I am William Sanchez – Running for Village Justice
William Sanchez
I have dedicated my adult life, both personally and professionally, to providing effective services to children and families in our community. For the past 25 years, I have had the honor of serving the Rhinebeck community as your Village Justice.
Raised in the Community
William Sanchez was born in Manhattan, and raised there until high school. He was the first generation of his family born in New York State. His family came from Vieques, PR and this afforded him the opportunity to become bilingual in English and Spanish.
Mr. Sanchez moved to Dutchess County on February 1, 1979 when he was placed at the Pius XII Residential Youth Program for Adolescents in Rhinecliff, New York, also known as Holy Cross Campus. This experience turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Will. His time in residential placement allowed him to utilize the lessons learned from a caring staff and turn his life in a more positive direction.
After receiving his Bachelors of Science with a concentration in at-risk youth from SUNY Empire, Mr. Sanchez went on to receive his Masters of Science in Educational Leadership from SUNY New Paltz. Mr. Sanchez’ leadership experience consist of roles as the Executive Director of the Youth Bureau of Dutchess County; Behavioral Specialist in Ulster County BOCES, which received national “Blue Ribbon” recognition for academic achievement; and as the Behavioral Management Specialist in the Highland Central School District, which achieved the highest honor as the safest school in Ulster County. Furthermore,
Giving back to the Community
In 1983, Judge Sanchez, known to Rhinebeck as Willie, began the Rhinebeck Recreation Winter Basketball Program. For 30 years, he ran the program and coached Rhinebeck’s youth, not only in the fundamentals of the game, but also in expanding their relationship building skills and emotional intelligence. Several of the kids came back as teens to perform community service and work with the younger generations. Willie has had the pleasure of watching many of “his kids” grow to become skilled ballplayers, but he has taken even greater pleasure in seeing them become productive and caring members of society. We are pleased to share a post from one of Willie’s “kids”.
Serving the Community
Mr. Sanchez has also been highly respected in the Dutchess County community for the last 20 years as the Rhinebeck Village and Town Justice. He has the distinction and honor of being the first elected Hispanic official in Dutchess County. Will also served 4 years as a Village of Rhinebeck Police Officer and started the Rhinebeck Recreation basketball program in 1983.
Presently, he’s the Special Assistant to the Commissioner and is part of the Senior Management Team for the Dept. of Community and Family Services of Dutchess County. Mr. Sanchez’ vast experience in working with children, youth, families and community offers a great knowledge base to direct a positive path in practices and outcomes for a healthier today and a brighter tomorrow for our entire community.
