FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 11, 2026

Mayor Noble Appoints New Corporation Counsel

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that he has appointed Rebecca Mantello as the City of Kingston’s new Corporation Counsel.

Mayor Noble said, “We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Mantello to the City of Kingston as our new Corporation Counsel. Her breadth of skills, experience, and knowledge will serve our residents well. As we all know, Kingston is facing many complex legal issues and litigation onslaught, but I am confident that Ms. Mantello will more than capably lead the City’s legal team.”

Most recently Rebecca Mantello served as principal law clerk to the Hon. James R. Farrell in Sullivan County, where she helped manage a multibench docket encompassing criminal, civil, and surrogate court matters. She has also worked as a court attorney in the Supreme Courts of Dutchess and Orange Counties, as well as with the Appellate Division, Third Department. She spent nearly five years with the Office of the Governor as a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) attorney, ensuring public access to government records and promoting transparency and accountability across state agencies. Mantello has also worked in the private sector representing both individual and municipal clients, such as cities, towns, and correctional facilities, in all aspects of civil litigation.

Originally from upstate New York, Mantello relocated to the Hudson Valley in 2009 and settled in Ulster County in 2020. She is chairperson of the Wallkill Volunteer Ambulance Corps, where she has been a non-riding member for nearly six years. She is a member of the Ulster County Bar Association, and of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York. She received the Outstanding New Attorney Award from a local Women’s Bar Association chapter in 2012 and served as a local chapter president in 2015.

Mantello was recognized as a Hudson Valley Rising Star for appellate practice for three consecutive years and named an Orange County Rising Star honoree in 2021.

Rebecca Mantello said, “I am excited to join the City of Kingston during this defining moment of revitalization and growth. I stand ready to take on the challenges presented to safeguard the progress the City has made in meeting the community’s needs. I look forward to working with President Shaut, Majority Leader Hirsch, and other Council members, together with Mayor Noble and our Department leaders to advance the City’s goals. I'm grateful to Mayor Noble for entrusting me with protecting the City’s interests and I eagerly await using my legal experience and background to deliver for the people of Kingston.”

Mantello started her role as Assistant Corporation Counsel on April 20, 2026, and with the departure of Barbara Graves-Poller, assumed the role of Corporation Counsel on May 9, 2026.