Gary D. Finch (born March 13, 1944) is an American politician who served as a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

from 1999 to 2021.

Early life and education

Finch was born in

Auburn, New York Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States. Located at the north end of Owasco Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in Central New York, the city had a population of 26,866 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city of Cayuga County, ...

and attended

Cayuga Community College Cayuga Community College, formerly Cayuga County Community College, is a public community college in Cayuga County, New York, United States. It is part of the SUNY system and began in 1953 as Auburn Community College. Its main campus is in Aubu ...

. He received a degree from the Simmons School of Mortuary Science in 1966. He also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in public administration and political theory from

Empire State College Empire State College (SUNY Empire or ESC) is a public university headquartered in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Empire State College is a multi-site institution offering associate ...

(

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by ...

) in 1989.

Career

Since 1970, Finch has owned and operated Brew-Finch Funeral Homes, Inc. a company which operates

funeral homes A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the dead and their families. These services may include a prepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral. Services ...

in central New York State. Finch's first elected position was as a trustee for the Village of Aurora in 1979. He then was elected mayor of the village in 1982, a position he held for eight years. Finch was first elected to the State Assembly on November 2, 1999. He won the November 2008

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

with 65 percent of the vote and ran uncontested in the November 2010 general election. He serves as assistant minority leader of the minority conference, and is assigned to the Assembly committees on Agriculture, Banks, Corrections, Insurance and Rules.

Personal life

He lives in the town of Springport with his wife, Marcia Herrling Finch and their two children, Amy and Gregory.

References

External links

New York State Assembly Member Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finch, Gary 1944 births Living people Politicians from Auburn, New York Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly Empire State College alumni 21st-century American politicians