Andrae Evans

LIEUTENANT COLONEL ANDRAÉ EVANS, US ARMY RETIRED
TOWN SUPERVISOR, IRONDEQUOIT, NEW YORK

Andraé Evans, community leader and public servant was elected the first ever African American Town Supervisor in the Town of Irondequoit, and in Monroe County on November 7, 2023. He is believed to be the first ever African American elected as a leader of a suburban town in New York State.

He took office on January 1, 2024. The goals of his administration are to improve public safety, ensure fair tax model, support business development and increase opportunity, and improve infrastructure and residents’ quality of life. This was his first attempt at political office. Prior to this LTC Evans was known for a lifetime of service.

Lieutenant Colonel Andraé Evans joined the US Army-New York National Guard in 1981. After six years of enlisted service, he reached the rank of Sergeant (E5), Combat Medic, and Advanced Patient Care Specialist specializing in Combat Emergency Care Medicine. In 1986 he was selected to attend the distinguished US Army Infantry Officers Candidate School (OCS), Ft Benning, Georgia where he was commissioned as a US Army Second Lieutenant, Field Artillery.

LTC Evans served as a Field Artillery Fire Direction Chief, Special Weapons Platoon Leader (Nuclear), Field Artillery Battery (Company) Commander, S2-Chief Intelligence Officer, Chief Reconnaissance Officer, General's Staff Officer in Operations, Training, and Plans Officer, Chief Electronic Warfare Officer, and various other tactical and strategic command, operations, and intelligence staff positions within the 53rd Troop Command and the 42d Infantry Division, of the US Army National Guard-New York. He also served as a US Army Reserve Military Intelligence Instructor. He participated in numerous disaster relief exercises and operations throughout his career.

From 1990-1997 he supported Federal, State, and Local Drug Law Enforcement Agencies by designing a Military Intelligence program expanding the capability of the National Guard Counterdrug Program in support of the counterdrug mission. He served as the first Counterdrug Intelligence Officer, a position he created that was embedded within a US Drug Enforcement Residential Office. Due to his success US Army National Guard Intelligence support was expanded nationally creating new roles for traditional National Guardsmen.

After serving on active duty LTC returned to a part-time Army National Guard status simultaneous building a financial services practice. LTC Evans requested retirement in 2001, however, on 9-11-2001 he withdrew his request and suspended his successful financial services practice to continue his national service. He served four combat tours of duty: one in Iraq, and three in Afghanistan.

At Tikrit, Iraq, he served as Division Chief Psychological Operations Officer in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Task Force Liberty, (42d Infantry Division) from 2004-2005.

Following a year of recovery at Ft. Drum, New York in 2006, he returned to active duty serving (2007) as a Senior Training and Evaluation Officer, with the New York State Training and Evaluation Battalion while simultaneously serving as a Deputy Chief Operations Officer within the 42d Infantry Division, US Army National Guard, Albany, New York.

At Ft. Riley, Kansas, in 2008, he attended the distinguished 1st Infantry Division, Combat Advisor Course, prior to deployment to Afghanistan.

At Qalat, Zabul Province, Afghanistan, he served as an Afghan Regional Security and Integration, Regional Corps Advisory Command-South (ARSIC-RCAC-S) Infantry Combat Advisor to the Afghan National Army Kandak (Battalion). He simultaneously served as Battalion Executive Officer (Deputy Commander), Chief Intelligence Advisor, and Chief Operations Advisor where he was responsible for numerous successful operations to include combat, intelligence, engineer, and humanitarian support operations.

At Kandahar, Afghanistan, he was then promoted to Police Operations Officer, Afghan National Police Advisor, Afghan Regional Security and Integration Command (ARSIC-S), spearheading the capacity building, training, and resource development of over 25,000 Afghan Police during Afghan National Security Forces surge operations.

At Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2009-2010, he was promoted to the ARSIC-S Information Operations Officer where he pioneered the first-ever Afghan National Army Information Operations and Afghan Nation Police Information Operations Program and the first Afghan Civil-Military Operations Program while making drastic improvements to Afghan Public Affairs, created the Public Affairs Advisory Team and helped create an International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) Strategic Communication (STRATCOM). The Information Operation model designed was used to develop the Information Operations framework and policy for the entire nation of Afghanistan. He was honored to be a guest instructor and subject matter expert at the Afghan Counter Insurgency School, Kabul due to battlefield success.

At Bagram, Afghanistan from 2011-2013, he served as Chief Ground Liaison Officer, 4th Battlefield Coordination Detachment, US Army Central Command coordinating the strategic theater air-ground operations and served as the Officer-In-Charge of Ground Liaison Team and the Subject Matter Expert to US Army, US Air Force and US Navy Theater Commanders for air-ground operations.

He entered the Retired Reserves in 2014. Then served as a Senior Advisor as a civilian in Afghanistan.

LTC Evans has advanced qualifications in Field Artillery, Military Intelligence, Psychological Operations, and Information Operations. LTC Evans' awards and decorations include Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Combat Action Badge, Army Accommodation Medals, Afghanistan Campaign with two campaign Stars, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star, Non-Article 5 NATO Medal. He is a recipient of the Order of St. Barbara, and London Irish Rifles 150th Commemorative Medal.

LTC Evans is married to Kristin, his wife, for 31 years. They have two children. Their daughter, Ariel, graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) (Honors)-Class of 2017; she works in film and animation production and is a 3D Animation Artist and Writer. Their son, Gabriel, is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)-Class of 2020, and is a Robotics and Mechanical Engineer.