Madden named new United Water director of external affairs

BY BILL DEMAREST

WEST NYACK – William Madden of Stony Point, a public relations executive at a Hudson Valley firm, has been named director of External Affairs for United Water New York.

Madden, a native of Pearl River and a lifelong Rockland County resident, leaves Focus Media to join United Water, which provides drinking water to much of Rockland.

“I am delighted to report that I’ve been named the director of External Affairs for United Water New York,” said Madden. “My five years at Focus Media was an exciting chapter of my professional career. I take great pride in helping Josh Sommers build the premier advertising and public relations agency in the Hudson Valley.”

The move comes in the wake of negative publicity over the firing of former VP Michael Pointing and a state inquiry into accounting issues at the water company. Madden’s extensive resume in news and PR figures to help United Water improve handling of future news events.

Madden joined Focus Media after operating his own Chestnut Ridge-based public relations firm, Madden Communications and Marketing, which was acquired by Focus in 2009. Madden, a graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas College, is a former journalist who began his career with the The Journal News in Rockland County as a sports reporter and rose through the editing and management ranks at the Gannett-owned newspaper until in 1998 he became the newspaper’s director of public relations.

Madden left Gannett in 2000 when he moved to accept a management position in KPMG’s national corporate communications department based in Montvale, N.J.

Madden is a past chairman of Leadership Rockland and is on the board of directors for the United Way of Rockland, the Rockland chapter of the Salvation Army, the Rockland Business Association and the Stony Point Little League. He is also the chairman of the President’s Advisory Counsel at St. Thomas Aquinas College. He was inducted into the St. Thomas Aquinas College Alumni Hall of Fame in 2004.

Madden also has served as campaign manager for many candidates in Rockland County, including former County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef.