Sen. Patty Ritchie will lead the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources in 2016.

Ritchie says position that will allow her to more strongly advocate for the unique needs of rural communities, as well as create policies aimed at boosting the economic revitalization and strengthening of non-urban areas throughout New York State.

“As someone who has spent her entire life in a rural community, I know firsthand that while our rural communities face a number of unique challenges, they also hold countless, unique opportunities that are just waiting to be seized,” said Sen. Ritchie.

“I’m looking forward to working as a Chair of the Legislative Commission on Rural Resource to advocate for changes that will make our rural communities, including their hospitals, schools, businesses, farms and infrastructure, stronger.”

The Legislative Commission on Rural Resources is a two-house, bipartisan group comprised of five members of the Senate and five members of the Assembly.

The group is charged with examining the impact of rural resources on the State’s economy, reviewing existing laws and regulations that impact non-urban communities and developing new initiatives that seek to strengthen New York’s rural communities.

Since its establishment, the Commission has worked to address issues impacting New York’s 44 rural counties and their more than 3.3 million residents, including strengthening key industries including agriculture, manufacturing and tourism, improving the delivery of health care, bettering infrastructure, developing rural housing and addressing the unique educational needs of students in rural schools, among others.

In addition to her new role as Chair of the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources, Senator Ritchie also serves as Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, a position she has held since 2011

Sen. Ritchie also serves on the following committees: Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Civil Service and Pensions, Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, Energy, Finance, Higher Education, Local Government, Transportation and Libraries Select Committee. In addition, she also serves as Deputy Majority Leader for Senate and Assembly Relations and as Delegate-at-Large for the New York State Legislative Women’s Caucus, a group representing the women elected to the New York State Legislature.