In 2018, Pleasantville Village Administrator Patricia Dwyer will retire from her position. And after nearly three decades of service, Dwyer can’t think of a better job to have had.
“I’m going to miss everything, because I really do love my job,” Dwyer said. “I have had an opportunity to work for the greater good of Pleasantville, and that just makes me incredibly happy.”
As a village administrator, working for the greater good meant finding out the problems that were concerning to the citizens of Pleasantville, and then communicating those problems to the Pleasantville Board of Trustees so that the problems could be dealt with.
Dwyer’s love for helping people through local politics did not start through school or an internship, but rather through a job working at Yankee Stadium as a vendor.
“Vending at Yankee Stadium was one of the best jobs that I ever had,” Dwyer said. “I had been assigned to a concession stand selling souvenirs. I was in constant contact with different people all day.”
Even though Dwyer decided she did not want a career in retail sales, she did want to work with people and try to improve their everyday lives.
After finishing graduate school in 1987, Dwyer took a position in Walden, New York as a village manager, a job very similar to village administrator.
By 1992, Dwyer transitioned into her job at Pleasantville. But in the beginning, her job was anything but pleasant.
As a young woman working in politics, Dwyer worked in a environment that was dominated by older men. She admits that it was often challenging to communicate with the Board of Trustees.
“I think people were more concerned about my lack of experience,” Dwyer said. “Working as a vendor at Yankee Stadium doesn’t necessarily help you deal with the police chief or the planning board.”
Over time, Dwyer learned the ins and outs of local government, and she also learned that her gender and her experience didn’t matter as long as she was a faithful representative of the people of Pleasantville.
I wanted to bring an authentic approach to government,” Dwyer said. “I just wanted to do a job to help people because in the end, I really liked this job.”
Despite having affection for her job, Dwyer is ready to close this chapter of her life. She isn’t certain what her next chapter will be, but is hoping that her next job will be reminiscent of an old one.
“I would like to work for Major League Baseball,” Dwyer said. “It could be anything from public relations to franchising. It could really be anything.”
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