Libby Pataki at the Putnam Bicentennial Ball. Eric Gross Putnam’s Director of Tourism Valerie Hickman is stepping down and likely will be replaced by former First Lady Libby Pataki of Garrison.

Hickman, 76, and a resident of Mahopac, is suffering from cancer. She advised the Courier and PCN&R that her physicians have given her "good news" since the malignancy has stabilized.

Hickman resigned from her position last week at a special meeting of the Putnam Legislature's Economic Development Committee.

Committee chairman Dan Birmingham called the evening a “sad one.”

The shift in tourism is one of a number of changes new County Executive MaryEllen Odell is making in county leadership and organization. She also is reviewing the county organization chart and county office space, with an eye toward consolidation where possible.

Odell was not at the meeting, but Deputy County Executive Bruce Walker issued a statement for his boss: “Mary- Ellen Odell wishes Mrs. Hickman well in her retirement and would like to ac- knowledge and thank her for the excellent work and tireless dedication she has contributed to drive tourism in Putnam County and the I Love New York campaign.”

Val Hickman File Photo Continuing, he said that Odell said her administration looked forward to working with Kevin Bailey, President of the Putnam County Economic Development Corporation, to “discuss the future of tourism in our county. This is a significant opportunity to align Putnam’s tourism initiatives with the administration’s primary focus of stimulating economic development and job creation.”

On Friday, Libby Pataki said of the shift: “Our county is off to an incredibly great start. MaryEllen loves Putnam as do George and I. We have no doubt that she will be making the best decisions on what she feels is right for Putnam County.”

Pataki also hailed Hickman’s work: “She has served this county with dedication and great respect for public service. George and I have a high regard for Val and good wishes as well.”

At Thursday night’s meeting, however, Hickman clearly was unhappy to be moving on With some two dozen in attendance including friends, political leaders and elected officials, Hickman described her years as tourism director as being “wonderful. I have mixed feelings. I’m moving on but I don’t want to move on.”

Hickman said she believed her years in the tourism industry both in the U.S. and abroad would have been a “great help to the new administration. I believed that MaryEllen and I had a great relationship. I was showered with beautiful cards but unfortunately, I wasn’t told the truth.”

Hickman charged, in her public comments, that Pataki’s expected appointment was in essence a trade-off by Odell for the backing of the former governor and first lady during the campaign. “I’ve done nothing wrong but I can’t carry on in this fashion. I gave the people of Putnam County the best job possible.”

Neither Mrs. Pataki nor Walker would engage in discussion along those lines, and both said that Hickman had done much good work. Said Mrs. Pataki, speaking from her Garrison home: “If MaryEllen wants me to assist her in any way to promote Putnam, I’d be honored to do that. I admire her courage, intelligence and work ethic. I leave the hard decisions up to her good judgment.”