New Dutchess budget director named

POUGHKEEPSIE – A long-tenured member of the Dutchess County Budget Office has been named the new county budget director.
County Executive Marcus Molinaro appointed Jessica White to replace Valerie Sommerville, who has retired.
“Jess has been with Dutchess County’s Budget Office for 15 years. She has served as senior research analyst and in essence has acted as a deputy director for the budget office,” he said. “She will be responsible now as budget director for overseeing Dutchess County’s $456 million budget and coordinating the finance departments and divisions within all individual areas of county government.”
Molinaro also named deputy board of elections commissioner Christopher Baiano as an assistant county executive, who will oversee several county departments as serve as a senior policy advisor.
As part of the county’s 2016 budget, the deputy commissioner for strategic planning and economic development was reclassified as assistant county executive for economic development. Ronald Hicks, who has served as deputy commissioner since 2012, will become assistant county executive for economic development.