New Berlin

Trustee:
Robert T Starr – DPW Commissioner

I was raised in the Village of New Berlin. I grew up at 48 Green St. and graduated from New Berlin Central School. My first real job was working on the farm of Ralph & Sarah Burdick, at the end of Lake St. and just over the Unadilla River Bridge in Otsego County. I worked there through my high school years and until I had graduated, then tried several other types of work until I was drafted into the US Army during the big buildup of the Vietnam War in 1965. I served two years in the Army and left that service as a Platoon Sergeant and Drill Instructor.

After returning home, I married my wife Margaret, of 41 years in February 1968, then joined the New York State Police in February 1970. I spent the next 24 years as a State Trooper, working in Ithaca , Oneonta, Richfield Springs, and Norwich, NY, in Troop “C”, Sidney Headquarters. During my tenure as a Trooper I also became a State Police Academy Instructor and a Field Training Officer for more than twelve years. I additionally did numerous public speaking engagements representing the State Police.

Margaret and I have lived in this Village since 1970 and have three children. The oldest is Ian, who now lives in Raleigh, NC with his wife Susan and son Kyle. He is a shop manager for a retail tool supplier. Our second son is Craig. He lives in Sidney, NY with his wife Courtney and three sons Michael, Garrett, and Zachery. He is a second generation State Trooper stationed at Sidney. Our youngest is Greta. She now lives in Edmeston NY and works in the medical radiology field, working at Bassett Hospital in the heart catheter operating room. Margaret has been employed at New Berlin Central School/ Unadilla Valley Central School, for the past 35 years as an elementary aide.

In 1994 I retired from the State Police and went to work for Preferred Mutual Insurance Co. New Berlin, NY, as an Insurance Fraud Investigator. I later moved to New York Central Mutual Insurance Co. Edmeston, NY, also doing insurance fraud investigations. After twelve year with the insurance industry, I retired for a second time and now work for myself, as a general contractor, doing renovation type reconstruction.

After leaving the State Police I ran for public office for the first time, as a trustee in the Village of New Berlin, and with the exception of one, two year break, I have been on the Village Board until now. In preparation to taking a seat in local government, I took a nine month course through the Chenango County Chamber of Commerce, called Leadership Chenango, class of 1993. This course gave me a better understanding of how our county and local governments work along with the need for volunteerism in all aspects of public life.

On the recreational side, I enjoy things out of doors, such as motorcycling, hunting, fishing, canoeing, and flying planes. I also enjoy building furniture and traveling to new places, and seeing how people live in other parts of the world.