DAVE HAGGARD
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ABOUT DAVEDave grew up in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Dave’s dad a WWII veteran and union printer and his mom a bookkeeper. He has lived in the North Country for over 22 years. He attended Providence College where he was a member of ROTC. Dave while working and raising a family received with a BS in Political Science from SUNY Excelsior. He is the father of four grown children and 2 grandchildren – His children are graduates of Massena Central School, Potsdam Central School and Clarkson University. In June of 2016, David married the former Margaret Garner. Mrs. Haggard is a Potsdam native, a graduate of the University of San Francisco with B.A. & M.B.A. and a teaching credential from Texas A.&M. Mr. and Mrs. Haggard reside in Potsdam.
David received his Juris Doctorate from Western New England College of Law in 2005. While in law school he was a member of the National Trial Team for two years. Additionally, he was recognized for academic excellence in post-conviction rights. Dave was a presenter from 2004-2007 at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy held at Harvard University. He held the position of Adjunct Professor for Trial Advocacy at SUNY Canton. Most recently, he has served on the faculty of the New York State Bar Association Trial Academy from 2015-2018 held at Cornell University Law School. Dave has specialized criminal law in northern New York for the past 12 years. He served as the Chief Assistant District Attorney for St. Lawrence County from 2014 -2016. In that position, he was responsible for the training all new assistant district attorneys. David personally prosecuted the majority of felony jury trials for the district attorney’s office, in addition to making daily appearances in county court. Prior to law school, Dave worked 27 years in commercial banking. He was responsible for all commercial lending throughout Northern New York. Previously to this position, he managed a residential mortgage department composed of more than 40 people. Dave has coached the Potsdam Central School Mock Trial Team for the past 13 years, donating more than 3000 hours to mentor and develop the team. They have been the winners of 10 county championships, 3 Capital Region Championships and advancing to the State Championships 3 times, including 2017. They were runners up in 2015. They one of the top 8 best teams of over 400 teams in New York State. Furthermore, as an Eagle Scout, Dave served as district chairperson for the Pennsylvania-Columbia-Montour Council of the Boy Scouts of America. |
WHY DAVE IS RUNNING
If honored to be given the opportunity to represent in the County Legislature the people of Potsdam, Dave is committed to stand up every day and give voice to the people of the Village of Potsdam whose interests have been under represented for the last four years. Dave believes in working to develop a strong, transformative economy; an economy in which our leading export is not our young people. Dave states, “our young people must have a choice to stay in our county and build a future. The county legislature must recognize their responsibility to help to build a strong economic future for St. Lawrence County. A future which draws on the talent, resilience and work ethic of our citizens. We can no longer afford to lose the talent and energy of our young people because they lack economic opportunities.”
Job creation and retention provide a significant challenge facing our county. St. Lawrence County is challenged with the second highest unemployment rate of 6.6% in the North Country. “We must recognize that the unemployment rate fails to consider how many of our residents, though working full time, are “underemployed” and in need of jobs that provide a living wage.” Dave explains, “The number one concern that I hear over and over is, “What can we do to prevent our children, upon graduating from school, having to move away in hopes of building a future for themselves and a family?”” Each and every action the St. Lawrence County Legislature takes must consider how their actions effects the economic challenges we face.
Dave repeatedly advocates, “It is time for our county to provide investment in our economic future… We must first articulate clear and obtainable economic goals. We must be committed to job retention by assisting existing enterprises. We must create an environment to foster new businesses through shared creative investment. We must encourage and find responsible ways to integrate economic and governmental goals by assisting the business incubators established at our universities. We must partner with resource providers, like Cornell Cooperative, helping to fund specific projects that help the farm community stabilize, store and bring products to market. We must invest in developing economic opportunities to address the challenge of displaced workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own.”
Dave is committed to ensure that while working to continue to improve the fiscal health of our county, it is not done at the expense of individual communities and taxpayers. Dave’s opponent has announced he wishes to continue the fiscal policies of our current legislator. The fiscal policies advocated and voted for by our current legislator have had a direct negative effect on the taxpayers of the Village of Potsdam. For example, his vote to transfer the cost of workers compensation from the county to the towns and villages has cost the Village of Potsdam over $175,000 in the last two years and will continue to put a financial burden on our village. This vote was made by the current legislator representing District 10 without even consulting with our Potsdam Village Administrator. Dave states, “we can neither afford or should we tolerate a continuation of lack of communication and understanding how these of decisions impact individuals and communities.”
Job creation and retention provide a significant challenge facing our county. St. Lawrence County is challenged with the second highest unemployment rate of 6.6% in the North Country. “We must recognize that the unemployment rate fails to consider how many of our residents, though working full time, are “underemployed” and in need of jobs that provide a living wage.” Dave explains, “The number one concern that I hear over and over is, “What can we do to prevent our children, upon graduating from school, having to move away in hopes of building a future for themselves and a family?”” Each and every action the St. Lawrence County Legislature takes must consider how their actions effects the economic challenges we face.
Dave repeatedly advocates, “It is time for our county to provide investment in our economic future… We must first articulate clear and obtainable economic goals. We must be committed to job retention by assisting existing enterprises. We must create an environment to foster new businesses through shared creative investment. We must encourage and find responsible ways to integrate economic and governmental goals by assisting the business incubators established at our universities. We must partner with resource providers, like Cornell Cooperative, helping to fund specific projects that help the farm community stabilize, store and bring products to market. We must invest in developing economic opportunities to address the challenge of displaced workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own.”
Dave is committed to ensure that while working to continue to improve the fiscal health of our county, it is not done at the expense of individual communities and taxpayers. Dave’s opponent has announced he wishes to continue the fiscal policies of our current legislator. The fiscal policies advocated and voted for by our current legislator have had a direct negative effect on the taxpayers of the Village of Potsdam. For example, his vote to transfer the cost of workers compensation from the county to the towns and villages has cost the Village of Potsdam over $175,000 in the last two years and will continue to put a financial burden on our village. This vote was made by the current legislator representing District 10 without even consulting with our Potsdam Village Administrator. Dave states, “we can neither afford or should we tolerate a continuation of lack of communication and understanding how these of decisions impact individuals and communities.”