WYOMING COUNTY/Gardner announces his candidacy for County Clerk

Press release/provided photo and bio

Warsaw, NY – Village of Warsaw resident, Scott Gardner, announced his candidacy for Wyoming County Clerk, following the recent announcement that Wyoming County Clerk, Rhonda Pierce, will retire
at the end of her term.

“I am pleased and excited to announce my candidacy for Wyoming County Clerk, seeking the Republican
Party nomination. This is an important role within county government, and I bring many years of
professional experience to the position to serve the people of Wyoming County,” said Scott Gardner.

“I have long been interested in this position and the time is right for me to seek this office. As County
Clerk, I will bring years of government experience, community service, and organizational leadership to
the position. Having dedicated my professional career to service, leadership, volunteerism, and
dedication to my community, I will bring all of this to the County Clerk’s office if I am fortunate to earn
this position.”

“Thank you to County Clerk, Rhonda Pierce for her many years of dedicated service and I wish her the
best as she retires at the end of the year,” Gardner concluded. “I look forward to the process and
seeking the support of the Republican Party, Wyoming County residents and voters as I look to serve
them as their County Clerk.”

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Provided Biography

Born and raised in Warsaw, NY, Scott Gardner has dedicated the entirety of his professional career to making Wyoming County a vibrant community that welcomes a diverse range of opportunities—from small businesses, tourism to agriculture, manufacturing to food processing.

Scott attended SUNY Genesee Community College (GCC) specializing in Paralegal Studies, later attending SUNY Empire State with a concentration on Public Policy and Public Administration.

Scott grew up working in his family’s businesses giving him a strong foundation in customer service and business operations. These experiences shaped his understanding of managing people effectively
and running a successful organization. Scott honed his skills, developing a deep commitment to quality
and community, which became central to his personal and professional development. He formed
Gardner Public Affairs Consulting in 2012 to work with individuals and small businesses to promote
their message, grow their brand, and ensure economic vitality.

With a sincere passion for politics, Scott interned as part of his GCC studies and began working for the
NYS Assembly in 1997. He then spent the next 15 years working first as a Legislative Aide to Assembly
Republican Leader Thomas M. Reynolds, and then as Chief of Staff to Assembly Republican Whip,
Daniel J. Burling until his retirement in 2012. This experience afforded Scott the extraordinary
opportunity to interact directly with local, state, and federal agencies; analyze state budgets and public
policy; build relationships with senior elected officials; draft, review and shepherd legislation; all in
service to the community.

He was also the campaign director for seven successful state assembly elections and assisted with
many other state, local, and federal Republican election campaigns. He honorably served as a member
of the Wyoming County Republican Committee for 18 years as Town of Warsaw Chairman and County
Parliamentarian.

Scott currently serves as the President and CEO of the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce and
Tourism Promotion Agency, a position he has held since 2013. Since joining the Chamber, he has
advanced new initiatives, solidified the branding, grown the membership, and developed Wyoming
County’s tourism presence in concert with NYS Empire State Development, resulting today in a $71
million in economic impact, a 103% increase since 2013. The Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce
is currently ranked in the top 10 Chambers of Commerce in Western New York and is involved in
advocacy, and partnerships at the regional and state levels. He is a graduate of the Wyoming County
Chamber’s Leadership Wyoming class of 2013. Scott is also a part-time Economic Development
Specialist with the Wyoming County Industrial Development Agency focusing on business attraction
marketing of targeted industries.
Scott believes strongly in giving back to the community, from volunteering in local nursing homes as a
teenager to spending the past 20 years serving on multiple non-profit and municipal boards, always
taking on leadership roles when the opportunity presented itself. Scott has served as Chairman of the
Wyoming County Red Cross Board; member of the Western New York Tri-County Red Cross Chapter;
Chairman of the Village of Warsaw Zoning Board of Appeals; and the Vice-President of the Warsaw
Cemetery Association.
Scott has a longstanding working relationship with the Wyoming County Board of Supervisors, New
York State officials, and county and regional organizations. He recently saw the fruits of years of work
with passage of federal legislation that will include Wyoming County in the Northern Border Regional
Commission. This federal designation will afford Wyoming County, local governments and
organizations greater access to new channels of federal funding.

In 2020, at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, Scott was recruited by the Chairman of the Board
of Supervisors to form and chair the Wyoming County COVID Recovery Taskforce. This effort
coordinated Wyoming County’s response and brought critical partners together to serve the community
and respond proactively to emerging issues, effectively directing resources to where they were most
needed.

He also serves as a Board member of the Wyoming County Tobacco Securitization
Corporation, and the Wyoming County Threat Assessment Taskforce. Currently serving as Board Chair, Scott has served on the Wyoming Foundation since 2008. As chair, the organization has increased its community, leadership, and philanthropic profile; expanded its charitable grant-making ability; and established foundation funds that have grown exponentially to serve the residents of Wyoming County.

He chairs the Thiel Healthcare Advisory Roundtable since 2021, which brings the healthcare community together to study, coordinate, and respond to the emerging healthcare needs of Wyoming County residents. He serves as President of the Board of Directors of the SUNY Genesee Community College Foundation; and the Paralegal Advisory Board at Genesee Community College since 2010. As a result of his extensive contributions to the community he was proudly inducted into the SUNY Genesee Community College Alumni Hall of Fame in 2018.

In 2023, Scott was elected as Village of Warsaw Trustee and serves as Deputy Mayor. He has pursued
projects that will support the village’s downtown corridor, comprehensive planning, improving
municipal infrastructure, cleanup up brownfields, promoting energy savings, and maintaining a stable
tax base.

Scott holds the rank of Major in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), the United States Air Force Auxiliary. He
graduated from officer school through the USAF Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and
successfully completed the Corporate Leadership Courses, and Squadron Officer Schools. In addition,
he served as a master-rated Public Affairs Officer at the Squadron and Group levels. As an officer for
over 20 years, he served in various command positions including Executive Officer and Deputy
Commander of the NY Wing Leadership Encampment at Stratton Air National Guard Base. While in
CAP, he was awarded the prestigious New York Wing Commander’s Commendation, the Public Affairs
Officer of the year for New York Wing, and the Character Development Instructor of the Year for New
York Wing among other awards and commendations. Scott holds a number of incident command
system/emergency services ratings including flight observer, public information officer, and agency
liaison. He is very proud to have achieved the esteemed Character Development Instructor rating and
serves within the CAP Chaplain Corps.

Scott is past President of the church board at Warsaw Immanuel United Methodist Church, serving as
a regular Lay Speaker. He is now a member of St. Michaels R.C. Church in Warsaw.

For several years, Scott served as a student Mentor through the NYS Mentoring program at Warsaw
Central School and serves on the Strome Scholarship Committee. He is a licensed NYS Notary Public,
Treasurer of the Menzies Clan Society of North America; Secretary of LEAD Wyoming; member of the
Wyoming County Farm Bureau; the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce; S.C.O.P.E., and the NRA.

Scott lives in the Village of Warsaw, he likes spending time with his family, friends and his Rottweiler,
goes sailing when he can and likes working in his garden. He is also an avid reader of history and
politics, and enjoys pursuing opportunities that better serves and engages the community.

One Comment:

  1. I know Scott would excel as Wyoming County Clerk and deserves this position and our county would and should be proud to support him in his endeavors.

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