Cynthia Nokland, a long-time and active resident in the Village of Montgomery, announced earlier this month that she will be running for trustee during the village’s March 19 election, seeking to further support the community through this position.

Nokland and her family have lived in Montgomery for all their lives. She graduated from Valley Central High School in 1989, followed by SUNY Orange, and would go on to work as an account manager for Grainger, Winsupply, and Advance Auto Parts. Currently, she works for Bob Barker, a company that sells wholesale products to correctional facilities across New York, New Jersey, and Delaware.

“I’ve been an account manager for over 20 years. I’ve been in the Hudson Valley helping these businesses for a long time. Recently I started a new job where my territory is a lot larger,” she said. “I get to go from working with businesses to working with people that are in the facilities, taking care of people that are incarcerated.”

Nokland is a member of Montgomery’s First Presbyterian Church and has assisted in preserving the church’s historic building along Clinton Street. She’s involved with Valley Central’s All Night Grad and Scholarship Council, the Orange and Sullivan Community Foundation, the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh, and many more. Nokland also loves fundraising and her outreach efforts, whether they’re for the church, first responders, or the community as a whole.

“All these things I take part in and make donations,” she said. “When your arms are open to give, they’re open to receive, and I’ve gotten so much back from helping families and these organizations.”

Nokland, who’s never run for office until now, feels that she has the time and experience to fill the village trustee seat. Her biggest initiative would be planning for the future, prioritizing senior residents, safety, and the village’s water supply and infrastructure.

“I just want to bring a fresh look to our village government. I know everybody, I’ve worked with everybody that currently are trustees,” she said. “I feel like I could be a good fit with everybody and working together because that’s what I do.”