A local pastor has been honored for his devotion and commitment to Albany County.
Each month, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy recognizes those who go above and beyond to make the community a better place to live.
County spokesperson Mary Rozak: "The Citizen of the Month program is a program the County Executive started several years ago to recognize individuals who are in our community day in and day out, doing wonderful things. Not doing them for recognition, doing them because of who they are."
Before a packed house in the county office building's Cahill Room, McCoy bestowed February's "Citizen of the Month" on Pastor David Traynham. The lifelong city of Albany native was honored for his devotion and commitment to Albany County. "He's the first one there reaching out, saying 'How can I help? How can I make things better?' and if you think about all the lives that you have changed over the years and not even knowing it, that's power."
Traynham's list of accomplishments include founding both New Horizons Christian Church and the Albany Law Enforcement Resolution Team (ALERT). He currently serves on the Albany County Executive’s Opioid Task Force and is the treasurer for the board of directors for the Albany County Land Bank. Traynham recently received the Director’s Community Leadership Award from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "I'm here because of you. I'm here because I really believe in initiatives that I have become a part of, whether or not it's the Albany County Land Bank. Whether or not it is the Opioid Task Force. Whether or not it's the Capital South Campus Center, providing the jobs. Working with my friend Anthony Capece in the back, with workforce development at Hudson Valley Community College. You know the things that are dear to my heart are the things that I have chosen to get involved in. I wanna see the imaginary borders that we have placed around our city removed. The borders that call South End, Arbor Hill and West Hill 'a different community' rather than all of Albany. I'm looking forward to the day when those things are pulled down and we're able to see Albany as one community. When that day comes, that's the time when we really have made the success in Albany that all of us are really dreaming for."
McCoy pointed out that he's had Traynham in mind for the monthly honor for some time. "It shows with the amount of people that are down here today, the love he has within the community, the differences he's made in thousands of people's lives over the last 28 years. You know he's on the front line, every day not just on Sunday for his service, but Monday through Saturday he's out in the community making a difference in people's lives and it really shows why we made him 'Citizen of the Month' today."
Traynham intends to continue his reaching out to others in the city he holds dear. "Albany is really poised to do great things and it's because of the mindset of the people. There is a tolerance of one another and we're not allowing the differences of other people to separate us. We're allowing those differences to bring us together and to come up with solutions to find out you know exactly what it's going to take to change the region the way that it should be changed."
