Donna A. Lupardo was elected in 2004 to represent the 126th Assembly District which includes the City of Binghamton and the Towns of Vestal and Union. Originally from Staten Island, Donna is a graduate of Wagner College. She moved to the Southern Tier region in 1976 to attend graduate school at the State University of New York at Binghamton where she received a Masters degree in Philosophy. She stayed on as a lecturer in the School of Education & Human Development for ten years before dedicating herself to community education and public service.
Up until her election, she served as the Director of Education for the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier. Through her leadership, numerous programs and initiatives were developed to address community mental health needs such as teen suicide prevention and elderly depression. She has been an outspoken advocate for those experiencing mental illness and has received state and national recognition for her innovative use of the arts in mental health recovery. She is committed to primary prevention and early intervention for all health and mental health concerns.
Assemblywoman Lupardo has also taken a special interest in the environment, sponsoring numerous initiatives that protect the public from potential health risks and environmental hazards. She championed the State Green Building Construction Act, tenant notification of environmental testing results, and is committed to raising awareness about the importance of indoor air quality. She has also distinguished herself as an independent, reform-minded legislator and authored the Contract Disclosure Act, which reforms the way state resources are allocated.
She has established herself as an outspoken advocate for the Southern Tier, focusing on economic recovery and tax relief, support for schools and colleges, along with issues facing area seniors and veterans. In addition, Assemblywoman Lupardo helped pass the Work Zone Safety Act and Yield-Right-Away legislation designed to keep our roadways safer. She also serves as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Women Veterans.
In 2006, during her first term, Assemblywoman Lupardo received the “Quality Services Award” from the Public Employees Federation and the Citizen Action of New York Phoenix Award. She was also named “Rookie of the Year” by the Sierra Club and “Legislator of the Year” by both ABATE of New York and The New York State Ophthalmological Society.
In 2007, she was named “Legislator of the Year” by the New York AIDS Coalition and The American Motorcyclist Association, District Three. She also received the 2007 Legislative Award from the District Five, New York State Nurses Association, Inc. and the 2007 Friend of Education Award by the BOCES Teachers Association.
In 2008, Assemblywoman Lupardo was named “Legislator of the Year” by the American Institute of Architects of New York State. Other awards that she has received include: the American Cancer Society Leadership Award, YWCA Alice Mills Award, Mental Health Association of New York State’s Esther Mallach Staff Leadership Award and the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier’s Humanitarian Award.
In 2009, Assemblywoman Lupardo was elected First Vice-Chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus and is a member of the Executive Committee for the New York Conference of Italian-America State Legislators. She is also a member of the External Advisory Board of the Department of Public Administration at Binghamton University.
Assemblywoman Lupardo is committed to “civic engagement” in her approach to public service. She believes that elected officials should explain where they stand, express a deep understanding of people and their concerns, and become more visible and involved in community life.
She served on the Broome County Legislature from 1999 to 2000 and is the first woman to represent Broome County in the State Legislature. Assemblywoman Lupardo lives in Endwell with her husband Scott J. Peters, an Associate Professor in the Department of Education, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University.
In 2008, Assemblywoman Lupardo was named “Legislator of the Year” by the American Institute of Architects of New York State. Other awards that she has received include: the American Cancer Society Leadership Award, YWCA Alice Mills Award, Mental Health Association of New York State’s Esther Mallach Staff Leadership Award and the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier’s Humanitarian Award.
In 2009, Assemblywoman Lupardo was elected First Vice-Chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus and is a member of the Executive Committee for the New York Conference of Italian-America State Legislators. She is also a member of the External Advisory Board of the Department of Public Administration at Binghamton University.