It is an honor to be here tonight to celebrate the induction of Police Chief Elaine Rudzinski-

Miano into the Columbia High School Hall of Fame. Her numerous professional

accomplishments and her dedication to the East Greenbush community are evident to all.

After graduating from Columbia High School in 1987, Elaine continued her education at Hudson

Valley Community College and Siena College. She obtained a master’s degree in education

from Sage College.

In 1994, Elaine successfully passed the Rensselaer County Civil Service test and was selected

to become the 2nd female police officer in East Greenbush. Elaine has focused her entire

career on community service, and she has dedicated the majority of her time to our youth.

During this time, Elaine became a member of the National Association of School Resource

Officers. In 2003, she became a School Resource Officer for the East Greenbush Central

School District.

In 2016, Elaine accepted a position in the Detective Office. She was appointed as a Detective

Sergeant in 2018. On June 28, 2019, Elaine was appointed as the East Greenbush Chief of

Police, becoming only the 2nd female police chief in the Capital Region.

 

During her career, Elaine co-managed the Department’s sex offender program. She was a

member of the Rensselaer County Megan’s Law Coalition Task Force. She worked with the

District Attorney’s Office, as well as the Probation Office, to keep an active sex offender

management program in place.

Throughout the years, Elaine provided a variety of safety programs, including stranger safety,

bicycle safety, personal safety, senior citizen safety and anti-drug abuse programs.

During her time as a School Resource Officer, Elaine was a member of the East Greenbush

School District safety team and the Columbia High School school safety team.

In 2022, Chief Rudzinski, along with the assistance of other law enforcement individuals was

able to close a cold case homicide that occurred in East Greenbush in 1994. This was a case

that Elaine began working on 1995, continued to revisit the case throughout her career and

began to investigate more diligently, in 2019 just prior to her becoming Chief when a tangible

lead came to light. Thus, finally bringing closure to the department's only open homicide case

and to the victim's family. Chief Rudzinski's persistence, determination and compassion are

several characteristics that anyone who knows Elaine will agree are what make her such an

exceptional law enforcement officer. 

In May of 2022 Chief Rudzinski had the honor of being selected along with forty-nine other

Chief's of Police nationwide to attend the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Command

Course held in Virginia. She was nominated by the Albany FBI headquarters for her

professionalism, dedication to her career and pro-active police work she's demonstrated over

the past twenty-eight plus years with her department. 

 

Elaine has been involved in the East Greenbush Police Benevolent Association, serving as

secretary, vice-president and president. In this capacity, Elaine planned, organized and ran

numerous fundraisers to benefit the East Greenbush community.

Elaine was also a Girl Scout Troop leader throughout her twin daughter's childhood. As a Troop

Leader she organized and partnered her Troop with many volunteer organizations such as

Morning of Kindness and Jazzy Birthdays, organizations which help with hosting birthday parties

for children in shelters, providing food and supplies for homeless and domestic violence shelters

and helping other children in need, whether medically, financially, or otherwise. Elaine continues

this volunteering with her twins and their friends each year. 

In addition, in 2023 Chief Rudzinski, a member of Elks Lodge #2073 has partnered with other

members and assisted in the establishment of, and now oversees the Advisory Committee for

the Antler Program which is a Junior Elk Program for youth ages 12-20 who volunteer in the

community and support the lodge in their activities. Here Elaine continues to give back to our

community, by not only mentoring a group of 30 local youth but also volunteering herself in the

Elks Lodge activities and fund raisers.

Elaine has demonstrated that her heart and soul is focused on the betterment of East

Greenbush as a whole, and she proves it every day. It is for these reasons and a multiple more,

that it is my honor to nominate Elaine Rudzinski-Miano into the Columbia High School Hall of

Fame.