Gary D. Finch (born March 13, 1944)
is an American politician who served as a member of the
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits.
The Assem ...
from 1999 to 2021.
Early life and education
Finch was born in
Auburn, New York
Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States. Located at the north end of Owasco Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in Central New York, the city had a population of 26,866 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city of Cayuga County, the ...
and attended
Cayuga Community College
Cayuga Community College, formerly Cayuga County Community College, is a public community college in Cayuga County, New York, United States. It is part of the SUNY system and began in 1953 as Auburn Community College. Its main campus is in Aubur ...
. He received a degree from the Simmons School of Mortuary Science in 1966. He also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in public administration and political theory from
Empire State College
Empire State College (SUNY Empire or ESC) is a public university headquartered in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Empire State College is a multi-site institution offering associate, ...
(
State University of New York
The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...
) in 1989.
Career
Since 1970, Finch has owned and operated Brew-Finch Funeral Homes, Inc. a company which operates
funeral homes
A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the dead and their families. These services may include a prepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral.
Services
F ...
in central New York State. Finch's first elected position was as a trustee for the Village of Aurora in 1979. He then was elected mayor of the village in 1982, a position he held for eight years.
Finch was first elected to the State Assembly on November 2, 1999.
He won the November 2008
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
with 65 percent of the vote and ran uncontested in the November 2010 general election.
He serves as assistant minority leader of the minority conference, and is assigned to the Assembly committees on Agriculture, Banks, Corrections, Insurance and Rules.
Personal life
He lives in the town of
Springport with his wife, Marcia Herrling Finch and their two children, Amy and Gregory.
References
External links
New York State Assembly Member Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finch, Gary
1944 births
Living people
Politicians from Auburn, New York
Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly
Empire State College alumni
21st-century American politicians