Vision Long Island
Board of Directors & Staff

 

Board of Directors:

President: Ron Stein, Good Harvest Financial
Vice-President: Trudy Fitzsimmons, Leadership Huntington

Keith Archer, Harras Bloom & Archer
David Berg, AICP, APA-Long Island Chapter
Richard Bivone, Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce
Eliot Bloom, Law Offices of Eliot F. Bloom
John Durso, President, Long Island Federation of Labor
Robert Fonti, Vincent James Management
Matthew Frank, MDF Development
Larry Gargano, Greenview Properties

Patrick Halpin, Institute for Student Achievement
John Keating, National Grid
John Kominicki, Long Island Business News

Richard Koubek, Jobs With Justice - Long Island
Steven Kreiger, Engel Burman

Alex D. Latham, ADLIII Architecture
David Leno, Ruskin Moscou Faltischek

Neal Lewis, Sustainability Institute at Molloy College
Jorge Martinez, LI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Bruce Migatz, Albanese & Albanese
Richard Panchyk, Hardesty & Hanover
Vincent Pizzulli, Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mneio, Cohn & Terrana, LLP
Michael F. Puntillo, The Jobco Organization

Maria Rigopoulos, Trammell Crow Residential
Dr. Nathalia Rogers, Dowling College

Larry Rosenbloom, Zyscovich Architects
Keith Samaroo, PS&S
Bob Scheiner, H2M
Joy S. Squires, NYS Association of Conservation Commissions
Edward Thompson, Molloy College
John Trotta, Posillico
Bill Tuyn, Greenman-Pedersen

Staff:

Eric Alexander, Executive Director

Michelle Dutchen, Communications Director
Tawaun Weber, Director of Special Projects
Elissa Ward, Sustainability Director
Tara Klein, Policy Director
Chris Kyle - Program Coordinator

 

Ronald K. Stein, Vision President, Good Harvest Financial

Ron’s research of new approaches to land use and public participation methods led to his creation of Long Island’s first Smart Growth organization -- Vision Huntington, and then to Vision Long Island (VISION), now one of the region’s pre-eminent land use organizations. A businessman and environmentalist, Ron has helped pioneer in VISION a multi-tiered, pro-active approach to challenge the existing conventional land use patterns of poor development. With an emphasis on broad stakeholder participation, new approaches to housing, open space preservation, traffic and pedestrian safety, and the creation of walkable, attractive communities have become priorities on a local and regional level across Long Island.

Through VISION, Ron has been actively involved in a variety of charrettes – public planning workshops -- and land use presentations to diverse organizations in the region. Beginning with spearheading Long Island’s first major charrette in Huntington Village in 2000, he has helped lead VISION to conduct many other planning events and solutions Island-wide. Ron has also spearheaded a New Urbanist infill development project in Southport, CT, which is nearing completion. Ron is also President of Good Harvest Financial Group, an independent financial planning firm that specializes in environmental issues and responsible investment.

 

Trudy Fitzsimmons, Vision Vice President, Leadership Huntington

Trudy Fitzsimmons has been a volunteer in the Huntington Community for Twenty-eight years. Most recently she has been a staunch supporter of Vision Long Island and promoter of Smart Growth Principles. She believes strongly in giving back to her community. While raising a family of four, Trudy volunteered in her church, children's school, and local theater groups.   After she raised her family, Trudy was looking for more challenging opportunities to use her talents and make a difference in the community. Cablevision, her previous employer, recognized her ambition and decided to foster her leadership skills through education. Cablevision sponsored her in the 1998 Leadership Huntington class.

Through Leadership Huntington, Trudy gained a new awareness and perspective of community service. She devoted her efforts for the good of the community and teamed with Ron Stein and Vision Long Island. Together with Vision Long Island, Trudy became committed to turning the tide against sprawl by taking a strong, positive role in shaping the Town of Huntington and the greater Long Island region. Trudy has given many hours of her time documenting training sessions, presentations, and special events on film and video. These photos and videos are used as a visual medium for promoting Smart Growth Principles, as well as, educating Elected Officials, Town Supervisors, developers, planners, and communities about Smart Growth. Present Affiliations include Congress for the New Urbanism and the Smart Growth Advisory Board.

 

Keith Archer, Harras Bloom & Archer

Keith Archer is a partner at Harras Bloom & Archer, which caters to a diverse clientele ranging from national retailers, global entertainment companies, large developers of residential communities, office buildings and shopping centers, and small businesses of every type on Long Island, New York City and surrounding counties.  Mr. Archer has extensive experience representing these diverse clients before municipal boards, departments, and agencies and is proficient in many areas of law and land use. This includes real estate services and litigation, the New York State Environmental Review process (SEQRA), land use and zoning approval processes.He received his Law Degree from Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York in 1983. Mr. Archer attended Hunter College of the City University of New York for his undergraduate studies in Political Science. He earned a B.A and graduated with high honors of Cum Laude and the Dean’s List.

 

David Berg, AICP, APA-Long Island Chapter

David Berg is a board member and treasurer of the Long Island Section of the American Planning Association’s New York Metro Chapter. He helps organize training workshops for zoning and planning board members and educational seminars for planning professionals. Mr. Berg is a founding board member of Vision Long Island, Inc. (VLI), a regional planning advocacy organization that supports Smart Growth development, livable communities, and new urbanism. He helped organize and facilitate a two-day planning charrette hosted by VLI to design improvements for a portion of downtown Huntington.

As Senior Environmental Planner, Mr. Berg provides environmental oversight for many of Cameron Engineer’s projects. He designs master plans and site plans for public and private projects. Mr. Berg designs environmental restorations and watershed and stormwater management plans, and authors environmental impact statements, grant applications, and scientific reports. Mr. Berg drafts plans, designs, and construction specifications for stormwater management, open space, and recreational components for Long Island public parks. He prepares coastal management plans and designs pond, stream, and wetland improvements. He prepared Environmental Site Assessments for public and private properties and development proposals for brownfields in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, including several Northrop Grumman properties.

Mr. Berg organized and helped facilitate public participation workshops for a number of master planning projects. The design process for the redevelopment of the 9-acre Oak Beach site for the Town of Babylon and Suffolk County led to the construction of a new park. Mr. Berg worked with the citizens of Port Washington North in planning workshops for a new coastal park on Manhasset Bay. He assisted in a Town of Oyster Bay planning event that was attended by over 500 residents to plan the development of the Town’s 16-acre Western Waterfront, a former brownfield. He led a planning workshop to seek public input into the design of a mile long park and preserve on Stony Brook’s West Meadow Beach for the Town of Brookhaven.

Mr. Berg writes proposals for research, design, and development projects. He prepared a successful $165,000 EPF grant application for the Village of Port Washington North for Bay Walk Park. He authored a Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act grant application that resulted in $850,000 for wetland restoration for the Town of Oyster Bay. A $1.3 million Bond Act grant application by Mr. Berg for Nassau County will help fund the restoration of the 423-acre Massapequa Preserve. The Town of Huntington was awarded a $1.9 million Bond Act grant for a proposal he prepared for the restoration of Mill Dam Pond.

As a founding member of the Town of Huntington Waterfront Revitalization Task Force, he helped formulate the Town’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan and the new Waterfront Zoning Code.

 

Richard Bivone, Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce, RMB Development

Richard Bivone is the founder and president of RMB Drafting Services, Inc., which assists people with building permits, research, expediting and variances. In 1992, he started companies to compliment RMB including Electrical Inspectors, Inc. and RMB Development Consultants, Inc, which was formed to meet the needs of many developers for large-scale projects. Recently, he started Planning Consultants, Inc. and Electrical Advancement Group, Inc. His accomplishments include Past President and Chairman of the Board of the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce, 1st Vice President of the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations (CEMCO), past Vice Chairman of Educational Assistance Corporation (EAC, a non-profit organization assisting people throughout New York State), past Secretary of East Meadow Kiwanis, Board of Directors for the Heart Council of LI, Inc., Board member of the Nassau County Jail Advisory Committee, past Board member of Chambers Players International, and 1st Vice Chairman of the Nassau County Fire Fighter Museum.

He is also a past President of the Nassau Council Chambers of Commerce, serving 52 Chambers of Commerce in Nassau County. In July 2000, the Governor appointed Richard to the New York State Small Business Advisory Board and he was re-appointed in April 2008 by NYS Governor David A. Paterson. He is a past Board member of the Town of Hempstead’s Industrial Development Agency and served on the New York City Congestion Fee Commission, Lighthouse Steering Committee, and the Nassau Coliseum Renovation. Richard is also active in the National Fire Protection, Nassau Electric League, Suffolk County Electrical Contractors Association, International Association of Electrical Inspectors, Columbia Lawyers Association of Nassau County, Nassau County Italian Americans in Government, and Building Inspectors Association of Nassau County. In 1998, he co-founded of the Italian Heritage Club in Nassau County. Richard lives in East Meadow with his wife and family. He is a graduate from Delhi University and the New York Institute of Technology in the field of Architecture. He also had a career as a firefighter in Elmont, North Bellmore, and Bedford-Stuyvesant, and was awarded a Class B Meritorious medal in 1992.

 

Eliot Bloom, Esq.

 

Mr. Bloom graduated from the State University of New York at Albany in 1980, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He thereafter attended the Touro College School of Law, graduating in 1986. Mr. Bloom was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1986. He was subsequently admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and the United States District Court, Southern District, in 1992 and 1993, respectively, and was admitted to the North Carolina Bar in 1998.

Mr. Bloom began his legal career as an associate with the Law Office of Ernest Peace, where his practice focused on criminal defense as well as civil matters such as personal injury, contracts and commercial litigation. He was a general partner in such firms Bloom & Hollander and Bloom & Sperber until 1993, when he founded his own practice, the Law Offices of Mr. Eliot F. Bloom, with offices in Mineola, and West Islip.

Mr. Bloom is currently in the private practice of law, handling a broad array of matters including criminal defense and civil trial litigation in federal and state courts, personal injury matters, general civil litigation, and corporate and association representation. With more than eighteen years of trials and civil litigation, he has tried cases from murder to contract disputes, and SEC fraud to negligence.

Additionally, Mr. Bloom is chief counsel to the Nassau County Fire Marshall Benevolent Association and the Nassau County Independence Party. He is also Special Counsel to the New York State Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police fraternal organization in the world. He also represents numerous corporations and businesses.

 

John Durso, President, Long Island Federation of Labor

 

Since 2005, John R. Durso has served as President of the Long Island Federation of Labor. He also currently serves as President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU/UFCW) Local 338. The LI Federation of Labor represents more than 250,000 working men and women – in affiliation with the American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). The RWDSU is the largest affiliate in the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, (UFCW) 1.4 million members strong.

John R. Durso also serves as an International Vice President of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Vice President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), and Vice President of the New York City Central Labor Council. In 1984, Durso, joined the staff of Local 338 as an organizer, then business agent and in 1997 was appointed, Assistant to the President, by long time mentor and Local 338 President Emanuel Laub. In August 1999, the Union’s Executive Board elected John Durso President after Mr. Laub’s passing. In 2002 and again in 2005, John was re-elected President by a unanimous vote of the membership. Born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island, John R. Durso began his career as a deli Clerk with the Waldbaum’s Super-markets chain in 1970. Over the next 10 years, John continued to advance himself in Waldbaum’s and finally became a store manager in 1982.

In addition, Mr. Durso holds positions on the Nassau County and Town of Hempstead Labor Commissions and the Town of Hempstead Workforce Investment Board.

 

 

Robert Fonti, Vincent James Management

Robert G. Fonti is President and CEO of Vincent James Management Company, Inc., a firm with offices in Huntington and New York City that manage and operate in excess of three million square feet of property (the amount fluctuates and has reached six million). A recognized expert on real estate matters, he frequently testifies in State and County Supreme Court sessions for owners, lenders and third party interests, serves on numerous committees, and has been featured as a guest speaker for real estate trade groups. New York Habitat has named him One of New York's Top Property Managers.

Mr. Fonti is a real estate consultant to the Town of Huntington, New York, for which he administers and negotiates all leases and licenses for Trustee lands. He also serves as a land use consultant to developers and owners. Since January of 1999, Mr. Fonti has held the office of Commissioner of the Huntington Housing Authority and was credited with negotiating a settlement with civic groups and community members on a twenty-year old lawsuit. This landmark agreement preserved open space and established a delicate balance between home ownership and lessee housing.

Some of the other boards he currently serves on include IMPAC of New York (as Executive Board Member), Huntington Station Boys & Girls Club, Huntington Chamber of Commerce PAC, Huntington Cablevision Commission, Huntington Station Enrichment Center, Huntington Smart Growth Steering Committee, NYS Order Sons of Italy in America, Committee on Public Relations, Italian Americans for Better Government, Huntington Station Revitalization Committee, and Vision Long Island.

Mr. Fonti is as an advisory member to the New York State Bar Association, Committee on Courts and the Community and was responsible for coordinating a six part television series. He is a founder, officer and board member of Respect for Law Alliance, Inc., a not for profit organization comprised of noted Jurists, Attorneys and Business Leaders from around the world; he serves as Vice President of Budget & Finance and Chairs the Annual Essay Competition and Scholarship "How to Improve the Respect for Law". Mr. Fonti has received literally hundreds of proclamations and citations from civic organizations and elected officials including U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer and New York State Governor George Pataki.

A graduate of St. John's University, he holds a bachelor's degree in Government and Politics with minors in both Public Administration and Theology and a master's degree in Public Administration.

Mr. Fonti resides in Cold Spring Harbor, New York with his wife, Barbara and their two daughters. The Huntington Townwide Fund, at an Annual Gala highlighting the Fonti's community service and philanthropic endeavors, recently honored him and Barbara as "Citizens of the Year."

 

Matthew Frank, MDF Development

Matthew Frank is the Managing Partner of MDF Development Group LLC, a full service real estate development company formed by the former Executive Vice President of Development and Design of RXR Realty (f/k/a Reckson Associates Realty Corp., NYSE: RA), as a development and investment platform focused on opportunistic and value-added deals in the New York Tri-state area. During his 12 plus years with Reckson and RXR, Mr. Frank was responsible for the planning, design, and entitlement of the company’s development assets throughout the New York Tri-state. Projects of note include the Lighthouse at Long Island, the redevelopment of the Nassau Coliseum and surrounding 77 acres into a 5.5MSF mixed-use destination and RXR Glen Isle, the 56 acre brownfield redevelopment of Glen Cove Creek, two of Long Island’s largest and regionally significant projects; both private/public partnerships. Since joining Reckson in 1998, Matthew was integrally involved in the design and approvals for over 12 million SF of mixed-use, office, and industrial development and repositioning projects throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Mr. Frank also served as a member of the company’s Executive and Operating Committees as well as Co-Chair of its Development Committee. Prior to joining Reckson, Mr. Frank was a founding partner in The Forge Company, an architectural research and design firm specializing in innovative building systems. The company’s high-energy efficient, quick-erect panelized steel frame system has been used for numerous social housing projects throughout the UK.

Mr. Frank holds a Master of Architecture degree from the Tulane University School of Architecture and is a registered architect in the State of New York. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and serves on the Board of Vision Long Island, the areas premiere smart growth planning advocacy organization. Mr. Frank lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

 

Larry Gargano, Greenview Properties

 

Larry Gargano, Developer and owner of Greenview Properties, works to provide Long Island with great neighborhoods. Based out of Bay Shore, some of Greenview’s properties include the Chelsea Place duplex and triplex rental homes in Bay Shore near to the downtown and train station, Providence on the Park Condos and clubhouse which adjoins the Connetquot River State Park and Greenview at W. Sayville offering 55+ 1 & 2 bedroom apartments minutes from Sayville’s downtown.

Chelsea Place in Bay Shore is an example of how Smart Growth projects can be approved and built in a timely, cost-effective manner that benefits the community. Local Town of Islip government and co-developers Larry Gargano and Mark Sagliocca worked in tandem to revitalize a blighted block of failing commercial sites in the community.

Greenview Properties was already in construction for a neighboring residential complex and were thoroughly invested in enhancing Bay Shore’s renewal. Located across from the Bay Shore Long Island Rail Road station, the site had enormous potential as a transit-oriented development and was within the community’s overarching downtown revitalization plans. The partnership resulted in a re-development project that incorporates multiple aspects of Smart Growth, such as a range of housing choices including condominiums and rentals, with an affordability requirement. Offering 14 condominiums and 12 rental units, the one- and two-bedroom units were initially priced from $245,000 to $295,000, with rentals starting at $1,500.

In addition to a mix of housing types, Chelsea Place brought higher density and increased pedestrian activity towards the center of the community. It serves as a vastly improved key entry point into Main Street. The project also includes two commercial units on the first floor, which create a highly utilized and visible downtown destination. The project won a 2008 Smart Growth Award for certainty.

 

Patrick G. Halpin, Executive Vice President, Institute for Student Achievement

Patrick G. Halpin is an Executive Vice President of the Institute for Student Achievement, Inc.   Located in Lake Success on Long Island, the Institute is a not-for-profit organization that works in partnership with schools and school districts to help low-performing, middle and high school students stay in school, graduate and go on to college, work, other post-secondary education or job training.   As executive vice president, Mr. Halpin is responsible for the Institute's public policy, government relations, development, public affairs, and communications activities.

Mr. Halpin has extensive public service experience.   He began his career in 1979 when he was elected, at the age of 26, to represent the 13 th District of the Suffolk County Legislature.   In a special election held in 1982, he won the New York State Assembly seat for the 11 th District, becoming the first Democrat in 116 years to be elected to the Assembly from that area.   During his three terms in office, he chaired the Standing Committee on Ethics and the Long Island Marine Resources subcommittee.

From 1988-1992, Mr. Halpin served as the Suffolk County Executive.   Responsible for an annual budget of more than $1.4 billion and for over 12,000 employees, Mr. Halpin demonstrated his ability to manage the political complexities of government while tending to the needs of the 1.3 million residents of Suffolk, the 15 th largest county in the United States.   He instituted the highly successful drug education program, DARE; a comprehensive anti-domestic violence program; a nationally-recognized open space and environmental program, and an extensive homeless housing initiative.   Elected at the age of 34, Patrick Halpin was the youngest Suffolk County Executive in its history.

Mr. Halpin's tenure at the Institute for Student Achievement has been during a period of exceptional growth and success for the organization.   He has overseen the dramatic expansion in New York State and Virginia of the Institute's programs. Since 1990, when the Institute began its first program, it has grown to include 22 programs in ten school districts - including in the New York State regions of Long Island, New York City, and Rensselaer and Westchester counties, in Virginia's Fairfax County, and in Boston, Massachusetts. It helps approximately 2,000 children through its STAR, COMET, and AfterSchool programs, and employs more than 150 people. The impact of COMET (for middle schools) and STAR (for high schools) has led to more than a 96% graduation rate (for students completing the 4-year STAR program) and a college admittance rate of more than 85%.   The long-term goal of the Institute is to have all at-risk children experience similar success.

Mr. Halpin is a graduate of Old Dominion University, where he majored in political science and economics and received a BA degree.   A life-long resident of Suffolk County, he lives in the Village of Babylon.

 

John Keating, National Grid

Mr. Keating is Regional Executive, Energy Solutions Services – Metro NY Long Island, for National Grid plc.  National Grid is an international electricity and gas company based in the UK and northeastern US.   On Long Island, National Grid  provides natural gas service through its extensive distribution system, and manages the distribution of electricity on behalf of the Long Island Power Authority.The Energy Solutions Services group includes a team of Account Executives and Representatives who provide energy solutions to the largest commercial customers of National Grid and LIPA.  The team specializes in assisting these businesses to improve the energy efficiency of their facilities and works   collaboratively with our customers to identify solutions that are best suited to each particular business.  The Energy Solutions Services group also provides economic development and community development support  to encourage business growth on  Long Island. Mr. Keating received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from New York Institute of Technology in 1987 and a Masters of Business Administration in Finance from Dowling College in 2003.  He and his wife and two daughters reside in Seaford.

 

Richard Kessel

 

Richard M. Kessel, an expert in New York energy issues, served nearly three years as President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Power Authority (NYPA). During Mr. Kessel’s term, NYPA made significant strides in life extension and modernization programs at its major upstate hydroelectric facilities. He worked closely with New York State and local economic development agencies, under the leadership of Governors Paterson and Cuomo, to optimize the available amounts of low-cost hydropower from NYPA’s large hydroelectric projects on the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers to spur capital investments and jobs in Western and Northern New York. Mr. Kessel’s attention to economic development included NYPA’s transitioning to a new statewide power initiative – the Recharge New York Program – spearheaded by Governor Cuomo, for providing a new infusion of lower cost power for job retention and creation by businesses. He championed energy efficient and clean energy initiatives, with NYPA’S setting new records for each of the last two years- $175 million in 2010 alone- for its investments in there technologies. NYPA also invested in “smart grid” technologies for maximizing the utilization of transmission lines without compromising their reliability. He also advanced proposals for the development of an offshore wind power project in the Great Lakes, and a statewide solar energy initiative, to add to the state’s clean energy supplies and encourage the development of job-producing alternative energy industries. Prior to his joining NPYA, Mr. Kessel served two terms as Chairman of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) Board of Trustees. Mr. Kessel began his career in public service as Executive Director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board, where he successfully negotiated rate freeze agreements with Consolidated Edison, Niagara Mohawk, and Orange and Rockland Utilities. He attended Colgate University, received a bachelor’s degree from New York University and his master’s degree from Columbia University.

 

John L. Kominicki, Publisher, Long Island Business News

John Kominicki has been publisher of Long Island Business News since 1998. Before coming to Long Island, Kominicki headed business publications in Texas and Oklahoma and was a longtime Europe-based writer and editor for such publications as Stars & Stripes, The New York Times, the Dallas Morning News and USA Today.

Locally, he serves on the boards of the Long Island Technology Network, LISTnet, the Association of Commerce Industry and Technology, the Huntington Chamber and the Long Island Venture Group. He is a member of the executive committee of the Long Island Business Development Council and also serves as a media advisor to the Fast 50 CEO program.

John Kominicki has received numerous awards for his support of the business and not for profit communities on Long Island, including being honored as an SBA small business advocate and as media person of the year by the Public Relations Professionals of Long Island. He will receive Dowling College's Distinguished Citizen Award in June 2003.

John Kominicki can occasionally be found in Stony Brook, where he resides with his wife and daughter.

 

Richard Koubek, Jobs With Justice

Dr. Richard Koubek works with workers rights group, Jobs With Justice. He formerly was 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.

 

 

Steven Kreiger, Engel Burman Group

Steven Krieger, an attorney, builder and developer of commercial properties and multi-family housing has been involved in the real estate industry since 1986. He has applied his legal expertise and experience in exploring opportunities that extend beyond strict property law– building, developing and managing numerous real estate ventures. He has managed retail and office buildings for private and institutional owners, including ABN-AMRO Bank.

Co-founder of The Engel Burman Group, Steven has spearheaded acquisitions and financing for The Engel Burman group with successes that include the first attainment of IDA funds for an Assisted Living Community in New York State. His expertise in the procurement of approvals from municipalities and other governing bodies led to the largest FAR variance ever granted in the Town of Hempstead.

Steven is a founder and executive board member of The Long Island Real Estate Group, and is also a president of Friends Assisting Nassau Seniors (FANS), a not-for-profit eldercare organization. Steven graduated cum laude from Tulane University, studied abroad at the London School of Economics and Political Science and completed his law degree at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1986.

 

Alexander D. Latham, Principal, ADLIII Architecture

Alex Latham is owner and principal of ADL III Architecture located in Northport, NY.  ADL III Architecture is a multifaceted Architecture and Planning Firm with focuses 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/Coram, involving the design and development of five new villages. Other community based projects on Long Island 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.

 

David Leno, Ruskin Moscou Faltischek

 

David P. Leno is a partner at Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C., where he is Chair of the Zoning and Land Use Practice Group and a member of the firm's Real Estate Department, IDA and Municipal Development Incentives, Commercial Lending and Environmental practice groups.

Mr. Leno advises clients on all aspects of real estate transactions; negotiates and prepares transactional and financing documents and conducts closings for commercial and residential properties; prepares and negotiates office, commercial and retail leases; prepares submissions to town boards and planning commissions for zoning matters including variances, special use permits and subdivision applications.

Mr. Leno was named by Long Island Business News as one of Long Island's 40 Under 40 for the class of 2007. Mr. Leno is a lecturer on zoning and land use topics and has taught several CLE programs on zoning-related issues.

Mr. Leno is a member of the Nassau County Bar Association and New York State Bar Association. In 2011, he became a member of the New York State Board of Real Estate. He is a Trustee of the Old Westbury College Foundation and a President’s Council Member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Mr. Leno is active with the Chaminade High School Alumni Association, the Chaminade Alumni Lawyer’s Association and assisted in the formation of the Chaminade Alumni Businessmen’s Association.

Neal Lewis, Sustainability Institute at Molloy College

Neal Lewis is the Executive Director of the Long Island Neighborhood Network.   The mission of the Neighborhood Network is dedicated to reclaiming the suburban and rural character of community life on Long Island by preserving our environmental resources; initiating policies to prevent exposures to environmental hazards; proposing government consolidations designed to reduce the local tax burden; and holding our governmental officials accountable by advancing reforms which set higher ethical standards and keep the operation of government open to the public.   Accomplishments include the passing numerous forms of legislation to reduce pesticides and protect Long Island's drinking water. Open government reforms including the work on the original Nassau County Charter Revision Commission and leading the campaigns for Councilmatic districts in Brookhaven and other communities around Long Island.

The Neighborhood Network believes that continued growth on Long Island - and indeed in suburban regions throughout the country - must be balanced by measures that maintain the quality of life for citizens living there. Smart Growth focuses both on the process followed to improve new developments (utilizing visioning exercises where the entire community works with environmental, business, and government interests to collaboratively develop proposals) and the substantive results (which must advance environmental protection and appropriate development.)

 

Jorge Martinez, LI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Jorge A. Martinez is President of BCM Solutions, a Third Party Administrator dedicated to helping organizations become more effi cient and effective by outsourcing their business procedures. He also holds the position of Compliance Offi cer for American Transit Insurance Company. A Freeport resident for over 30 years, he has recently been elected as a Village of Freeport Trustee. Mr. Martinez is the fi rst Hispanic to be elected to this position. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mr. Martinez has worked tirelessly to enrich his community. He is the Associate Director for the Board of Directors of Bethpage Federal Credit Union, a former President of the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Deputy Chairman of the Village of Freeport Zoning Board. Additionally, Mr. Martinez has served as a coach in the Freeport PAL Sports League and Freeport Little League, as Chairman of the Sanitation Board, Commissioner of Human Relations Board for Village of Freeport, and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of Nassau County. As a result of his commitment to the community,

Mr. Martinez has been the proud recipient of many awards, including: Molloy College St. Martin de Porres Award for Leadership, Unispan Award from Hofstra University, Hispanic Heritage Award from the Town of Hempstead, and various community awards from Nassau County, Suffolk County, and the Village of Freeport. Born in Havana, Cuba, Mr. Martinez came to the United States in 1968 and settled with his family on Long Island. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Hofstra University.

 

Bruce Migatz, Albanese & Albanese

Bruce W. Migatz is a partner of Albanese & Albanese, LLP with offices in Garden City, New York. He is a graduate of Boston University and St. John’s University School of Law. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1976 and to the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. In addition to trial and appellate work, Mr. Migatz concentrates his efforts in municipal and zoning laws and serves as General Counsel to numerous co-ops and condominiums. He is a member of the Nassau County Bar Associations, New York State Bar Association, New York State Trial Lawyers Association and American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America).

Mr. Migatz is a former associate adjunct professor at Nassau Community College, former Chief Deputy Town Attorney for the Town of North Hempstead and former Village Attorney for the Incorporated Village of Manorhaven. He has presented lectures on zoning and land use for the new York State Building Officials Conference, Building Inspectors Association of Nassau County, the Long Island Chapter of A.I.A., First American Title Insurance Company of New York, Lorman Education Services and National Business Institute. He has also authored several articles on zoning and land use for the Nassau Lawyer, The Journal of the Nassau County Bar Association.

 

Richard Panchyk, Hadresty & Hanover

 

Born in Queens, New York, Richard Panchyk attended the prestigious Stuyvesant High School. He received a Master’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts/​Amherst, and also completed doctoral coursework there. He knew he wanted to be a writer by the time he was seven years old. He sold his first "book," a four-page handwritten trivia booklet, to a third grade classmate for five cents. In college, he held numerous positions on the student newspaper, including Editor-in-Chief. Among other things, he wrote more than 100 articles and published a cartoon called “Over the Ledge.” He printed a small book of his poems at the age of 19, and published his first book with Van Nostrand Reinhold at the age of 21. Since then has published 19 books for a total of more than 2,600 pages, including eight books in the “For Kids” series published by Chicago Review Press.

His books include a total of more than 1,500 images and 150 activities. His books have also been translated into Korean, Chinese, Persian, and Japanese. He has interviewed more than 30 political figures and celebrities for his books, including Kurt Vonnegut, Rudy Giuliani, John Anderson, George McGovern, Walter Mondale, Edwin Meese III, Morley Safer, Robert Morgenthau, Mario Cuomo, and Ralph Nader. Some of the nation's most illustrious leaders have contributed forewords and introductions to his books, including Former President Bill Clinton, Senators John McCain, Edward Kennedy, and John Kerry, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, and Edward Cardinal Egan (former Archbishop of New York).

He has also written more than 30 encylopedia articles for various books, including Americans at War and The Encyclopedia of Recreation and Leisure. His biography has been published in the 2008, 2009, and 2010 editions of Marquis Who’s Who in America.

 

Vincent Pizzulli, Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo, Cohn & Terrana, LLP

 

Vincent J. Pizzulli, Jr. concentrates his practice in real estate, zoning, land use and environmental law. He brings over twenty-six years of experience to the firm in all aspects of complex real estate and land use matters for major real estate developers, international and domestic corporations, and municipal clients. He also represents clients in Article 78 proceedings. Mr. Pizzulli has been appointed as special counsel to both the Smithtown and Huntington Planning Boards. He has served as Smithtown Assistant Town Attorney where he was counsel to the Building Department and Code Enforcement Bureau. Additionally, he has served as a Huntington Assistant Town Attorney where he was counsel to the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Board on all zoning and land use matters. He graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1979, and earned his Juris Doctor in 1982 from St. John’s University School of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of The Forum. He is admitted to practice in the state of New York.

 

Michael F. Puntillo, Jr., Jobco Organization

Urban planning, design and building are all part of Michael Puntillo's DNA. As a fourth generation builder, Mr. Puntillo worked his first job site years before he could drive a car.

Mr. Puntillo earned his Finance degree from Ithaca College and later a Master's of Science in Real Estate Development from New York University . A brief stint as a trader for Merrill Lynch confirmed his passion was building a portfolio of physical assets rather than a career on Wall Street. Recruited by Cushman and Wakefield , the world's largest real estate services company, Mr. Puntillo helped lead their extensive commercial growth in Westchester and Fairfield Counties during the mid-1980's.

 

Mr. Puntillo joined forces with his father in the late 1980's at The Jobco Organization. Initially out in the field learning every aspect of the business, he worked his way to Chief Operating Officer in the mid 1990's. Michael Puntillo, Sr. has been quoted that their ability to learn from each other is a key component to their joint success.

Working with the Koch administration, government agencies, and private firms in New York City , Mr. Puntillo directed the design, restoration, and development of thousands of new homes and apartment buildings in the four boroughs. His historic restoration work includes the 100 acre Madison Barracks property. When completed, this War of 1812 era, 37 building complex will combine the best of residential, retail and commercial real estate along the shores of Lake Ontario . Mr. Puntillo purchased a late 1800's mill in Ulster County , New York . Located in the scenic, Mid-Hudson Valley region, the development of this former working mill had failed on several occasions. His creative vision, diligence, and persistence proved a winning combination. Today The Mill is a thriving senior housing project and a shining example of adaptive re-use and revitalization.

 

Currently, as President of Jobco Realty and Construction, Mr. Puntillo conscientiously creates opportunities that expand the range of housing options for everyone. He believes enhancing our communities requires enlightened and significant architecture. His company designs and builds mixed use developments which bring new economic vitality and provide residents with environmentally friendly communities. In Port Washington , NY , Mr. Puntillo converted a 40 acre old sand mine into a landmark private community with multi-level housing options, walking trails, and parklands which opens this May to the first of its eventual 250 homeowners. His current portfolio of holdings also includes the development of several planned community and condo projects in the Metro Region.

 

Commitment to building better communities spills over to his personal life, and Mr. Puntillo has served on many charitable and community boards and committees, including the Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation. Mr. Puntillo joined Congressman Steve Israel's bi-partisan advisory panel for next generation housing. He is a board member for Vision Long Island, a smart growth advocacy organization, of Community Housing Innovation, a New York not-for-profit affordable housing provider. He also currently sits on the boards of the Long Island chapter of the Diabetes Research Institute and the Old Westbury School of the Holy Child.

Maria Rigopoulos, Mill Creek Residential Trust, LLC

Ms. Rigopoulos is a development associate for Trammell Crow Residential (TCR), responsible for development operations on Long Island.  TCR is a national real estate company and is one of the largest builders and developers of multi-family housing in the United States.  In 2006, Builder Magazine ranked TCR as the #1 multifamily rental builder in the nation.

Ms. Rigopoulos is responsible for pursuing new multifamily development opportunities, planning and product design, obtaining entitlements to meet all local jurisdictional requirements, and overseeing the construction and sale process.  She has been involved in the real estate industry for 12 years.  Prior to joining TCR, Ms. Rigopoulos worked in the property/asset management division for Lincoln Property Company.  She joined TCR in 2000 as an asset manager to assist in the development and lease-up of multifamily housing communities in the Northeast.   She then transferred to the development division in 2004.   

Ms. Rigopoulos received a B.B.A. major in International Business and minor in Economics from James Madison University in 1992.  She is a licensed real estate salesperson in New York State.  She is currently pursuing a Masters in Real Estate from New York University.  Ms. Rigopoulos is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the Long Island Housing Partnership, and the Long Island Builders Institute.

 

Dr. Nathalia Rogers, Dowling College

Dr. Nathalia Rogers is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Dowling College. She received a Ph.D. in Sociology from McGill University and a Ph. D. from Belarus State University. In addition to serving on numerous committees, leading conferences, mentoring students and teaching both graduate and undergraduate level classes, Dr. Rogers is also researching civic and political participation in suburban social settings with a particular focus on Smart Growth and environmental movements.  This research includes designing and conducting a survey (face-to-face interviews) with local civic leaders as well as with local politicians, business owners and representatives of local not-for-profit organizations, content-analysis of local publications, and participant observation at local civic events.

Dr. Rogers has published her work in leading national and international journals that include the American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Contemporary Sociology, American Journal of Sociology, International Sociology and Political Power and Social Theory series. Her numerous publications focus on Long Island, civic participation and the visioning process such as “Civic Participation in Advanced Capitalist Economies:  The Case of Suburban Long Island”, which was presented at the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, New York, NY and “Communal Ideals and Civic Practice in a North American Community: A Case Study of Vision Long Island’s Initiative in Kings Park, NY”, a paper presented at the 16th (2004) Annual Meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics at George Washington University in Washington, DC. 

 

Larry Rosenbloom, AECOM

Larry Rosenbloom, AIA, is a leader in applying smart growth principles to projects, Mr. Rosenbloom balances the needs of transportation systems and the way people live, work and commute today.  He is skilled in developing designs that consolidate parking, give back land, and build meaning public spaces.  Mr. Rosenbloom is Principle-in-Charge of several TOD and smart growth projects, including the Glen Isle Waterfront Redevelopment, the Freeport, Long Island Transit-Friendly Planning Project, the Beacon Rail Station Facility, and the Merrick Revitalization Study.  Mr. Rosenbloom’s design focus has been to utilize quality based architecture in conjunction with innovative transportation approaches to create a workable community.  These efforts extend beyond the design of parking lots, buildings and roadways as isolated units.  Through design, Mr. Rosenbloom works with his clients to encourage economic development, foster a sense of community, and provide conveniences for residents and commuters, as well as improving safety and security and providing a sense of place.

 

Keith Samaroo, PS&S

 

Mr. Samaroo is a Principal at PS&S and is responsible for managing the New York Offices on Long Island and Yonkers. He has more than 15 years of experience working in the private real estate development and corporate markets. Mr. Samaroo is responsible for the sales of engineering services within the real estate markets including Brownfields, Waterfront and Urban Infill redevelopment projects. Mr. Samaroo is responsible for creating new relationships with clients as well as enhancing existing client relationships. In his capacity, Mr. Samaroo also plays a role in the coordination and preparation of cost proposals as well as client management during the design process. He also coordinates the efforts of all involved disciplines to ensure client milestones are achieved. Mr. Samaroo is also responsible for developing relationships with municipalities and governing agencies to help streamline the approval process of projects.

He is Board of Director & Officer for US Green Building Council (LI Chapter), Board of Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters, Chairman of Trustees for United Methodist Church, and Alumni of LIBN “40 Under 40” Award. He has a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Fordham University, Equivalent Electrical Engineering from Manhattan College, and a Masters in Banking & Finance from Dowling College.

PS&S is a multi-discipline engineering and architecture firm offering building design, land design and environmental services to a wide spectrum of clients. PS&S is ranked among the top national design firms by Engineering News Records.

 

Robert Scheiner
H2M

 

Robert Scheiner is the Senior Vice President at H2M, where he directs all corporate marketing, sales activities, and public relations for the company. He is also active in the architectural arena at H2M, supervising projects in the governmental, educational and private sectors. H2M was organized in 1933 and has a long history of engineering, architectural, and environmental excellence.

In the past, Mr. Scheiner has directed all phases of architectural, planning and structural engineering projects, including designing comprehensive master plans, coordinating public works projects and providing architectural designs and supervision on all architecture projects. He has extensive knowledge and experience with municipal and special district projects. Some of the more significant projects under his direction have included developing all environmental, architectural and site designs for Splish Splash water park in Riverhead, designing and assisting in construction supervision of over 35 fire district projects, supervising expansion projects for various Long Island school districts, and managing over $8 million of modernization projects for the various housing authorities on Long Island.

Mr. Scheiner has been a Huntington resident for over 28 years. He is involved with the community by serving as the H.O.A. President and Vice President in Commack, Presidents Council of Leadership Huntington, member of the Huntington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and Advisory Council Member of the Community Development Corporation of Long Island.

Scheiner said, “Now more than ever Long Island is at a crossroad; an aging population needing more affordable alternatives and the flight of our young talent caused by similar affordability issues. We require development alternatives that support affordable smart growth tactics that conform to our communities needs.”

 

Joy S. Squires, President, NYS Association of Conservation Commissions

Joy Squires is the president of the NYS Association of Conservation Commissions. NYSACC’s mission is to promote the wise use of the State’s natural resources through education and action. She also serves as Chairperson of the Huntington Conservation Board and the Town of Huntington's Environmental Open Space Committee. Joy has been a long-standing proponent of open space preservation and park stewardship and has helped lead the Town of Huntington's open space purchase and park improvement, and neighborhood enhancement program. She represents Huntington’s environmental issues on the Suffolk County Council on Environmental Quality. Professionally, Joy has been an elementary school teacher and science coordinator in the Elwood School District. Her many awards and honors include Finalist, NYS Teacher of the Year, the John Klaber Award for Distinguished and Exceptional Voluntary Service and the NYS Margery Sachs Award for Lifetime Environmental Service.

Edward Thompson, Vice President, Molloy College

Edward Thompson is the Vice-President for Advancement at Molloy College, a position he has held since 1998. In the years since then, Thompson has spearheaded a fundraising and marketing transformation at the College.

Thompson is now in charge of a multi-million dollar capital campaign effort, designed to fund the construction of a student and public gathering space at Molloy, called the "Public Square." The campaign is already the most successful in the College's history.

In addition to creating a culture of philanthropy among the College's alumni and friends, Thompson has led a marketing initiative at Molloy designed to highlight the college's strengths, including its status as a faith based institution. He organizes the annual Maher Leadership Forum, which brings the most prominent world and national leaders to Molloy every year. He is also the Co-founder of the Energeia Partnership, the Academy for Regional Stewardship, which seeks to solve some of Long Island's most intractable issues.

Thompson has served on the board of Long Island Transportation Management and is currently the chair of the board at the Long Island Neighborhood Network, an island wide environmental and public policy advocacy organization.

Thompson received his B.A. in History and Economics at the College of the Holy Cross, his J.D. from St. John's University School of Law, studied comparative law at the London School of Economics and completed the Institute for Educational Management program at the Harvard University School of Education.

 

John Trotta, Posillico Group

 

Mr. Trotta has been with Posillico Group from 2007 to the present. He originally joined the company as a Project Manager in October, 2007 before being promoted to his current position as Senior Estimator in September, 2009.

John received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Polytechnic University of Farmingdale in 2002. After completing his studies he began his career with Posillico, Inc.. In the last ten years John has gained experience in various aspects of the heavy construction industry including design, cost estimation and project management. Within each of these aspects John has dealt with several different types of construction projects such as road and bridge construction, environmental remediation and wastewater treatment. He currently holds a position of Sr. Estimator.

Mr. Trotta recently joined the Vision Long Island Infrastructure Committee where he has been providing input on improving efficiency within the Suffolk County Health Department and increasing the areas served by sewers in Suffolk County. John looks forward to his involvement with the Vision Long Island team and helping improve the current infrastructure and housing development in our region.

 

Bill Tuyn, Greenman-Pedersen

 

With over twenty-eight years of experience in the design and management of land development projects across a diverse range of places and forms, Mr. Tuyn is a well-respected expert in the industry, serving on the Executive Board of the National Association of Home Builders, the Boards of the New York State Builders Association and Research and Education Foundation, Partners for a Livable Western New York, and the Buffalo Niagara Builders Association. An active member of the Congress for the New Urbanism, he is Co-chair of the steering committee of the Buffalo Niagara Consortium for the New Urbanism, a group that presented Buffalo Niagara to CNU as the site for their annual international Congress and who were successfully awarded CNU22 in 2014. An avid advocate Smart Growth and sustainable design, he also serves on the Board of Advisors for Sansur Renewable Energy, Inc., an international wind and solar energy development company based in Tampa Florida. Currently Mr. Tuyn is involved with the master planning and design of several TOD and TND projects from New York to Florida. Mr. Tuyn is also currently member of the Urban Design Working Group for the City of Buffalo Green Code, and is a member of the Village of Williamsville Traffic and Safety Committee, and Zoning Board of Appeals.

 

Vision Long Island Staff

 

Eric Alexander, Executive Director

Eric Alexander is the Executive Director of Vision Long Island. Eric has nearly twenty years experience in housing, transportation, community development and coordinating successful community projects.  Specifically, Eric has been a proponent of Smart Growth planning and mixed use development through advocacy efforts on Federal, State, County levels while working with municipalities to develop and implement smart growth policies, regulations, and projects.  All told his efforts at Vision Long Island have resulted in acting as a catalyst for over 40 private and 30 public Smart Growth projects.

Since joining Vision Long Island (formerly Vision Huntington), Eric has been working to overcome NIMBYism and encourage proactive land use planning decisions through the use of community visionings, and other progressive planning techniques.  Eric has led visioning processes, oftentimes called “charrettes”, in the following seventeen communities: Huntington, Mastic/Shirley, Coram/Middle Island, Rocky Point, Farmingdale, Shoreham, Mt. Sinai, Bay Shore, Gordon Heights, Oyster Bay, Kings Park, Yaphank, Mastic Beach, Southampton and Lake Ronkonkoma/W.Farmingville.  Each of these projects resulted in a community plan and are all in varying stages of planning and construction.   In addition Eric is working on regional planning projects surrounding the Nassau HUB, Long Island 2035, and Brookhaven 2030.

In 2002, Eric organized Long Island’s first Smart Growth Awards event and led its first Smart Growth Summit.  The Summit, now held annually, had over 800 attendees and helped develop a regional agenda for Smart Growth planning.  Over the last twelve years, Eric has made nearly 1,500 individual and group presentations to nearly seventy five Long Island communities.  

Eric has been advancing policies and regulations to advance Smart Growth principles through active partnership with the LI Lobby Day Coalition and the LI Business Council.  On the State level he served on the-Governor Spitzer’s Transition Team for Smart Growth and serves on the NY Congress for the New Urbanism Executive Committee, the Steering Committee of Empire State Future and the Board of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. Locally Eric has served on the Town of Huntington Smart Growth Steering Committee, Suffolk County Smart Growth Committee the Suffolk County Commission for Workforce Housing and the Nassau County Next Generation Housing Committee.   He is also on the Advisory Board for Newsday’s Green Street LI project and the Board of the Nassau Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless.   Eric has been listed as one of Long Island’s 100 most influential leaders by the Long Island Business News for three years running.  He was honored for sustainable development in 2008 by the Long Island Progressive Coalition, community planning by the American Planning Association NY Chapter in 2008, Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce in 2005 as their Businessperson of the Year and received the LI Business News 40 under 40 designation in 2003.

Locally Eric is a Northport resident and serves on Long Islanders for Change committee, the Leadership Huntington Council and the Concerned Citizens of Huntington.  In addition, he is a volunteer advisor for the Youth Group (YES) of the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island.

 

Michelle Dutchen, Communications Director

Michelle Dutchen joined the Vision Long Island team as Program Coordinator in 2005. Since then, she has taken on the role of Communications Director. In addition to creating reports and content design, overseeing communications activities and organizing community visioning meetings, she has revitalized Vision's weekly e-newsletter, Smart Talk. She brings a tech-savvy, fresh energy to the organization and is passionate about creating a sustainable future for the region.

Prior to her employment, Ms. Dutchen, a Long Island native, was a student at the State University of New York at Albany, where she studied political science and sociology. She graduated with honors and also spent a semester at the University of Westminster in London, England. Her previous work experience includes technical support, information technology services, and interning at a law firm. In addition to her work with Vision, she maintains an ongoing involvement in the music industry by working with a nationally-touring rock band in varying capacities throughout the year.

Michelle currently resides in Huntington and is a member of Amnesty International and the Congress for the New Urbanism.

 

Tawaun Weber, Assistant Director

Tawaun D. Whitty has been a Gordon Heights resident for 28 years. In 1997, she graduated from Longwood School District. She then later graduated from Hofstra University where she acquired a B.A. in Computer Science. She is currently enrolled in the MBA program at the University of Maryland University College.  Tawaun is enrolled in Energia, which is a regional stewardship program through Molloy College consisting of leaders across Long Island trying to affect change.

Since 2006, Tawaun has headed the Gordon Heights Visioning as Project Coordinator. She has also founded and serves as Chair to the Gordon Heights Visioning Steering Committee, acting as its key representation in the implementation of plans to redevelopment a downtown revitalization center to spark economic growth within her community.  She also serves as President of the Greater Gordon Heights Civic Association.

Throughout her employment with the Town on Brookhaven, Tawaun has served as a Women’s Resource Advisor, Secretary to the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation as well as the Zoning Board of Appeals.  Currently, Tawaun Whitty holds the title of Director of Special Projects at Vision Long Island, a smart growth planning organization.

 

Elissa Ward, Sustainability Director

A Huntington native, Elissa graduated Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1999.  Prior to joining Vision as their Director of Sustainability, she participated in many community charrettes throughout Long Island as a member of Vision’s design team with ADL III Architecture.  In addition to her work with both Vision Long Island and ADL III Architecture, Elissa is also a member of the Huntington Historic Preservation Commission.

Growing up just a short walk from Huntington Village, she grew to appreciate the benefits of living in a traditional, walkable community-especially in the years before learning to drive.  Understanding that much of Long Island doesn’t have these qualities, she hopes to help other Long Island communities that wish to have thriving downtowns, develop them.

 

Tara Klein, Policy Director

Tara has worked at Vision Long Island since September 2008. As Policy Director, her work focuses on analyzing and advocating for state and local policies and projects, as well as managing Vision’s major annual events and weekly newsletter. Select advocacy campaigns include supporting the NYS Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy law and NYS Complete Streets law, fighting cuts to Long Island Bus, and supporting increased infrastructure funding in our region.

Tara graduated from Vassar College in May 2008 with a B.A. in Sociology, where her coursework focused on urban planning, community studies, and education policy. Prior to joining Vision, Tara was an intern at Regional Plan Association, where she focused on the Mayors’ Institute on Community Design program.

In addition to her professional experience, Tara likes to stay involved with many “extracurricular activities.” She is involved in the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island, where she is the youth group advisor, serves on the Board of Directors, and is on the steering committee of a national young adult Humanist group. The youth group, Youth of Ethical Societies, or YES, is a small group of Long Island teens that learn about social issues and get involved through activism and community events. They focus on topics such as human rights, climate change, international conflict and more. Tara is also a former tap dance teacher and enjoys taking dance classes in various styles herself. She lives in Little Neck, Queens.

Chris Kyle, Program Coordinator

Christopher Kyle was raised in Texas, where he studied Digital Imaging at Texas Technical College and UT Austin before moving to Long Island in 2006. Once on the Island, he worked as a financial and promotional coordinator for Elite Marketing Group, a small marketing firm in New Hyde Park, before taking a position at Vision Long Island.

Chris believes in the message of Smart Growth and is working to bring those principles to his adopted hometown of Huntington Station by participating in such programs as the newly created Gateway Community Garden.