Congressman Paul Tonko announced today that his guest for tomorrow’s State of the Union address is Rotterdam Junction Fire Chief Shawn Taylor.  Taylor has been Chief for eleven years and oversaw flood response and recovery efforts in Rotterdam Junction, one of the hardest hit areas from flooding last fall.

“I am pleased that Chief Taylor has accepted the offer to join me as my guest for tomorrow’s State of the Union address,” said Congressman Tonko. “While Congress and Washington may be focused on partisan issues, I will continue to advocate and fight for those that lost so much in last year’s floods. Chief Taylor not only played a pivotal role in responding to the needs of the citizens of Rotterdam Junction, but is also an exemplary role model in our community. His firsthand knowledge will help continue to guide our response.”

For the last 11 years, Taylor has served as the Fire Chief in Rotterdam Junction. Prior to that, he worked his way through the ranks, holding the positions of Firefighter, Lieutenant, Captain and Assistant Chief.He oversees 40 active members of the Rotterdam Junction Fire Department, which responds to an average of 135 calls a year.

Taylor is employed fulltime at GE Energy in Schenectady and owns a small photography business, Taylor Media. He grew up in Rotterdam Junction and graduated from Schalmont High School in 1992. He is married to Brandy Taylor.

A photograph of Congressman Paul Tonko and Chief Taylor can be found here http://bit.ly/ymTBx8.

In addition, Congressman Tonko plans to join his bipartisan colleagues from the Upstate New York delegation to sit and watch the State of the Union Address. Other Members joining Congressman Tonko include Chris Gibson, Richard Hanna, Bill Owens, Ann Marie Buerkle, Tom Reed, Kathy Hochul and Brian Higgins.

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