MONTICELLO, NY — Sullivan County legislators unanimously appointed seven local residents to the human rights commission to serve as an advisory panel to executive director Adrienne Jensen.

The seven appointed members are Neversink resident Jack Harb, Monticello resident Al Dumas, Barryville resident Ari Mir-Pontier, Swan Lake resident Bill Liblick, Bloomingburg resident Aaron Rabiner, Woodridge resident Dr. Sean Wall-Carty and South Fallsburg resident Clara Lemaire-Pratt.

Each member was selected by their individual legislator, and the two remaining seats are expected to be filled shortly. The board will meet regularly to discuss programs and policy and advise the executive director. The volunteer members will not conduct investigations.

“I would like to extend a hearty welcome to the new members of the human rights commission. I look forward to welcoming the commission in person once the final members have been announced,” said Jensen. “We will begin with some training to set our collective compass, and off we will go!

“The commission is like an organic organism of the county; it is made up of elements from each district. I imagine that the commission will metamorphose over time into something beautiful, healing and instrumental, providing useful input to the growth of our greater community,” she added. “These busy and accomplished community members are taking time out of their lives, to support unity. This is so vitally needed. More than the ‘what,’ I am interested in the ‘who,’ as it is in part through the modeling of desired attributes we wish our community to embody, that we collectively move towards perfection. Of course, that concept exists as an ever-moving target. Therein lies the challenge!”

“I appreciate the willingness of this group to volunteer for such an important job: educating the public about human rights,” said legislature chairman Robert A. Doherty. “Reconstituting the board took longer than we had hoped after it had been disbanded under the prior legislature, but this legislature was determined to restore a fully functioning Human Rights Commission to Sullivan County, and I’m proud to say that’s now happened.”

For more information about the Sullivan County Human Rights Commission, visit www.sullivanny.us/Departments/Humanrights or call 845/807-0189. The commission is also on social media at www.facebook.com/SCNYHRC.