Steve Eckel and his wife, Bridget Monroe, bought a house in the Maplewood Section of Rochester in 2001, which they have been lovingly restoring to its original grandeur. Married for eleven years, Steve and Bridget have two sons, eight-year-old Liam and seven-year-old Ronan. They are also pleased to announce the adoption of their eleven-year-old daughter Lisette. In addition to his duties as a stay-at-home dad, Steve is working on earning his NY State teaching certificate for Earth Science. He has served as an Assistant Professor of Photography at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY. He has also taught at the University of Rochester, SUNY Brockport and Genesee Community Colleges.
 
Born on July 8, 1965 in Norfolk, CT, Steve Eckel has always been an active member of his community concerning himself with various environmental and social concerns ranging from preserving open space in NW Connecticut to delivering Meals on Wheels to attaining the rank of Firefighter 1 with the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department where he served for 8 years.
 
He studied Ecology at Northwest Connecticut Community College where his community activism included leading the successful fight to ban polystyrene "clamshell" boxes used by fast food restaurants. He also helped those same restaurants find an inexpensive paper alternative, saving consumers from a threatened price hike to offset the change.
 
Steve transferred to Hampshire College in Amherst, MA in 1991 to continue his studies in Agro-ecology and Photography. While in Massachusetts, Steve worked on political and environmental issues around the world, including traveling to Ocotal, Nicaragua. There he assisted local farmers achieve sustainable agriculture by reducing their dependence on DDT and other chemical pesticides, also increasing their profits and retaining wealth in their community. He also traveled to Milanovick, Poland to work with homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient.
 
In 1998, Steve and Bridget moved to Rochester so that Steve could attend graduate school at the Visual Studies Workshop/SUNY Brockport where he curated several exhibitions. In 2001 he earned his MFA and has participated in numerous exhibitions in New York State and around the world. His photographic work has been published in various books and national journals. He and his wife choose to make Rochester their home because of its welcoming neighborhoods and strong community spirit, as well as its exceptional arts and music offerings.
 
Steve has served on the Democratic Committee in the 26th Legislative District for ten years, is an active member of the Northwest Democrats, has volunteered at several local arts organizations and was an integral part of Mitch Rowe's 2001 Legislative Campaign. He currently is the Ranking Minority Member of the Agenda Charter Committee as well as serving on the Public Safety Committee. He is very pleased at having been elected to serve the 26th Legislative District for the past six years, which covers sections of Gates, Greece and parts of Northwest Rochester.