About

Personal Life

TRudd

I am a husband, father, son, friend, neighbor, gardener, and public servant. I largely define myself through these relationships. These relationships are not what most qualifies me to serve as your legislator, but I feel you should know what is most important to me.

I live with my beautiful blessed blended family on the Southside in Elmwood. We currently have five kids (2, 4, 10, 15, & 19) a Nani (my mother-in-law), a Bap (my father-in-law), two dogs, and I’m pretty sure a fish somewhere on the second floor. Over the last six years, I have bought four other houses on my block that I have renovated and rented out. Additionally, my personal passion project has been converting a vacant city lot into our lush family garden built from salvaged materials.

Over the last decade, I have helped convert a handful of vacant dilapidated houses on my block into side yards and a community garden. I have facilitated continued investment and attention into Elmwood Park. I run a Facebook page called Elmwood Park Community that helps promote the park. I am committed to the idea of asset-based community development; Elmwood Park is my neighborhood’s greatest and most unknown asset. Every day my family puts our sweat, hearts, and dollars into our block and similarly we reap the joy of our invested energy.

Education & Experience

One of my best friends regularly calls me “a son of Syracuse”. Over time I have embraced his tag. I was: born at St Joseph’s hospital, raised in Eastwood, attended Syracuse City Schools K-12 and I am a proud Henninger Black Knight. I then attended Syracuse University on a program called the Syracuse Challenge (a precursor to Say Yes). Eventually, I went back to Syracuse University to attend the Maxwell school where I earned a Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in State and Local Finance.

For the last 15 years I have worked in various public finance roles. First in New York City for Mayor Bloomberg’s Office of Management and Budget. Then at a nonprofit called MDRC where I analyzed costs and benefits of innovative social programs and became deeply involved in new forms of social financing including the structuring of the first Social Impact Bond. In 2017, I was elected to an At Large seat on the Syracuse Common Council where I served as the Finance Chair for nearly three years until I left the council to become Mayor Walsh’s Budget Director. I remain in that position today and intend to remain in that position if elected to serve on the County Legislature. I will use the synergies of these two roles to maintain a strong working relationship between the City and County especially as it relates financial cooperation.