Ed Sim is the deputy mayor of the Village of Colonie and is in his fourth year on the Village Board of Trustees. He just ended a 10-year run on the South Colonie School District Board of Education, serving three years as its president. He was a Colonie police officer for 27 years before retiring as a lieutenant and then worked 10 years as the assistant superintendent at the village Department of Public Works. He has volunteered with the Colonie Fire Company for 46 years, 10 as chief and six as president. He has live in the village for 55 years and he and his wife Susan have raised three children.
Q: What is the biggest change you have seen in the village over the years. Is it a good change or bad change and why?
A: While the Village of Colonie has grown immensely in many positive ways over the years. I would say that the biggest change has been the amount of vehicular traffic and the speeding generated from that traffic. The village continues to address this problem. The village is a great place to live and raise a family. There are many programs for residents of all ages.
Q: You have spent your life giving back to the community in one form or another. Why do you think public service is so important?
A: I believe that public service is important because it helps to strengthen the core and backbone of the community when it’s residents who participate in the functioning of the community. I strongly believe that the community pays you back tenfold. There is no better feeling than that of helping a neighbor or resident in need. It is immensely satisfying.
Q: What is your proudest accomplishment as a member of the Village Board and why?
A: My proudest accomplishment on the Village Board was the way our board and village employees came together during the very difficult pandemic times. We were able to provide services to our residents despite sometimes the uncertainty of the next day. Additionally, at the core of the board’s goals was to prevent any employee layoffs which we were successful in doing. It meant a lot to us that despite budgetary concerns, we kept every employee on the payroll.
Q: How did South Colonie weather COVID and do you think there will be any permanent changes to how we educate children because of it?
A: I believe that the South Colonie School District did a tremendous job in weathering COVID. From Superintendent Dave Perry to the Board of Education and every single employee it was a huge team effort. Everyone stepped up when needed all in the interest of our students. I believe that education will be changed for the future by more reliance on remote learning when necessary. While it should not be used to replace in person learning, it has emerged as a valuable tool in the toolbox.
Q: Who is one person alive or dead you would like to have lunch with and what would you talk about?
A: I would most like to have lunch with my grandson Will who gained his angel wings in November, 2018 at the age of 2. Will was born with HLHS [Hypoplastic left heart syndrome] and spent his short time with us fighting like a warrior to overcome HLHS. The community rallied around him and he taught us all how to live our lives with a smile despite your troubles. If I could speak to him I would once again tell him how proud we all are of him and thank him for what he continues to teach us. He would be 5 years old and I would talk to him about going into kindergarten and playing Little League baseball. I would tell him we love him and will never forget him.
If you know someone you would like to see featured in Five Questions contact Jim Franco at 518-878-1000 or [email protected]
