“Grief felt like being hit by a truck,” Barbara Mansfield said. “But it transformed into action.” After losing her 16-year-old son Killian, to cancer in 2009, she channeled her energy into community-driven initiatives—helping secure grant funding for a natural playground at Glenbrook Park, creating a ukulele lending program in libraries in his honor, and running Phoenicia Soap Co., a business inspired by her family’s need for gentle, natural skincare. Now she is looking to apply that experience to Shandaken’s town government.
Mansfield is running for town supervisor, citing a need for clearer communication and strategic infrastructure upgrades.
“We need to update and repair our water systems, roads, and walkways,” she said. “The role requires going to a lot of meetings, traveling, and being in people’s faces, which I did for other nonprofits, and I would happily do for our town.”
Mansfield moved to the area in 2006 and settled in Phoenicia in 2012. She is the principal owner of Phoenicia Soap Co., an environmentally conscious company that reflects her broader approach: plant-based products with minimal waste.
She also serves on the Phoenicia Water District Committee, chairs the Hudson Valley Foundation for Youth Health, and works with the Parks & Recreation Committee.
If elected, Mansfield plans to introduce a town supervisor newsletter to improve communication between local government and residents. She also emphasizes the importance of community engagement in the Comprehensive Master Plan process, which will help shape decisions on housing, development, and environmental conservation.
“I was told by someone in town government that a woman couldn’t win this race,” Mansfield told The Overlook. “I don’t think that’s true at all. I think it speaks to the fear that some people have of change. But I believe people are hungrier for change than they are afraid of it.”
Her first meet-the-candidate event is scheduled for March 8 at the Catskill Pines. In the coming weeks, she will focus on collecting signatures and speaking with residents about their concerns and priorities.
“We were lifted by the community when we needed it most,” she said. “Now, I want to do the same for my neighbors.”
This profile is part of The Overlook’s ongoing series covering all candidates running for Shandaken town supervisor.
Photo by Phil Mansfield.
