Committee Assignments: Personnel (Chair) and Public Safety

Prior Committee Assignments: Public Safety (Chair) and Civic Center (Chair)

Sean E. Ward has been an Albany County Legislator since 1995, representing residents of the 17th Legislative District and since the 2010 re-districting, he represents the 16th Legislative District. The 16th District encompasses all of the Village of Green Island and portions of the Cities of Cohoes and Watervliet and the Town of Colonie, including all of Maplewood.

As the former long-time chair of the Civic Center Committee, Sean was active in promoting the Civic Center. During his 10 years as committee chair, annual operating income exceeded $1 million for seven consecutive years, once topping $2 million; the arena signed a 10-year naming rights contract with Pepsi Bottling Group guaranteeing $3.6 million in revenues and another $2 million in promotional spending; corporate suites were fully occupied; extensive renovations were completed, and the arena attracted the highest-caliber entertainers and musical events for patrons of all ages. The arena also became home base for the Siena College men's basketball team and secured long-term contracts with the Albany Conquest of the Arena Football League and the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League.

Sean was elected Deputy Majority Leader with the start of the 2000 County Legislative session. He served as Chairman of both the Legislature's 2000 Redistricting Commission and the Item-Pricing Subcommittee. In addition, Sean chaired the Legislative Tobacco Task Force which was charged with developing a policy on distribution of Albany County's share of the national tobacco settlement. Sean also represented the Legislature on the Albany County Traffic Safety Awareness Committee.

Among his legislative accomplishments are the securing of $500,000 for Green Island's Cohoes Avenue reconstruction project and $400,000 to advance construction in downtown Cohoes from the County's "Advantage" economic development program. Additionally, he secured legislative approval for $140,000 in job creation and retention grants for Green Island Empire Zone businesses through the Business Incentive Fund.
Active in organizations devoted to youth activities, Sean was head coach of the Heatly High School girls varsity basketball team and the Heatly boys varsity baseball and soccer teams. He also has coached soccer in the Watervliet Youth Soccer Program, and coached Academy Of The Holy Names, St. Basil's and Youth of Green Island (YOGI) CYO basketball, Green Island Little League, Spring and Devilcats youth baseball, and St. Brigid's girls softball. He was an active participant of the Albany Sports Foundation and Project CARE, a program devoted to helping youth avoid alcohol and drugs.

Sean is Executive Assistant to the Mayor of Green Island and was Green Island Town Supervisor from 1988-95. He also is CEO of the Village of Green Island Industrial Development Agency (IDA) and a member of the Board of Directors of the Green Island Senior Citizens. Sean and his wife, Colleen, are the parents of two children, Taryn and Christian.