Sara Pasti joined me to talk about her own personal trajectory from the arts to Kingston’s Ward 1 Alderwoman. Art, community service, activism are all intertwined throughout her life.
Bio:
Sara Pasti has served as Kingston’s Ward 1 Alderwoman since August of 2023. She is a member of the Finance & Audit, Community Development & Housing, and Laws & Rules Committees, and is also the Council Liaison to the Kingston Local Development Corporation and Planning Board and an Advisor to the Kingston Arts Commission. Since taking office, Sara has responded to numerous calls from Ward 1’s residents on issues from the removal of yard waste and backyard flooding, to noise ordinance and building safety violations, and—most importantly—to pedestrian and traffic safety. She has spent many hours advocating on behalf of residential tenants in the Stony Run apartment complex, which is the largest apartment complex in the City of Kingston.
Prior to her move to Kingston, Sara lived in Beacon, NY, where she served as Co-Chair of the City’s Comprehensive Plan Committee before serving on the City Council for six years to ensure that the Plan’s recommendations were entered into the City’s Code. As a professional working in the arts and culture sector, Sara has helped to launch several non-profit organizations and major program initiatives and assisted organizations through challenging periods of transition, including a major capital campaign and facility renovation. From 2009-2019, she served as the Neil C. Trager Director of the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz. Sara is currently a project manager and arts organization consultant who specializes in start-up projects, strategic planning, and institutional and capital project fundraising.
Sara served as the Project Manager for IMAGINE Ulster: The Ulster County Arts & Culture Plan, which was completed in April 2025 (for more information, visit the Participate Ulster webpage). Among other projects, Sara is currently Project Manager for the City of Peekskill’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative’s Public Art Project, which has commissioned murals and illuminated sculptures in the city from the Peekskill Train Station to the city’s downtown.
LINK TO SARA’S PROFESSIONAL WEBSITE:
