William “Bill” Brooker announced this week that he will be running for a seat on the Town of Webb Council.
He has lived in Old Forge since the age of six, growing up at Camp Jolly at the base of Bald Mountain. Back in the 1940s and ’50s when the camp was owned by his great grandparents, it was rented by decades-long Webb School secretary, Dorothy Gifford.
When Brooker’s family moved to the site it became known as Brooker Family Lodge, a nordic ski center.
Brooker is a 1981 Town of Webb School graduate and a 1985 graduate of SUNY Brockport where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business, with a minor in Marketing.
From 1985 to 2002 he and partner Wayne Morgan operated the construction business, Mountain Construction.
He was Town of Webb School nordic ski coach for 20 years, earning the school’s first NYS Championship for Girls Nordic Skiing in 2000. His passion for the sport and expertise in waxing endured beyond his coaching years and afforded him the opportunity to travel with teams throughout the U.S. and Europe to further practice the skill.
In 2002 he and his family purchased Foley Lumber and Hardware at 3022 Main St., Old Forge where he has acted as CEO for the past 13 years.
Brooker, a Republican, said he was approached and encouraged to run for town board by friends of all ages who feel his level of knowledge and enthusiasm would be of value to the town.
“I feel my experience as a professional builder and local business owner, along with my strong ties to the community, could be a great asset to the town as councilman. I look forward to the run!” he said.
In other local political news, Webb Supervisor Ted Riehle announced this week that he will not seek a third term of office.