official in New York State government. Lieutenant Governor Hochul successfully spearheaded numerous initiatives and leads the administration’s economic development and job creation efforts across the state, working every day to advocate for policies that help all New Yorkers make ends meet. She has also championed the ‘Enough is Enough’ law to prevent sexual assault on college campuses, spearheaded the state’s Paid Family Leave program, and is continuing to work to eliminate the gender wage gap and expand access to affordable child care. She serves as chair of the State’s Women’s Suffrage Commission and co-chair of the Child Care Availability Task Force.
We are proud to introduce the 77th Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York, Kathy Hochul.