Jean Anderson Lapper

Candidate for Queensbury Town Supervisor

Jean Anderson Lapper is a small business owner, respected accountant, community advocate, and current Deputy Town Supervisor. A long-time resident, Jean is running for Town Supervisor to provide the experienced, responsible leadership Queensbury needs to keep moving forward.

Throughout her career as a certified public accountant, Jean has built a reputation for integrity, sound financial judgment, and an ability to solve complex problems. As a small business owner, she not only understands the challenges facing local businesses and families, but she has also faced them herself. That expertise guides her approach to town government, where she is committed to responsible budgeting, protecting taxpayers, and meeting the needs of the community while planning wisely for Queensbury’s future.

Jean’s commitment to Queensbury extends far beyond her professional experience. She has dedicated herself to organizations and causes that strengthen her community. From serving as Rotary president or interim Executive Director of the United Way, Jean is driven by a desire to help others. Her work includes addressing food insecurity, providing clothing to children in need, support for the arts, and a commitment to environmental stewardship.

As Deputy Town Supervisor, Jean has gained firsthand experience overseeing the town government and helping guide Queensbury’s continued progress. She has a proven record of getting things done, most recently leading the effort to secure the necessary approvals for the Jenkinsville Community water project, ensuring that vital work could finally begin. This experience gives her a clear understanding of the town’s operations and infrastructure, meaning she will be ready to lead on day one.

As Town Supervisor, Jean will focus on maintaining Queensbury’s fiscal strength, investing responsibly in infrastructure, supporting a strong municipal workforce, and ensuring that town government remains open, accessible, and accountable.

Jean has the financial expertise, governing experience, and deep commitment to Queensbury needed to be Town Supervisor. She is running to build on the town’s momentum and ensure Queensbury remains a strong and vibrant community to live, work and raise a family.

Paul Derby

Candidate for Queensbury Town Board, Ward 1

I’m Paul Derby, and I’m running for the Ward 1 representative on the Queensbury Town Board. I will work hard and be a strong voice for the people of Ward 1 and the Town of Queensbury. Ward 1, in particular, is an important sector of Queensbury. It is a place of natural beauty, the setting of our marvelous lakes, a safe place to raise our families and build our homes, a region with thriving tourism and sensible, appropriate businesses. We need to protect these vital assets and maintain Ward 1 as a great place to live, visit, work, shop, and recreate.

I was raised locally and have lived in Queensbury since 1988. I was brought up to believe in civil service. My dad was a factory worker and a union leader. He and my mom ran the company’s credit union together, and they worked at the election poles every year. They taught me to not only care about the community but to actively participate in it; they taught me to leave things better than I found them. That will be my approach as councilperson for Ward 1 on the Queensbury Town Board.

I earned a Doctoral and Master’s degree in Anthropology from Syracuse University, BAs from SUNY Oneonta in Psychology and Philosophy, and an Associate’s degree in Business from Adirondack Community College. I am a recently retired professor of 30 years at Castleton University, Vermont. Before that I taught at Siena and Adirondack Community College. As a college professor, I worked closely with students on many civic engagement projects including the creation of Castleton’s Green Campus Initiative, the American Democracy Project to increase youth interest in politics and voting, and organized rallies to make higher education more affordable. At Castleton, I was the Environmental Sustainability Coordinator and wrote the Climate Action Plan to reduce carbon emissions. I’ve published on the inter-relationship between cultural and environmental sustainability, and I’ve presented at multiple conferences around the world.

When my wife and I moved to beautiful Glen Lake 33 years ago, I said, “If I’m going to live here, I’m going to participate in the community.” I have volunteered in the Glen Lake Protective Association (GLPA) since then, first on the Environmental Committee and then as president of the GLPA for most of the last 20 years. During that time, we organized the GLPA as a non-profit 501-C3, conducted numerous lake and water quality studies to measure and manage the ecological health of Glen Lake, established a special district to manage invasive species, and recently updated the comprehensive Glen Lake Watershed Management Plan. I was also a Trustee of the Warren County Historical Society for twelve years, and I’ve served on several Queensbury Town committees on zoning and the protection of Queensbury’s lakes and natural resources.

This is an important time for Queensbury and Ward 1. We will have a new Supervisor; the Comprehensive Land Use Plan has been completed and now decisions need to be made about appropriate zoning; the water lines to Jenkinsville need to be completed timely with consistent communication with affected property owners; the Great Escape has sold and we need to build a positive working relationship with the new owners; our lakes and waterways need to be protected; our natural vistas preserved. It’s time for a new and stronger voice for the people of Ward 1. We need to maintain the community character that brings people to Queensbury and makes this a great place to live.

Michael Toney

Candidate for Queensbury Town Board, Ward 2

I grew up and attended high school in South Glens Falls, went to Adirondack Community College and then earned my undergrad and graduate degrees from SUNY Brockport. After working for the Residential Life department at Brockport I realized it was time to return to the Adirondacks in the early 80s.

In Glens Falls, I worked at Glens Falls National Bank first as Deposit Services supervisor, then as the bank’s purchasing agent. My family and I made the choice to move to Queensbury in late 1989, and I’ve been here ever since!

The field of education grabbed my attention, and I left the bank to go back to school and earned my teaching degree and a certificate in Educational Administration from the University of Vermont at Burlington. From 2001 until I retired in 2021, I tackled and loved the challenges of becoming an English/Journalism teacher at Rensselaer High School.

Queensbury has been my home for 37 years. I love this area and all it has to offer. How we spend our tax dollars is important to me. Decisions on maintaining all we have to offer should always be made in the best interest of the residents. As a retired teacher, I am accustomed to listening to my audience and as a leader, I plan to bring my skills to the Queensbury Town Board, highlighting affordability and an excellent quality of life.

My June bride Linda Tweel Toney and I have been married for 48 years and we have four daughters - Jennifer and Samantha are both in the military, Kayla is a full-time mom and part time server and is on the board of Glens Falls Community Theatre, Nicole is a high school English teacher and mom to a toddler. I want to help create a better environment for locals including my many family members and friends living here. Motivating me to help build a better future are my grandchildren – 5 year old Laily, 18 month old Thomas, and Theo, due in October

Krystle Sweetser

Candidate for Queensbury Town Board, Ward 3

I’ve called Queensbury home since 2009, drawn here by family and the kind of close-knit community I wanted to raise my son in. Twenty years later, this town is woven into every part of my life. That's exactly why I’m running for Town Board.

I hold an Associate of Liberal Arts from Cape Cod Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from SUNY Plattsburgh. By day, I work in pharmaceutical sales, a career that has sharpened my ability to communicate, advocate, and solve problems for real people. I’ve managed teams, led field advisory boards, and trained many young professionals. 

As a member of Zonta International, I’m committed to lifting up the voices of women in our community. And as a wife and mom, I think every day about the kind of Queensbury my family, and yours, gets to live in.

I’m running because I believe our community deserves better — more transparency in how decisions are made, and a local government that’s genuinely accessible and engaging for every resident. I want to help build a Queensbury that keeps everyone in mind, not just a few, and ensure that town funds are managed responsibly and put to work in ways that truly make a difference in people’s daily lives.

Dawn Bleyenburg

Candidate for Queensbury Town Board, Ward 4

Dawn Bleyenburg was born and raised in Indiana, the daughter of teenage parents. She was the first in her family, on either side, to attend college — and remains the only one to earn a master's degree. Dawn holds a Master's degree in School and College Health Education and a Bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Indiana University in Bloomington.

Before moving to New York, Dawn served the Indianapolis community as an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow and as Summer Program Director at the Ruth Lilly Health Education Center.

In October 2001, Dawn and her husband — a Saratoga Springs High School graduate — moved to New York with no jobs lined up. Within three months, Dawn began working as a Tobacco Cessation & Education Specialist for Glens Falls Hospital. In July 2003, she moved to Queensbury's Ward 4, where she has lived ever since. After Glens Falls Hospital, Dawn worked briefly at Capital Region BOCES before beginning her current career at the University at Albany.

Dawn currently serves as Interim Assistant Dean of the Office of Engagement and Practice, Director of the Center for Public Health Continuing Education, and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy, Management and Behavior at the University at Albany College of Integrated Health Sciences. A Master Certified Health Education Specialist, she brings over 20 years of experience in health education and promotion curriculum development, public health and health care workforce training, evaluation, program planning, needs assessment, and blended learning.

Dawn is a 2010 graduate of the Northeast Public Health Leadership Institute. She served as Treasurer on the Executive Board of the NYS Public Health Association from July 2014 to June 2021, and from 2017 to 2021 completed a five-year term as National Commission for Health Education Credentialing Board Director on the Division Board for Professional Preparation and Practice.

Dawn was recently reelected to the Queensbury Union Free School District's Board of Education, where she is serving her second five-year term. She first ran for the school board in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, when her state and national board terms were coming to an end and she felt her time, passion, and expertise would be best spent serving her local community. More recently, Dawn was disheartened by the limited choice of candidates for Queensbury voters in the November 2025 election — deepening her commitment to civic engagement and to serving Ward 4.

Dave Strainer

Candidate for Warren County Supervisor At-Large

Dave Strainer is a Warren County Supervisor representing Queensbury and a licensed associate real estate broker. He first served three terms as a Queensbury at-large supervisor from 2007 through 2013 and returned to the Board in 2024.

In office, Dave emphasizes decisions based on facts and what is best for Queensbury and Warren County. He brings both long experience in county government and a working knowledge of the local housing market to the Board.

Mike Parwana

Candidate for Warren County Supervisor At-Large

Mike Parwana  is currently 30+ years a blacksmith (a darn good one), founder and co-owner of Chicken Coop Forge in West Glens Falls.

Born in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, he attended Lake George Elementary and Jr high, Whitehall High School and received an AAS from SUNY Adirondack. He brings diverse experience including in the tourism and hospitality industry, construction trades as well as building design with companies such as Northern Homes in Queensbury and Hamilton Homes in Long Lake, along with craft and arts to his approach to thoughtful and creative problem solving. Mike has served on boards and committees including the Lake George Arts Project, the Queensbury Democratic Committee, and the Adirondack Regional immigration Coalition (ARIC). 

Home and commercial property owner in Ward 4 of Queensbury, he is focused on improving government to be open, transparent, and accountable; responsible fiscal oversight; working to build resilient, sustainable, and welcoming communities; and thoughtfully leveraging budgeted spending to build better communities to meet the needs of residents.

He fully subscribes to the concept that everyone is born equal, with rights, and that government is instituted among the people - its just powers derived from consent of all the governed.