Profiles of Eastchester Town Candidates: Joseph Villanueva
Joe is a good friend and I know that his passion to make Bronxville and Eastchester better are genuine. He is a successful attorney who will bring a balanced combination of intellectual rigor and compassion to the Town Board. Although I am not an Eastchester Resident my Real Estate Practice is in Bronxville and I know Joe will do a superlative job in supporting the community. I hope you will consider supporting him!
Peter
July 29, 2009: Editor’s Note: This is a second in a serious of “profiles” on the candidates for Eastchester Town government who are running in the November 2009 election-their backgrounds, their platforms, and what they see as the major issues facing the town. Registered voters living in the town of Eastchester, including Bronxville and Tuckahoe, are eligible to vote.
The following is a profile on Joseph Villanueva, Democratic running mate with Christine Doody Doherty for the Eastchester Town Board.
Joe Villanueva was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1972 to immigrant parents, Imelda and Gary Villanueva. He is the youngest of five children. The family stayed in Brooklyn for several years until they settled in Staten Island. Joe called Staten Island his hometown until he relocated to Westchester County in 2000.
Joe’s parents raised him to believe that public service was his obligation and not an option. He volunteered for numerous organizations as a child including Lions Club International.
Joe graduated from Stony Brook University with a BA and Hofstra University School of Law. He spent three years working for the City of New York as a prosecutor and employment lawyer and then worked for a Fortune 50 company as a senior trial attorney. He tried multimillion dollar cases and developed a reputation as a fierce and passionate advocate.
Thereafter, he started a private legal practice handling general matters such as employment litigation, criminal defense, and landlord tenant maters. His office is in Eastchester at the Vernon Hills Shopping Center and he can often be seen throughout the civil courts and criminal courts of Westchester and surrounding counties.
Joe currently serves as the General Counsel for the Bronxville Chamber of Commerce, a Den Leader in the Bronxville Cub Scouts, General Counsel to the Parkway Road Civic Association, a member of the Eastchester Rotary Club, and a member of the Bronxville Mayor’s Citizen’s Advisory Committee.
He is a former member of the Westchester County Bar Association’s Board of Directors, Berkeley College Paralegal Advisory Board, Rockland County Community College Advisory Board, Washington Center Alumni Board, and Lions Club International.
With regard to his position on the issues, Joe favors lower taxes, improved public safety, and greater transparency in government. “Transparency is a means of muting the effects of a one-party system,” he declares. “We need a fresh perspective and more independent voices bringing up more topics for discussion.”
Also, he suggests more government office hours that are readily accessible. As to public safety, he advocates more aggressive prosecution of petty offenses, and greater cooperation and sharing of resources among communities: “Crimes are committed that should not be tolerated. I think it’s an issue that should be brought to light and to the forefront.”
Joe is married to Jennifer Gross and has three kids, Harry (7), Van (3), and Amy (2). His eldest son attends public school.
Joe seeks a position on the Town Board because he feels that it is an extension of his commitment to the community. Joe recently stated, “I’m running because I love Eastchester. I just want to give back to the community and make it a better place to live for my kids and my neighbors.”
Should Joe be elected, he sees his top priority to be transparency in government.
