Mary Brophy-Moore of Old Forge has announced that she is running as a Democratic candidate for a Town of Webb Council seat in the November election.

Born and raised in Rochester, she has lived in the Town of Webb since 1987, after being a summer resident since childhood.

Her parents, Joe and Joan Brophy, and her sister Anne DeFilipps and her family, have lived in Old Forge for a number of years.

Brophy-Moore is married to Town of Webb Supervisor, Robert Moore, who is not seeking another term in the November election.

She said she has been the proud stepmom of Sara Moore for nearly 18 years.

She is running for town council because she is interested in town government, she said.

“One of the reasons I love living in a small town is it’s easy to become involved because you care about it so much,” she said.

Brophy-Moore said she previously ran for town council in the mid-1990s.

“Nobody knew me then, but I actually came within nine votes of winning. It was a great experience, and it inspired me to stay involved,” she said.

She has been a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals since 1998 and Chairman of the Board for the past seven years.

She is also on the Zoning Ordinance Review Committee which she said has given her an opportunity to make some changes and to address issues that had not been addressed in the past.

“But I think it’s time for another type of government involvement, and that’s why I’m running for Town Board,” she said.

Before moving to Old Forge, she earned a Bachelor of Professional Studies degree in Human Services from SUNY College of Technology in Utica and completed graduate course work in Rehabilitation Counseling at SUNY Albany.

She worked in the human services field in Schenectady for several years, “before deciding to pursue my dream of living in the Adirondacks,” she said.

After moving to Old Forge she worked in a variety of positions.

“Looking back, I’ve had a lot of wonderful experiences. I worked for the State of New York as assistant Forest Ranger and Fire Tower Observer, which I loved. Unfortunately, I hurt my back so I wasn’t able to continue,” she said.

Then she was employed as general manager for Adirondack River Outfitters, followed by Circulation Manager for the Northern Logger Magazine and Northeastern Loggers Association.

She left the position when she and Robert needed to devote more time to their small cottage colony business in Eagle Bay.

“I loved doing that. It was great running a business,” she said. The couple sold the business when Robert became Town Supervisor in 2002.

“That’s when I went to work for Niccolls Memorial Church as Administrative Assistant. It’s a perfect fit for me,” she said.

“It’s a wonderful community of people and I have the opportunity to use a lot of my skills-from computer skills to people skills, to being involved as a support person to help others, and to help those who are helping others. It’s been very rewarding,” she said.

If elected as councilwoman, she said her focus will be on maintaining the quality of life in the area.

Another priority is to establish a Senior Center in the Town of Webb.

“I envision something that would be wheelchair accessible,” she said. “There may be grant opportunities and perhaps a public/private partnership using building space somewhere. It would be wonderful to have a place for seniors to go.”

She is also a proponent of the TOBIE Trail, she said.

“Once it’s completed, it will be wonderful for our town-for locals and visitors. It should be marketed aggressively and be used the way it was meant to be used-linking Thendara to Inlet.”

Another priority, she said, is for a sustainable, affordable local health care system, utilizing technological advances that are now available.

In regard to her recent health concerns after being diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing treatment, she said her prognosis is excellent.

“I just want people to know that I expect to be fully functioning by December of this year. I just want to get over this bump in the road, get my hair back and be able to serve,” she said.