DUNKIRK — City Mayor Willie Rosas, New York state’s first elected Hispanic mayor, will be the honoree at the Chautauqua County Democratic Committee’s annual banquet Wednesday at the Clarion Hotel, 30 Lake Shore Drive East.

Kathy Dahlkemper, Former Congresswoman and Erie County, Pa., county executive, will be the keynote speaker and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown will be presenting and honoring Rosas.

“Kathy Dahlkemper will be speaking about the upcoming 2020 Presidential election that is expected to be decided in Pennsylvania and a few other swing states,” announced Democratic County Chair Norman Green. “It should be quite interesting to hear her unique on-the-ground view and understanding of politics.”

Dahlkemper previously served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 3rd Congressional District of Pennsylvania from 2009 to 2011. Dahlkemper serves on the board of County Executives of America and on the National Ocean Council’s Governance Coordinating Committee, and she was a member of the National Association of Counties-National League of Cities Task Force on the Opioid Epidemic.

She has been appointed by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to serve on the Great Lakes Commission, as well as on Pennsylvania’s Local Government Advisory Committee and Redistricting Reform Commission. As Erie County Executive, she is working with public and private partners to build a more vibrant community, to create opportunities for all residents, and to move Erie County forward.

The banquet social hour will run 5-6 p.m. with dinner service at 6 p.m. Dinner will include an authentic pig roast with cuisine of Puerto Rico, many vegetarian alternatives and Latino music.

“We are quite proud of our various county heritages and each year for the past five years at our county banquet we have highlighted our Italian, Polish, English, Swedish and now Hispanic foods and traditions,” Green said. “Our parties are always fun and never drag on. I promise a good time for all and a chance to do some dancing starting in the 8 o’clock hour.”

Rosas Pic.jpg in june 4newsroom