BIOGRAPHIES
Robert
A. Benrubi, Esq., Crowe, Deegan, Dickson & Benrubi, LLP. Robert
A. Benrubi, Esq. is a partner in the law firm of Crowe, Deegan,
Dickson & Benrubi, LLP and serves as the Brownfields Coordinator
for the City of Glen Cove, New York. He also serves as counsel
to municipalities for economic, commercial, residential, community
and Brownfields redevelopment, including the Nassau County Office
of Economic Development (principally with the Nassau County Office
of Housing and Intergovernmental Affairs and the Nassau County
Industrial Development Agency), and the Towns of North Hempstead
and Babylon. As counsel, Mr. Benrubi advises in matters pertaining
to economic and environmental policy and initiatives, including
contaminated property reuse, downtown revitalizations, and affordable
housing. In 2001, he served as County Executive-elect Thomas Suozzi’s
transition counsel, focusing on the organization and policies
of Nassau County’s economic development offices.
From March 1997 to December 1999, Mr. Benrubi served as the Executive
Director of the Glen Cove Community Development Agency and Industrial
Development Agency. In that capacity under then Mayor Suozzi,
Mr. Benrubi was responsible for the revitalization of Glen Cove’s
waterfront, and was project manager for all City Brownfields redevelopment
projects. As a result of those efforts, Vice President Al Gore
and a consortium of fifteen federal agencies designated Glen Cove
as one of sixteen national “Brownfields Showcase Communities”
– the only one in New York State. Under Mr. Benrubi’s
tenure, Glen Cove’s Waterfront Revitalization Project was
awarded over twenty million dollars in federal and state grants,
as well as technical assistance from a variety of federal and
state agencies.
Patricia Bourne, Nassau County Planning Department.
As Director of the Nassau County Planning Commission, Patricia
Bourne looks forward to two major projects for the next year:
an Update to the County Master Plan and the HUB Study, which will
examine transportation and land use issues for the central core
of Nassau County. Other department initiatives include Downtown
Revitalization, Brownfields Reuse, Affordable Housing, Preservation
of Open Space, and Attraction/Retention of competitive wage businesses.
The department has three major divisions: general planning, transportation
(including oversight of LI Bus), and GIS. Patricia Bourne is also
member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
Keith
Patrick Brown, Esq., Amato & Associates, LLC. Keith
Patrick Brown is an experienced litigator having initiated and
defended actions in both federal and state courts. He has worked
on a wide variety of cases involving issues such as land use,
zoning, municipal, commercial, constitutional, property rights,
tort, guardianship and civil rights. Mr. Brown currently counsels
major telecommunications providers in all phases of real estate
development, including, but not limited to, leasing, title, environmental,
zoning and litigation.
He is admitted to the Bar in both New York and Connecticut. He
is admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second
Circuit and the United States District Courts for the Southern
and Eastern Districts of New York. Mr. Brown received his Juris
Doctor degree from Touro Law School in 1994, where he served as
the founder and Editor-In-Chief of the Touro Environmental Law
Review. He volunteers his services to several area civic and charitable
organizations, including Vision Long Island/Vision Huntington,
Huntington Youth Court and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
Randy A. Daniels, Secretary of State. Randy A.
Daniels was appointed New York State Secretary of State by Governor
George E. Pataki on April 12, 2001, and was unanimously confirmed
by the New York State Senate on April 24, 2001.
The Department of State’s services range from training firefighters
to maintaining corporate records. The Department's 17 divisions
are organized into two main areas: the Division of Local Government
and Community Services and the Division of Business and Licensing
Services. From 1995 to 1999 Secretary Daniels served under Governor
Pataki as Senior Vice President and Deputy Commissioner of Economic
Revitalization at the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC).
At ESDC Secretary Daniels managed the Department of Economic Revitalization,
where he oversaw the Harlem Community Development Corporation
and coordinated New York State's role in the federal Empowerment
Zone program and Enterprise Community programs.
Robert J. Gaffney, Suffolk County Executive.
Robert J. Gaffney was elected Suffolk County Executive in 1991
and re-elected with overwhelming support in both 1995 and 1999.
The County Executive has earned a reputation as a skilled administrator,
and has helped shape a leaner, more efficient County government.
As an avid environmentalist, County Executive Gaffney has played
a leadership role in the preservation of Suffolk County’s
Pine Barrens Watershed, and has spearheaded efforts to increase
the County’s investment in preservation of open space and
working farmland. He is a member of The Nature Conservancy, the
Sierra Club, the Long Island Pine Barrens Society, and the Long
Island Greenbelt Trail Conference
James F. Gesualdi, Esq., AICP. James F. Gesualdi,
Esq. is a sole practitioner in Islip, Long Island, New York. Mr.
Gesualdi’s practice is concentrated on animal welfare, land-use,
planning and zoning matters. Mr.Gesualdi has advised and represented
clients (including a number of prominent international professional
trade associations which he serves as general counsel) on legal,
regulatory and related matters relating to animals, particularly
dolphins and elephants. He has served on the faculty of the American
Zoo and Aquarium Association’s “Zoo School”
for zoological professionals where he taught courses on ethical
consideration relating to animals.
Mr.Gesualdi has also represented property owners, developers,
citizens groups and municipalities in a variety of high profile
land use and environmental matters, including subdivisions, site
plans, special permits, variances and zone changes. He has long
been actively involved in the Long Island planning community,
having worked in the Town of Islip Planning Department, served
on the American Planning Association Long Island Chapter Steering
Committee, and as a frequent panelist in a number of American
Planning Association and Suffolk County Planning Federation training
programs for planning and zoning officials. Mr.Gesualdi also served
on the Long Island Regional Planning Board Calverton Airport Advisory
Committee. In addition, he has served as Village Attorney to the
Incorporated Villages Huntington Bay and Head-Of-The-Harbor, and
as the Village Attorney to the Incorporated Village of Nessaquogue
Planning Board. He is also a special counsel to the Towns of Brookhaven
and Riverhead on land use and environmental review matters.
Richard V. Guardino, Jr., Supervisor, Town of Hempstead.
Rich Guardino has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the
largest town in the nation since 1998. Throughout his tenure,
Supervisor Guardino has made fiscal accountability, preservation
of open space, public improvements and expansion of senior citizen
programs his priorities.
Early in his administration, Supervisor Guardino targeted preservation
of open space as a key objective. Working with the State of New
York, 100 acres of land in Lido Beach – threatened with
development – will remain pristine. Under his watch, Senator
Norman J. Levy Park & Preserve opened in October 2000. Formerly
the Merrick landfill, this magnificent 50-acre site has been reclaimed
as a passive park with walking trails, exercise stations, a kayak/canoe
launch and a fishing pier. The eight-acre plateau, which rises
115 feet above sea level, features breathtaking views and a windmill
that circulates water in two man-made ponds.
In an era when many local shopping areas have been cast aside
for malls and mega-stores, the town is revitalizing our downtown
business districts. Through a Façade Improvement Program,
many neighborhood business districts now have a unique “look”
created through new storefronts, attractive signage and awnings,
coordinated streetlights and improved sidewalks and landscaping.
Mr. Guardino has also encouraged the development of housing in
areas adjacent to local business districts. In the instance of
senior citizens, this allows convenient access to stores, professional
services and transportation.
Mr. Guardino has been the guiding force behind a new $40 million
plan to improve our parks. Over the past three years, that money
has been reinvested in our park system to upgrade facilities and
to bring them into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities
Act.
Richard Hawkins, William Floyd School District.
Richard Hawkins began his career at William Floyd in 1975. In
1988, Rich was named Assistant Superintendent where he maintained
a strong record of accomplishment and growth for William Floyd.
As William Floyd’s Superintendent of Schools since 1995,
the last several years have been marked by continuous district-wide
introspection and changes designed to make schools successful
in the twenty-first century. Richard has been extremely involved
in strengthening school’s ties to the community. Beginning
with the William Floyd Standards Project back in 1995, the community
helped to define the mission of their district and to establish
community wide expectations for Floyd graduation in the 21st century.
Parent involvement in William Floyd’s schools has never
been stronger. In March of 1998, the community solidified its
involvement with its unqualified support of the Community Pride
Rally. Since that time, the district has organized the School/Community
Summit Council, a community-wide civic association, which deals
with many of the issues confronting the community. The summit
works on everything including quality of life issues, code enforcement,
beautification of the community, and the promotion of cultural
arts.
In addition, Rich has been extremely successful in shepherding
the William Floyd School District through one of the most ambitious
construction / reconstruction projects in New York States.
Edward J. Hennessey, Brookhaven Town Council.
Councilman Edward J. Hennessy has been Brookhaven’s leading
proponent for a new direction in Town Government, from enhancing
public access to our shorefronts and revitalizing our neighborhoods,
to restoring integrity to the government process.
In 1994, when Councilman Hennessey first came to Brookhaven, the
decision calendar for zoning applications heard by the Town Board
was three pages long. Some matters remained outstanding for years,
creating a difficult business environment and furthering tensions
in communities. Today, the Town has a new land use plan that provides
predictability in the land use process. Hundreds of acres of strip
commercial development has been eliminated, and the voice of the
people in individual communities has been incorporated through
hamlet studies. Councilman Hennessey sponsored many of these studies
and worked directly with Dr. Lee Koppelman, Director of the Long
Island Regional Planning Board. Today, the Town’s zoning
decisions are typically rendered within sixty days of a hearing.
Edward Hernandez, Campaign for Affordable Rental Housing.
Mr. Hernandez is currently the Director of Long Island Programs
for Community Housing Innovations, overseeing housing programs
ranging from emergency shelters to grants for first time homebuyers,
and assisting in the development of new initiatives.
Mr. Hernandez has demonstrated a commitment to helping those in
need, both in the public and civic arenas. After college, he began
developing and implementing clinical information systems with
the Nathan S. King Psychiatric Research Institute. Work with computers
led him to be Project Director of a statewide study of ethnicity
and developmental disabilities. This study, produced at the New
York State Institute for Developmental Disabilities, became a
major planning document for New York State.
Thomas A. Isles, Suffolk County Planning Department.
Thomas Isles is the Director of Planning in Suffolk County, having
held the position since March 2001. The Planning Department provides
planning services to the County Executive, the Legislature and
the Planning Commission, including advice on open space acquisitions,
farmland preservation, municipal land use and affordable housing.
Prior to his County appointment, Mr. Isles was the head of current
planning operations for the Cayman Islands in the western Caribbean.
This followed over twenty years of service in the Town of Islip
including 13 years as Commissioner of Planning and Development.
Mr. Isles also served on the Suffolk County Planning Commission
as Vice Chairman and was a member of the Executive Board of the
New York Main Street Alliance. He is a current member of the American
Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners.
He has also served as an adjunct professor of planning at L.I.
University.
Janice Jijina, Cameron Engineering & Associates, LLP.
As Manager of Planning and Environmental Analysis for Cameron
Engineering and Associates, LLP, Ms. Jijina is responsible for
the Firm's planning, environmental assessment and environmental
permitting projects. Her responsibilities include preparation
of planning studies including master plans and land development
feasibility studies, preparation and review of environmental assessments
and environmental impact statements, and coordination of the SEQRA
process. Ms. Jijina also manages various projects for the Firm
in matters relating to environmental engineering reports, regulatory
agency permitting and compliance in areas such as land use and
zoning, environmental monitoring, solid waste management, sludge
processing, water supply, groundwater protection, and wastewater
treatment. Ms. Jijina has supervised many waterfront and open
space projects including Long Beach Waterfront Park, the $13 million
dollar, multi-agency Oyster Bay Western Waterfront Redevelopment
Plan, and the rehabilitation project for Baxter Pond. She is currently
involved in restoration projects for Massapequa Creek and Mill
Dam Pond in Huntington and redevelopment of the former Oak Beach
Inn property in Babylon into a new municipal park.
Stephen M. Jones, Suffolk County Water Authority.
Stephen M. Jones was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Suffolk
County Water Authority in December 2000. The Water Authority currently
operates the largest public water supply in the United States
fed exclusively from groundwater, delivering to over one million
people in most of Suffolk County the highest quality water at
the lowest possible price.
Prior to his appointment as CEO, Mr. Jones served for seven years
as the Suffolk County Planning Director; for ten years in the
private sector as Vice- President of the New York Institute of
Technology; and for ten years in local government as Islip Commissioner
of Planning and Development. His past community and government
activities include serving as Chairman of the Suffolk County Planning
Commission, and President of the Suffolk County Historical Society.
He is currently serving on the boards of Sustainable Long Island
and the Long Island Maritime Museum. Mr. Jones is a professional
planner by training and experience and holds a Bachelor’s
degree in Urban Studies. He is a member of the American Institute
of Certified Planners.
Dr. Pearl M. Kamer, Long Island University, CW Post.
Pearl M. Kamer is Chief Economist of the Long Island Association,
Long Island’s largest business organization, where she monitors
local, regional and national economic trends. Dr. Kamer received
her Ph.D. and M.B.A. degrees from New York University and her
undergraduate degree from Queens College where she was elected
to Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Kamer currently serves on the Board of
Directors of the Broadhollow Bioscience Park at SUNY, Farmingdale,
the Health and Welfare Council, the Suffolk Community Council.
She is vice-chair of the Route 110 Redevelopment Corporation.
Dr. Kamer has taught at Hofstra University, SUNY, Stony Brook,
New York University and Queens College. She is the author of two
books: Crisis in Urban Public Finance and The U.S. Economy in
Crisis: Adjusting to the New Realities.
Jody Kass, New Partners for Community Revitalization.
Jody Kass is co-Director of New Partners for Community
Revitalization, a brownfields initiative that involves the collaboration
of non-traditional partners around overlapping interests in connection
with the sustainable reuse of brownfield sites in NY. Jody is
also the principal of Community Development Consultants, a consulting
firm created in June 2001 to carry out a number of community development
activities, including the New Partners for Community Revitalization
initiative. In June 2001, Jody left her Vice President position
at the NYC Housing Partnership. During her 12 years at the Partnership,
Jody helped coordinate and manage the construction of over 16,000
affordable housing units representing over $1.5 billion in private
investment in 50 low-income communities around New York City.
Jody provided assistance to dozens of builders on regulatory issues,
and for many years she managed the extraordinary regulatory issues
that arose on development projects in the Partnership New Homes
Program, Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Program, and Partnership Plaza/ANCHOR
Neighborhood Retail Program. Her expertise covers hazardous materials
issues, sewer and building permits, landmarks, archaeology, historic
rehabilitation tax credits, lead-based paint, zoning, and other
land use and environmental approvals. Jody managed the Partnership’s
Cooperative Sponsor role in the EPA-funded NYC Brownfields Economic
Redevelopment Initiative beginning in 1996, and she served on
Governor Pataki’s Superfund Working Group from 1998-99.
Jody also created and coordinated the Pocantico Roundtable for
Consensus on Brownfields and has co-led the Brownfields Coalition,
an association of over 100 diverse organizations who have come
together in support of the legislative proposal that emerged from
the Pocantico Roundtable. This legislation was introduced into
the NYS Assembly and NYS Senate in 2000 and 2001.
Ellen R. Kelly, Freeport Community Development Agency.
Ellen Kelly is the Director of Planning and Community Development
for the Freeport Community Development Agency. She holds administrative
responsibilities for federal Community Development Block Grant
Funding, village–wide comprehensive planning, downtown revitalization,
and special economic development.
Prior to assuming her present position in October 1998, she spent
fifteen in business development and marketing for environmental
engineering and architecture firms, both nationally and regionally.
In Freeport, Ellen Kelly‘s past activities included being
elected to a term on the Board of Education, service on the School
District’s Facilities Task Force, serving first as staff
member and then as Board member of the Long Island Arts Council
at Freeport, being a founding member of Century 2 (a citizens
group focused on Freeport’s downtown revitalization) and
serving on the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Economic Development.
Connie Kepert, Middle Country Road Renaissance Project.
Connie Kepert is an accomplished civic leader who has worked tirelessly
to stem the tide of haphazard over development, has pressed for
a diversified, safe, and effective transportation system, and
has moved forward the effort to create interactive community parks.
As a civic leader, Connie has concentrated on solving problems
through a participatory process that brings people together, and
encourages the building of a community vision. Connnie Kepert
has pressed for policies that encourage sustainable development,
steer development away from sensitive sites, and into centers,
and create people oriented, equitable places. Most recently, Connie
led the effort that resulted in a four-day charrette along the
Middle Country Road corridor.
Richard Koubek, Catholic Charities. Dr. Richard
Koubek is the Coordinator of the Diocese of Rockville Centre's
Public Policy Education Network at Catholic Charities. In that
role, he works with 60 parish committees on social justice issues,
with affordable housing and racial equity high on the Network's
priorities. Dr. Koubek has developed two parish discussion guides
on housing and race. He is a member of the LI CAN Huntington Fair
Housing Committee and the Huntington Housing Coalition's Steering
Committee. This past March, Dr. Koubek helped form a Huntington
Interfaith Housing Coalition consisting of 21 Protestant, Jewish
and Catholic congregation leaders committed to working for affordable
housing in Huntington. He also co-chairs the Education/Public
Relations Committee of the LI Affordable Rental Housing.
Alexander D. Latham, ADLIII Architecture. Alex
Latham is owner and principal of ADL III Architecture located
in Northport, NY. ADL III is a multifaceted Architecture and Planning
Firm with foci in Residential Architecture and Town Planning.
The firm is currently working on significant waterfront residential
projects around Long Island and upstate New York, as well as numerous
Main Street mixed-use projects comprised of first floor retail,
and second and third floor office/apartments. Town Planning works
on Long Island include Corridor Revitalization Projects in Mastic/Shirley
and Middle Island, involving the design and development of five
new villages. Other community-based projects include visioning
and design work in Huntington, Huntington Station, Wyandanch,
New Cassel and Yaphank. Mr. Latham’s affiliations include
American Institute of Architects, Congress for New Urbanism, Institute
of Classical Architecture and the Seaside Institute.
John Jay LaValle, Supervisor, Town of Brookhaven.
John Jay LaValle is currently serving as the Town of Brookhaven’s
67th Supervisor, following five years as a member of the Town
Council. Within his first year as Supervisor, LaValle has significantly
restructured and modernized town government to replace antiquated
procedures through the use of new technologies.
His reputation as an environmentalist continues in his new role
with the nearly 1,700 acres of open space he led to preserve Town-wide.
At the same time, LaValle has successfully balanced development
and economic development issues throughout his tenure. As a former
member of the Brookhaven Economic Development Zone Administrative
Board, and now as Supervisor, LaValle has worked diligently to
bring new high-tech businesses to Brookhaven, including Symbol
Technologies of Ronkonkoma and the Dowling National Aviation Center
in Shirley. The result has been the addition of 16 new corporations,
and the addition and retention of more than 1,800 jobs in 2001
alone.
Richard Machtay, Huntington Department of Planning &
the Environment. Richard Machtay is the Director of the
Town of Huntington Planning Department having held that position
since 1988. As Director of the Town Planning Department, Mr. Machtay
oversees a staff of approximately twenty-five (25) planners, engineering
and environmental experts who are responsible for, among other
things, overseeing applications for site plan approval, providing
essential advice to the Town’s Planning Board, Zoning Board
of Appeals and Town Board on all land-use and zoning applications
to the Town, as well as coordination with the other municipal
planning boards, such as Suffolk County Planning Commission, etc.
Prior to his appointment as Director, Richard was employed for
nine years as an Environmental Planner. He is a current member
of the American Planning Association where he has served on the
Long Island Chapter Steering Committee for several years. Mr.
Machtay holds a Masters Degree in Environmental Science/Biology
and a Bachelor of Science, both of which were received from C.W.
Post/Long Island University.
Brian R. McCaffrey, KeySpan Energy. Brian R.
McCaffrey is Vice President of Environmental Engineering and Services
Division of KeySpan, a holding company that was created in 1998
when Brooklyn Union merged with the Long Island Lighting Company
(LILCO). Mr. McCaffrey joined the Company in 1973 and served in
many positions in the nuclear organizations of the Company and
positions in engineering capacities associated with gas turbine
and fossil power station projects. He was named Vice President
of Administration in 1987, Vice President of Communications in
1997 and Vice President of Corporate Philanthropy and President
of the KeySpan Foundation in 1998.
Mr. McCaffrey holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace
Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He also received
a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Pennsylvania
State University and a Master of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering
from Polytechnic University. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer
in the State of New York. Mr. McCaffrey is a member of the Executive
Board of the Brooklyn Children's Museum, the Long Island Philharmonic
Orchestra, Helen Keller Services for the Blind, KeySpan Foundation
and the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research Preservation.
He is a Trustee of Miller Place Academy.
Mark Mediavilla, Orchard Park. Mark Mediavilla’s
family has been part of Huntington for four generations. His family
is most well know by area residents as the owners of an active
70-acre apple orchard located on Jericho Turnpike. The farm is
owned by Mr. Mediavilla’s aunt and grandmother. Adjoining
the farm to the west is a 35-acre parcel known by Huntington residents
as the “sand pit”. This parcel is owned by Mr. Mediavilla’s
father. Charged with the responsibility of developing his father’s
property, Mark Mediavilla has been seeking community input during
the past three years on how to best accomplish this in a sustainable
manner.
Orchard Park is a visionary concept that includes a quality residential
community and a vibrant “Main Street” town center.
It is the first town center to be proposed on Long Island since
the 1800’s, and a place that will restore what everyone
seems to desire, a sense of community.
Mark Mediavilla, at age 36, is educated as an architect, holds
a degree in history, and has been appraising commercial real estate
for various financial institutions for the past 10 years.
Jim Morgo, Long Island Housing Partnership. In
1988 Mr. Margo was named the Long Island Housing Partnership’s
first President and Chief Executive Officer. His charge with the
Housing Partnership is to facilitate the creation of affordable
housing for Long Island’s moderate- and low-income first
time homebuyers and renters and to work to improve Long Island’s
low-income neighborhoods through residential and commercial revitalization.
In 1993 he was elected to represent the Eighth Legislative district
in the Suffolk County Legislature. He sponsored the first legislation
that mandated a public acquisition of the Long Island Power Authority.
Jonathan Orcutt, Tri State Transportation Campaign.
Jonathan Orcutt is Associate Director of the Tri State Transportation
Campaign. Mr. Orcutt’s reputation as a grassroots organizer
is widespread, ranging from campaigns in Queens, New York City
to South Africa, where he helped local organizations chart transportation
options after the end of apartheid. Mr. Orcutt is editor of the
Campaign’s acclaimed weekly bulletin, Mobilizing the Region,
and develops campaign strategies on a wide range of issues. He
was executive director of Transportation Alternatives (T.A.) between
1989 and 1994. Under his leadership, Transportation Alternatives
grew to become the largest and most effective organization among
North America’s growing network of grassroots transportation
initiatives. Previously, he was active in grassroots environmental
organizing in New York and New England.
Mitchell H. Pally, Long Island Association. Mr.
Pally was elected Vice President for Legislative and Economic
Affairs of the Long Island Association in January 1992. He is
responsible for all the governmental and community activities
of the Association. Mr. Pally has been associated with the LIA
since august 1985 when he was appointed Director of Legislative
and Economic Affairs. Established in 1926, the LIA is the region’s
largest business and civic organization with more than 3,000 member
firms and organizations employing more than 400,000 people.
During his service to the Senate Mr. Pally was appointed by Governor
Pataki as the Governor’s representative in transportation
legislation as the first in the nation seat-belt law, child restraint
law, the Transportation bond Issues of 1983 and 1979, reserved
parking spaces for disabled drivers and others. In 1995 Mr. Pally
was appointed by Governor Pataki as the Governor’s representative
to the Pine Barrens Credit Clearinghouse, to administer the Transfer
of Development Rights Program as part of implementation of the
Pine Barrens Agreement, which was designed to preserve thousands
of acres within the Central Pine Barrens of Long Island.
Paul Rabinovich, The Nature Conservancy. Paul
Rabinovich is the Executive Director of the Long Island Chapter
of the Nature Conservancy, based in Cold Spring Harbor. The Nature
Conservancy is the world’s largest conservation organization
and is dedicated to preserving nature and its functions. At The
Nature Conservancy of Long Island, Mr. Rabinovich is responsible
for leading conservation initiatives, seeking out new ways to
protect natural areas and habitats and establishing conservation
priorities.
His expertise in real estate development and financial issues,
combined with his strong belief in the issues involved in nature
conservation led him to the Nature Conservancy of Long Island,
where he served as Director of Land Protection from 1994-98. He
was named Executive Director in January 1999, and continues to
devote his time, talents, and energy to making real estate deals
that benefit the Long Island environment.
Alexander M. Santino, Suffolk County Office of Pollution
Control. Alex Santino serves as the Chief of the Office
of Pollution Control for the Suffolk County Department of Health
Services. He has 32 years of experience in the environmental protection
field. He attended SUNY at Albany and Hofstra University and holds
degrees in Biology and Engineering Science. He presently acts
as Suffolk County’s Brownfields project manager and oversees
Phase II site assessment work at a number of sites in Suffolk’s
Brownfields program.
Dennis Sneden, Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce.
Dennis Sneden, as CEO of the Huntington Township Chamber
of Commerce, has shaped one of the most dynamic membership organizations
in the region. His unmatched wealth of expertise, energy, business
savvy, and leadership has transformed the Huntington Township
Chamber of Commerce into the area’s leading business agency.
In 1996, Mr. Sneden was appointed the first Director of Economic
Development for the Town of Huntington, providing a pivotal link
between government agencies for the development, implementation
and direction of economic policies designed to attract new business
and industry to Huntington. After five months of service, he received
the appointment as the Deputy Supervisor for the town -- an achievement
that demonstrates his commitment and aptitude for public service.
As Chief Executive Officer for the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Sneden
has created many new and innovative initiatives. Under his direction,
the Huntington Chamber of Commerce has earned many accolades and
broken many records.
Ron Stein, Vision Long Island. Ron’s research
of new approaches to land use and public participation methods
led to Long Island’s first Smart Growth organization --
Vision Huntington -- and ultimately to Huntington’s creation
of a Smart Growth Steering Committee, adoption of Smart Growth
Principles, and a comprehensive Smart Growth speaker series. In
these efforts, Ron has worked closely with Huntington’s
Departments of Planning & Environment and Engineering &
Traffic. His work in Huntington helped spawn new awareness of
housing needs and opportunities, the importance of effective community
outreach and education, and raised the knowledge level of leadership
and staff.
Ron has been involved in a variety of charrettes and land use
presentations to diverse organizations in the region. In addition
to spearheading Long Island’s first major charrette in 2000,
he also participated in other public events and lectures throughout
Long Island. Ron has also operated as a private developer, and
helped assemble a charrette team for a New Urbanist infill development
project in Southport, CT.
Thomas R. Suozzi, Nassau County Executive. Prior to being
elected Nassau County Executive in 2001, Mr. Suozzi served as
Mayor of the City of Glen Cove. A recognized environmentalist,
Mr. Suozzi is the recipient of many awards for his efforts. In
1997, he was the only elected official to be awarded a U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency Region 2 Environmental Award and in 1998, under
his watch, Glen Cove was designated as one of only 16 communities
in the United States to be a Brownfields Showcase Community, a
national model for environmental and economic development. During
his tenure as mayor, Mr. Suozzi also built a new City Hall, Police
Headquarters, Courthouse, and EMS building. Mr. Suozzi’s
successful efforts to revitalize Glen Cove’s downtown earned
statewide recognition, including first place in the New York Conference
of Mayors’ 2000 “Main Street” competition.
As Nassau County Executive, Mr. Suozzi faces the challenge of
turning Nassau County, the nation’s first suburban community,
into a model of smart growth and sustainable development for the
future. His stated goal is to make Nassau County “the best
county in the country.”
Peter Swift, P.E., Swift & Associates, LLC.
Mr. Swift has 26 years of experience in civil engineering and
planning. Swift and Associates was begun in 1988 as a general
civil engineering consultancy offering design services in public
infrastructure, street and highway design, flood control, drainage
and land planning. Over time the company has developed expertise
in mixed-use traditional neighborhood development (TND) and sustainable,
context sensitive traffic and transportation design. Mr. Swift
is frequently called upon to participate in design charrettes
and workshops within the nation for TND’s and sustainable
traffic projects.
Lisa Tyson, Long Island Progressive Coalition.
Lisa Tyson grew up in Nassau County, Long Island and graduated
with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing/Communications from the
Fashion Institute of Technology in 1993. She continued her studies
in the Masters of Science program in Urban and Environmental Studies
at Renssealear Polytechnic Institute in 1994. Her professional
experience has been at the Long Island Progressive Coalition (LIPC),
where she has been working since 1996 and is currently the Director.
Ms. Tyson works on transportation, sustainability, campaign finance
reform and Nassau County budget issues. After successfully running
a campaign to stop the widening of Route 25A, Ms. Tyson currently
serves on the Technical Advisory Board for the Department of Transportation’s
Long Island Transportation Plan 2000 which currently has a plan
to widen 190 miles of roadways on Long Island. Lisa is leading
a public campaign to Rethink LITP2000 to be a more effective plan
that includes real public transportation and citizen involvement.
Ms. Tyson is currently coordinating the LIPC’s Fair Tax
Plan Campaign, which is the plan to solve the County’s fiscal
problems by instituting a property tax reduction coupled with
a small income tax for higher income levels.
Kevin Van Meter, Long Island Free Space, Inc.
Kevin Van Meter is the founding Executive Director of Long Island
Free Space, Inc. (Freespace) - a entirely youth-run non-profit
organization that will be opening a youth community center on
the Island in early 2003. Kevin was employed at the Long Island
Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives between 1998 and 2002 as their
head youth organizer, and is currently working for Sustainable
Long Island as a Program Assistant. Recently, Kevin completed
undergraduate work at Burlington College in Political Philosophy
and Social Movement Studies, and will continue these studies at
Hofstra’s New College Master of Arts Program beginning in
January 2003. As a young activist he has participated in numerous
national mobilizations, has written for a diverse set of publications,
and has lectured on social movements on both the university and
community level.
John Venditto, Supervisor, Town of Oyster Bay.
John Venditto is the 59th Supervisor of the Town of Oyster Bay
and took office January 1,1998. He brings nearly two decades of
experience in public service to the Supervisor’s office.
He served as Town Attorney from 1991 to December 1997 and as a
Town Councilman from 1981 to 1991.
Supervisor Venditto, knowing the importance of proper planning
to ensure against the over-development of the Town, initiated
the Town-wide planning initiative "Vision 20/20" –
a comprehensive plan that will focus on the current and long-range
growth and development of the Town and provide a blueprint for
future planning in the Town. He has initiated local community
improvement plans such as Oyster Bay Hamlet Revitalization, Glenwood
Landing Waterfront and the Hicksville Downtown Study, to name
a few. He has also modernized and improved the Town’s half-century
old zoning code bringing it into the new millennium and making
it more user friendly.
Protecting and enhancing the environment and recreation facilities
for future generations is a top priority of Supervisor Venditto.
He has developed the Town’s acclaimed $30 million "SEA"
Fund for open space preservation and park improvements and expansion.
One of Supervisor Venditto’s main goals is to make it possible
for all Town seniors to remain here, among family and friends
in the communities they helped build. Supervisor Venditto has
instituted numerous programs and legislation to ensure this, including,
lowering from 62 to 60 the age at which seniors can take advantage
of free-discount Town programs; creating 634 new units of affordable
senior housing bringing the Town total to 920 units with more
on the way; initiating free senior bus transportation; restoring
the affordable senior lunch program at reduced cost; expanding
property tax exemption for seniors, veterans and physically challenged;
and he has provided grants for much-needed home repairs modifications
to moderate and low income seniors and physically challenged.
Robert Wieboldt, Long Island Builders Institute.
Robert Wieboldt was appointed Executive Director of the Long Island
Builders Institute in July 1996. In 2000, Mr. Wieboldt was appointed
to the board of the Long Island Housing Partnership, where he
serves as chairman of the Village of Hempstead Revitalization
Committee. Mr. Wiebodlt is a long-time advocate for sensible growth
management policy and has led private industry in land use reform.
His organization has supported such initiatives at federal, sate
and local levels and has opposed policies that restrict private
land development in favor of more balanced approaches.
Mr. Wieboldt played an instrumental role in the recent Long Island
Pine Barrens Preservation and Development agreement. For his Pine
Barrens work he was honored with the 1994 Alexander Calder Award
by the Conservation partnership and in May 1996 he was presented
with the Laurence M. Orton Award for City and Regional Planning
by the Metropolitan Chapter of the American Planning Association.
He is a member of the Pine Barrens Advisory Board.
Neil S.Yellin, Long Island Bus. Neil S. Yellin
has over 20 years of public management experience. After ten years
in New York City government, he came to MTA Long Island Bus in
1987. Prior to his appointment as President in March 1998, he
served as the agency’s second in command in the title of
Vice President of Policy and Planning since 1993. Neil is considered
a leader on local suburban mobility issues. He is credited with
successfully designing and implementing new transit services to
meet emerging travel demands which support Long Island’s
growing economy. Long Island Bus provides public bus service for
over 110,000 on an average weekday and nearly 31 million customers
annually. He is also a strong advocate for the disabled community
and initiated LI Bus’s paratransit program, Able-Ride, which
provides over 1,000 trips daily.
Neil has also been instrumental in the nearly completed conversion
of the LI Bus fleet to natural gas. This achievement has elevated
LI Bus to a position of national prominence in alternative fuels
transportation.
Marian Zucker, Suffolk County Office of Housing.
Marian Zucker joined Suffolk County in late July 2001 as its first
Director of Affordable Housing. Her primary responsibility is
to oversee and direct the implementation of three of the County’s
affordable housing programs: the first time homebuyers auction,
the transfer of land to towns and villages for affordable housing
purposes and the $20 million land acquisition program. Ms. Zucker
is a member of the Management Committee for the Long Island Campaign
for Affordable Rental Housing and a member of Suffolk County’s
Task Force on Homelessness.
Prior to joining Suffolk County government, Ms. Zucker worked
for 16 years as an investment banker for Wall Street firms, where
she was responsible for managing over $3.5 billion of debt and
equity transactions that financed affordable housing throughout
the country. Her primary focus in the last few years was senior
managing portfolio transactions for large public and private multifamily
development companies. Ms Zucker also successfully marketed and
sold a tax credit housing development subsidiary of major utility
company with an asset base of 40 properties and staff of 20. Over
the course of her career in finance, Ms. Zucker also originated,
structured and hedged over $1.6 billion of tax-exempt derivatives.
Prior to that, she was with the New York City Department of Housing
Preservation and Development.
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