Primeau appointed city Director of Operations
Outgoing Executive Assistant to the Mayor, Amanda Primeau, was appointed Director of Operations for the City of Cohoes by Mayor Bill Keeler.
Primeau has worked in the Mayor’s Office for more than a decade, serving in five Administrations beginning with former mayor and current Assemblymember John McDonald.
“Amanda Primeau has distinguished herself as an extraordinarily capable Executive Assistant and valuable member of my inner circle. She is fundamental to the day-to-day operations of the city. Whether it is assisting in a crisis, helping coordinate signature events like the Mac-nCheese Bowl that attracts thousands to the city, or meeting essential reporting requirements, Amanda is involved in getting it done,” Keeler said.
“Amanda shares my viewpoint and philosophy. In her new role, she will partner with me in a number of ways including coordinating with department heads; assessing and improving department policies, regulations and procedures; and representing the city at meetings and public events,” Keeler explained.
“People who know me know I love Cohoes,” Primeau said.
“I’ve had the privilege of working on the day-to-day operations of the city now for more than 10 years in five administrations. This new position gives me the opportunity to build on that experience from a different vantage point. Under Mayor Keeler’s leadership there is tremendous momentum in Cohoes. It is an exciting time. There are so many challenges and opportunities to make our city better, which will be my focus,” Primeau.
Primeau assumed many of the traditional duties of the Director of Operations when the position was abruptly vacated in 2018.
“The mayor’s choice of Amanda Primeau as the new Director of Operations is welcomed news to the Council and will be warmly received by the community. She has been a reliable resource to the Council members ensuring that we and the public have the information needed to do the legislative business of the city,” Cohoes Common Council President William McCarthy noted.
Primeau replaces Theresa Bourgeois, who Keeler hired as the Director of Operations in 2020. Bourgeois resigned effective Feb. 22 due to injuries from a Dec. accident that will sideline her for six-plus months.
“There are critical deadlines both on existing projects and unprecedented funding opportunities, given how small the staff is I thought it was essential that I step aside so that others could step in and do the job full-time, at full speed,” Bourgeois commented.
The city recently added an Assistant City Planner and extended a part-time grant writer position to full-time.
“Amanda Primeau is ideally suited to be the Director of Operations in Cohoes. When I arrived in January of 2020, she was already doing many of the traditional tasks of a Director of Operations. That allowed me to expand into other areas,” Bourgeois added.
In the past three years, Bourgeois has collaborated with City Engineer Garry Nathan, City Planner Joe Seman-Graves, and others in the Planning Department to generate more than $ 25 million in grant funds. She was the lead applicant for nearly $ 10 million of those grants including for the national model Floating Solar installation ($3M+), and to revitalize the Music Hall/Visitors Center ($2.4M), the water treatment plant ($2.5M), and the library building ($800K).
Bourgeois also raised the positive profile of the city, showcasing the mayor’s Cleaner Greener Cohoes, Restore Historic Cohoes, and Infrastructure Revitalization initiatives. She established and/or strengthened connections at the national, state, and regional levels. She fostered various collaborations that generated resources and notoriety for the city, including with the National Renewable Energy Lab, bringing vital technical assistance on clean energy projects to Cohoes; with HBO, bringing filming of The Gilded Age to Cohoes; and with the Regional Food Bank, bringing emergency food distributions to the city.
“I asked Theresa to join my team in 2020 based on her many years of service in Washington, DC at some of the highest levels of government. She was well suited for the task and succeeded in strengthening partnerships, raising millions of dollars to fund key city initiatives, and showcasing our community. Theresa’s significant and wideranging efforts will have a positive impact on Cohoes for years to come” Keeler added.