(Vernon, NY – May 2015) Vernon-Verona-Sherrill agriculture teacher Keith Schiebel announced this week his candidacy for Oneida County Legislator representing District 1. District 1 represents the town of Vernon including the villages of Vernon and Oneida Castle, the city of Sherrill and town of Verona District 5.
For Schiebel it’s his first time seeking an elected position.
“The idea of working with members of our community in this new capacity is very exciting,” Schiebel said. “There are many issues that affect the well-being and future of our communities; we need to work together at all levels of government for the betterment of our citizens, area businesses, and community residents and find solutions that benefit all.”
As a county legislator, Schiebel hopes to work with local and county leaders to support development and growth of initiatives in the south western Oneida County townships.
“We need to focus county efforts on issues affecting our area,” Schiebel said.
The 53-year old Schiebel was recently endorsed by the town of Vernon and town of Verona Republican Committees. In both cases, Schiebel was the only candidate seeking the local Republican endorsement.
Schiebel has been employed at V.V.S. for the past 30 years. During his tenure at V.V.S., he has focused on development of the FFA program and agriculture facilities into a premier youth organization for students interested in agriculture. In his career, Schiebel has garnished more than $1.5 million in grants for the school’s agriculture program.
V.V.S. FFA is recognized as one of the top FFA programs in New York and has received numerous state and national recognitions and accolades. Schiebel attributes the success of the program to the hundreds of students who have worn the blue jackets of FFA.
“The fabric of our communities is woven within our families and friends that live in the greater V.V.S. community,” Schiebel said.
In addition to serving as a teacher leader and coach at V.V.S., Schiebel has held many leadership roles in the state agriculture teachers association. He served on the Oneida County Cooperative Extension Board of Directors for six years and in 2009 was a co-founder to V.V.S. Community Day.
Schiebel is a graduate of SUNY Cobleskill with an associate’s degree in agriculture and natural sciences and holds a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cornell University. He grew up on a family farm in town of Litchfield, Herkimer County and has lived in Central New York all of his life.