+ − Contact Information
Email Address: tenneyc@assembly.state.ny.us
Phone: (518) 455-5334
Office Address:
LOB 426
Albany, NY 12248
+ − Biography
Claudia Tenney was first elected to the New York State Assembly on November 2, 2010, and represents the 101st Assembly District. The 101st AD is comprised of parts of Oneida, Herkimer, Otsego, Delaware, Ulster, Sullivan and Orange counties.
She is an attorney, businesswoman and advocate for the people of Central New York. She is currently co-owner and legal counsel to Mid-York Press, Inc., a commercial printing and manufacturing firm started by her grandfather in 1946. Mid-York Press employs nearly 80 people in the Chenango County community of Sherburne. Claudia also maintains an active private law practice in Clinton, New York.
In 1997, Claudia established Tenney Media Group and served as its publisher and corporate counsel. Tenney Media Group, also based in Clinton, published and printed free community newspapers founded by Claudia�s parents and grandparents-- the Mid-York Weekly and Pennysaver. These publications covered three Central New York counties with eight separate weekly editions and had a circulation exceeding 100,000 households. The original Mid-York Weekly dates back to the early 1800s and remains one of the oldest continuously-running weekly newspapers in the country. This division was sold to Gannett in 2004.
In January of 2001, Claudia began serving as co-host and moderator of “Common Cents”, a radio and television program that airs weekly across Oneida and most of Herkimer County. In February of 2010, Claudia began co-hosting “First Look” on WIBX 950 Radio.
Claudia is no stranger to the Assembly, having served her predecessor, former Assemblyman David Townsend, from 2003-2009 as chief of staff and legal counsel. The foremost example of Claudia’s dedication to principles of fairness and equality is her ongoing effort to resolve the issues between the Oneida Nation, local governments, private citizens and bona fide Oneida Indians. During her tenure as Assemblyman Townsend’s legal counsel, Claudia brought suit against both the state and federal governments on behalf of the people of Central New York, the Mohawk Valley and a full-blooded Oneida Indian in order to preserve the rights afforded to private citizens and Oneidas who have been disenfranchised by inequities caused by a lack of federal and state oversight.
Apart from the influence of family and Claudia’s training in the law, Claudia’s approach to public service has been shaped by experiences beyond politics. Claudia was the only American employed by the Consulate General of Yugoslavia. She served as a foreign correspondent and also acted as intermediary between ABC Sports and the Yugoslavian government leading up to the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. Claudia has remained active with friends and colleagues from the former Yugoslav Consulate and with the large Bosnian refugee population in the Utica area. She also published and produced the first Bosnian newspaper in Utica.
Claudia graduated from Colgate University and the Taft College of Law at the University of Cincinnati. She is admitted to the bar in New York, Connecticut and Florida. She also is admitted to all federal courts including the United States Supreme Court. Prior to opening her private practice, Claudia was a partner in the Utica-area law firm of Groben, Gilroy, Oster and Saunders. Claudia is an active member of her community, serving on numerous boards and volunteer organizations throughout the district, including the Mohawk Valley Community College Foundation Board and the Sitrin Homes Foundation.
Claudia is the daughter of Cynthia and the late Honorable John R. Tenney. Judge Tenney served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of New York in the Fifth Judicial District from 1969 through 2003. Claudia is the mother of U.S. Naval Academy graduate Midshipman 3/C Trey Cleary, who begins training for the Marines Corps in the summer of 2013.
+ − Committees (6)
NY - Banks (Assembly)
Title:
Member
NY - Codes (Assembly)
Title:
Member
NY - Education (Assembly)
Title:
Member
NY - Judiciary (Assembly)
Title:
Member
NY - Social Services (Assembly)
Title:
Member
NY - Veterans' Affairs (Assembly)
Title:
Member
