County leaders from across the state last week elected the County Executive Paul M. Wendel Jr. to serve on the New York State Association of Counties board.

The election was held as part of NYSAC’s annual meeting and Fall Seminar held in Oneida County.

“This is an honor for me and for Chautauqua County. County governments are at the forefront of many critical issues facing the state of New York and I am pleased to be able to help Chautauqua County and counties across the state in this role on the NYSAC Board of Directors,” Wendel said. “NYSAC is an influential association, and they work hard to represent the needs of all of our county leaders, from west to east and update to downstate. I look forward to bringing our needs to Albany and Washington.”

Wendel has more than 15 years in local government elected service, starting in 2007 when he was elected as a Trustee for the Village of Lakewood in 2007. He served the village for five years while serving his final two years as deputy mayor. In 2012, Wendel became a county legislator. During his eight years, he served on the Administrative Services Committee, Audit and Control Committee, and was a four-year chairman of the Public Safety Committee. He was elected legislature chairman in 2018 and 2019 and has served as county executive since 2020.

“We are honored to have County Executive Wendel on our Board of Directors. His leadership and communication skills will be a tremendous asset to the Association as we continue to address the critical issues facing counties across the state,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen Acquario.