Three decades of dedication: Brancati celebrated for community service

Thirty years ago, Edward Brancati was asked to consider serving on the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Golden’s Bridge Fire District. Though he had never been a volunteer firefighter, his long record of community service and experience in high-level government roles made the decision an easy one.

Three decades later— including the last two as chairman of the board—Brancati was honored for a lifetime of volunteer service to the Golden’s Bridge Fire District, the Fire Department, and the broader community, as well as for his distinguished career in Westchester County government.

At the Golden’s Bridge Fire Department’s annual Captain’s Dinner, Brancati received special proclamations from Westchester County Executive Kenneth Jenkins and State Senator Peter Harckham. He was also presented with a personalized, engraved commissioner’s badge from the department.

“Edward has spent his personal and professional life helping and serving others. I’ve worked with him on many occasions, but I am most proud to call him my friend,” Harckham said in remarks following the reading of the New York State Senate proclamation.

Golden’s Bridge Fire Chief Albert Melillo presented Brancati with the commemorative badge. “Thank you for everything you do for the department and our firefighters,” Melillo said. “We are grateful for your unwavering and continued support of the Golden’s Bridge community and our fire department family.”

Brancati, genuinely surprised by the recognition, accepted the honors with humility. Rather than focusing on his own accomplishments, he expressed gratitude for his fellow board members and the firefighters he supports.

“It is an honor to serve as a fire commissioner, and it has been humbling to be reelected to the position for all these years,” Brancati said. “I am driven by the good people I serve with—each bringing different talents and expertise to the board—and who care deeply for our volunteer firefighters and our community.”

He continued, “I am inspired by the GBFD’s dedicated volunteers who spend countless hours training and honing their firefighting and emergency response skills. I have always focused on providing our firefighters with the apparatus and equipment vital to their safety and well-being, helping them carry out their mission to serve residents, businesses, and institutions that depend on them.”

Brancati’s commitment to service began at a young age in Hastings-on-Hudson, where he joined the Boy Scouts of America as a charter member of Hastings Troop 201 and became its first Eagle Scout. A 1965 graduate of Hastings High School, he played clarinet and competed in varsity basketball and football, helping the Yellowjackets to a 24–3 record over three championship seasons.

He went on to attend Middlebury College in Vermont, where he played football and participated in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. There, he met his future wife, Susan Whittaker. After graduating in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Brancati enlisted in the U.S. Army, reporting to Fort Benning, Georgia, on Dec. 7, 1969.

Before his overseas deployment, he and Susan were married on May 16, 1970—a partnership that lasted nearly 56 years until her recent passing. Brancati served more than two years as an infantry lieutenant with the 16th Aviation Battalion of the VII Corps, stationed at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany.

Following his honorable discharge, Brancati returned to the United States, earning a master’s degree in public administration from New York University. He gained early experience interning with the villages of Hastings-on-Hudson and Scarsdale before beginning a 36-year career with Westchester County government, starting as a personnel technician.

He and Susan eventually settled in Golden’s Bridge, where they raised their three children.

Throughout the years, Brancati remained deeply involved in the community. He coached youth sports, including Lewisboro Little League baseball, recreation basketball, and youth football. Since 1985, he has been an active member of the Mount Kisco Presbyterian Church, where he has served as a trustee. He is also a member of the Personnel Committee for the Hudson River Presbytery, representing 70 congregations across eight counties, and continues to serve as a board member of Fellowship Hall, an affordable senior housing development in Bedford Hills that he helped bring to fruition.

Over his career, Brancati held several key government positions, including senior personnel technician, director of classification and compensation, assistant personnel officer, and deputy commissioner, before retiring in February 2010.

That retirement, however, was brief.

“One month, to be exact,” Brancati recalled, noting that he was soon asked to serve as acting commissioner of human resources until a permanent replacement could be found.

He later looked forward to enjoying personal pursuits—refining his skills as a self-described “professional” amateur chef (his short ribs and orzo are especially popular) and tackling a long reading list of historical biographies, spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers.

But retirement was again postponed in the spring of 2011, when the village manager of Port Chester asked him to step in. After addressing several key issues, Brancati accepted a part-time role as human resources director, a position he continues to hold.

The man once referred to as the “OG of Civil Service” still isn’t sure when he’ll step away for good.

“After all,” he said with a smile, “I tried retirement twice and it didn’t work out. Maybe the third time will be the charm.”