He is an electronics engineer first and a mayor second.

That is how James Perretta, 36, a Utica native, views his career. A 2003 Accent on Excellence Award recipient, Perretta said he was honored to just be nominated.

“To know that those I work with respect me and the work I do enough to nominate me for the award is an even greater honor,” he said.

Perretta, who learned about Accent on Excellence by reading about it in The Observer-Dispatch, was recommended by Michael Wicks, senior scientist at the Air Force Research Lab Sensors Directorate. Wicks said Perretta was a great choice because of his dedication.

“Jim works very hard and also puts that same enthusiasm into his volunteer work, if not more,” Wicks said.

“We’ve got to show appreciation to people who deserve recognition for their hard work, their volunteer activities and their community involvement,” he said.

Born and raised in Utica, Perretta attended Norte Dame High School and later received his associate’s in engineering science from Mohawk Valley Community College, a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Clarkson University in Potsdam and a master’s degree in computer science from SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome.

After graduating from engineering school, Perretta said he had many opportunities for jobs nationwide but chose to stay in Central New York.

“My family is here, (and) I love the community spirit in Central New York,” he said.

Perretta later moved to the small Village of Cold Brook, with a population of around 300, after marrying Heather Newman, a Cold Brook native whose family has been in the area for generations.

Although he often drove through the village, which is also the trail head of the Adirondack Mountains, Perretta said he never thought he would one day be its mayor.

“I never envisioned myself in politics, but when the opportunity presented itself in early 2003 to be the mayor, I looked at it as an opportunity to bring fresh ideas to a small, rural Upstate New York village,” he said.

Currently an electronics engineer for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Radar Signal Processing Branch (AFRL/SNRT), Perretta participates in and volunteers for various community service projects, was also a computer programming teacher at SUNYIT for the past two years and is co-founder of a Run and Walk event at Piseco Lake, which has been taking place for seven years.

He views being the mayor of Cold Brook more as a community service position than his main priority.

Perretta said the award is important to the recipients because it recognizes their commitment to their community.

“It’s important to potential future nominees to see their peers being honored, encouraging them to work hard and give their time to do good for others,” he said.