Officers

Hon. Jean M. Thatcher

President
Mayor, Village Lloyd Harbor

Mayor Jean Thatcher was first elected Mayor of Lloyd Harbor in 2014. Prior to her role as Mayor, Ms. Thatcher served as Deputy Mayor Trustee from 2000-2014. Mayor Thatcher's Professional Experience includes working for the Medical Malpractice Insurance Association as Sr. VP and Chief Operating Officer of insurer underwriting high risk pools of NY State. Mayor Thatcher also worked for the Combined Coordinating Council, Inc. as VP of captive insurance company manager, overseeing captive insurers in Bermuda and Barbados for 8 New York City teaching hospitals. Additional experience in the insurance field includes teaching as an Adjunct Professor for the College of Insurance. Other organizations and roles Mayor Thatcher has been a part of have included acting as President for Volunteers for Wildlife, Trustee for the North Shore Land Alliance, and founding member as well as First President of The Caumsett Foundation. Additionally, she acted as Chairman from 1991-2001 of the Concerned Citizens for 25A, as well as President of the Board of Trustees for the Old First Church in Huntington from 2009-2011. Mayor Thatcher has attended Sweet Briar College, and Barnard College at Columbia University.

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Hon. Jean M. Thatcher

Hon. Jean M. Thatcher

President

Hon. Dennis M. Siry

1st Vice President
Mayor, Village of Amityville

Dennis Siry has been mayor of the Village of Amityville since 2017.  Prior to serving as mayor, he was elected as a trustee and was also a member of the Amityville Zoning Board of Appeals, including six years as chairman, and a member of the Amityville Code Revision Committee.  A retired Lieutenant of the New York City Fire Department whose career spanned 30 years, most recently he was assigned to its Specialized Marine Operations Unit.

Throughout his term as mayor, Dennis has been a proponent of sustainability and fiscal responsibility. He instituted a village-wide conversion to LED streetlights and achieved NYSERDA Clean Energy Community status.  His team’s sound budgetary management earned the village a two-step increase in its S&P bond rating and an upgrade to its Moody’s rating. He looks forward to working with businesses, facilitating new residential options to meet the unmet need for high-quality rental housing, and making environmentally sound, transit-oriented improvements. These include the 117-unit Village by the Bay and the 338-unit AvalonBay complex on the former Brunswick Hospital property.  Both of these properties will anchor Amityville’s new transit-oriented district and contribute greatly to downtown revitalization. Mayor Siry has also improved the Amityville Beach facilities and has secured state funding to beautify Route 110 and create a safer, more welcoming entrance to the village.

Mayor Siry is a great champion of events that bring Amityville’s residents together and celebrate what makes the village special. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the village hosted several popular annual events, including a July 3rd family fun day street carnival and beach blast. This year’s gatherings included drive-in movies and concerts at the village beach which allowed for social distancing. In September, Mayor Siry worked with the Town of Babylon and the Babylon Citizens Council on the Arts (BACCA) to host the first live drive-in concert of its kind in Babylon, showcasing a diverse line-up of homegrown musical talent and encouraging local dining and shopping.

Mayor Siry is admired for his friendly and casual approach to the business of the village. He routinely goes out of his way to strike up conversations with residents and business owners. Whether he is working with community service organizations, is visiting local school children to teach them about civic responsibility or marching alongside veterans at the Memorial Day parade, Mayor Siry values the people and traditions of Amityville, and contributes greatly to Amityville’s reputation as the “Friendly Village by the Bay.”

Mayor Siry is a member of the Executive Board of SCVOA and currently serves as 3rd Vice President. He is an avid guitar player and music lover who is always up for a day at the beach or a round of golf for charity. An Amityville resident since 1970, Dennis has been married for 34 years to Nancy Mae (Kretz) and is the proud father of three adult children. His large extended family has lived in Amityville for generations and many are active in the community.

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Hon. Dennis M. Siry

Hon. Dennis M. Siry

1st Vice President

Hon. Michael Lavorata

2nd Vice President
Mayor, Village of Lindenhurst

Mayor Lavorata has served the Village of Lindenhurst for more than 27 years as Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Trustee, member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, and member of the Planning Board. When Mayor Thomas Brennan, due to illness, stepped down in February 2017, Michael was appointed by the Village Board to assume the Mayor’s duties.  He was subsequently elected to the position to complete Mayor Brennan’s term  and is now serving as Mayor for a four-year term.

The number one goal of the “Lavorata Team” has been to revitalize the Downtown Business District.  Some of the major projects include the development of a Downtown Master Plan and Walkability Study, and obtaining grants to improve pedestrian safety.  Newsday recently featured Lindenhurst as a growing “culinary hub,” providing new and diverse destinations for both locals and visitors.

Over the two-and-a-half years that Mayor Lavorata has been in office, many improvements have been implemented in the village including: the TRITEC $100+ million dollar, 260-unit apartment complex has begun construction; old, dilapidated, blighted houses have been demolished and parking for the Downtown constructed; Village-owned municipal parking lots have been cleaned up and renovated; the Department of Public Works has purchased and upgraded new equipment, including a street sweeper, dump trucks, garbage trucks, vacuum trucks, and constituent services have been vastly improved. Also, the Lindenhurst Fire Department purchased two new ambulances and two pumper trucks to ensure the safety of our residents.

Another priority of Mayor Lavorata’s has been the ongoing renovation and physical improvements to the Lindenhurst Rainbow Senior Center, and improving the programs and services for our senior residents.  The Rainbow Senior Center provides programs and services that not only meet the needs of our senior residents, but also provides them with a safe and social atmosphere to engage with each other and other members of the community.

Michael has dedicated his life to the Lindenhurst community and has demonstrated, in so many practical ways, his deep and genuine love for the people he serves.  It is a rare individual these days who is willing to place his concern for the public good ahead of his personal interest.

Mayor Lavorata has been a Lindenhurst resident for nearly 37 years.  He was married to his late wife Helen for over 37 years before her untimely passing in September 2019. Mike has a beautiful daughter, Nicole, who put her life on hold to be her mother’s full-time caregiver through Helen’s 18-month illness.

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Hon. Michael Lavorata

Hon. Michael Lavorata

2nd Vice President

Hon. John J. Valdini

3rd Vice President
Mayor, Village of Brightwaters

Mayor John Valdini, his wife Colleen and two children, Patrick and Mary Kate, moved to Brightwaters 30 years ago.  Within two months of moving into the village, he became involved with the Park’s Committee and started attending village board meetings.  After many years of volunteering as a coach, serving on committees at the Great South Bay YMCA and serving as president of the High School Parent’s Athletic Sponsors, he was elected as a village trustee and then mayor four years ago. His background in the construction and restaurant businesses, along with the many years of professional experience in organizing, scheduling, budgeting and customer service, have been the guiding factors in preparing him for his role as mayor.

From the first day as mayor, a major goal of his was to inform and communicate with the residents as much as possible about their village to maintain the upmost transparency. This has kept the office staff very busy with sending out emails, updating social media outlets and maintaining the village website, in addition to composing informational mailers.  Mayor Valdini believes residents should not only know about community events but also the workings of the village.  The Village of Brightwaters continues to go above and beyond by live streaming their monthly meetings on Facebook.  This gives all the residents the opportunity to be involved if they can’t be physically present.  As the mayor of a small village, Mayor Valdini highly supports holding a wide variety of community events in an effort to bring business to the storefronts as well as getting the community together. By bringing new and longtime residents together at existing and new events such as the Village Block Party in the downtown area and the Summer Cocktail Party at the Head of the Canal, a sense of “village” is created that everyone wants while enjoying the beautiful amenities Brightwaters has to offer.

Through the mayor’s experience in construction, the village has been able to run projects in-house, resulting in tremendous savings on contractor fees.  During his first year as mayor, the village community cabin located in Wohseepee Park was fully restored.  The cabin was originally built in 1929 by the Boy Scouts and was in desperate need of repair.  Through monetary donations and material and labor donations, the village was able to complete the project at no cost to the residents.  Other completed projects, to name a few, have included restoring the village’s historic bridges, downtown sidewalks, 1500 feet of bulkheading and installing a veterans’ walkway.  Current projects include the renovation of the 75-year-old Walker Beach bathrooms and bringing them up to ADA compliant standards as well as the renovation of the iconic gazebos at the top of the canal in Ackerson Plaza.

The mayor is also very proud of the work the village board and staff have accomplished in the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in the community and workplace.  Instead of canceling everything, the village decided to adjust and create new ways that residents could enjoy their village and community during those troubling times.

The mayor is fiscally responsible and focuses on the little details as he feels they make all the difference in the quality of village life. Fixing simple things like dirty signs and unkempt areas, and providing new flags in the village square and flowers in the flower boxes are always on Mayor Valdini’s radar for improvement.  The mayor sees himself as a “working mayor” who still volunteers at events and is frequently the first to arrive and one of the last few to leave.

 

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Hon. John J. Valdini

Hon. John J. Valdini

3rd Vice President

Hon. Jesse Warren

Secretary
Mayor, Village of Southampton

Mayor Jesse Warren is a Southampton Village resident, business owner, and avid environmentalist. Prior to serving as mayor, he was a member of the Southampton Village Planning Commission, the Southampton Chamber of Commerce, and served on the Board of Trustees at the Southampton History Museum.

During his tenure as mayor, he has had an ambitious environmental agenda which has successfully included creating legislation that protects shorelines; forming the Lake Agawam Conservancy; installing bioswales on Lake Agawam; working to receive funds to implement bioswales in Old Town Pond; working alongside the Department of Environmental Conservation to implement microsonic buoys that track real-time data and help reduce harmful algal bloom; bringing electric charging stations to the village; proposing expanded use of green space; and implementing a transformative budget where he has proposed that a large portion of the $3.7 million operating surplus be earmarked for environmental infostructure projects and water quality improvement initiatives such as building sewers.

Mayor Jesse has worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to prioritize the health and safety of the community. When COVID first struck, he worked to ensure that Southampton Hospital had ample PPE, including N95 masks, gowns, oxygen tanks, and ventilators. He was the first mayor in NYS to issue a mask mandate. Recognizing the importance of accessible and affordable testing, his administration worked diligently to establish a drive-through testing site in the village’s center. He helped provide residents access to vaccine information and helped seniors to secure appointments.

Jesse has worked to bring numerous technological updates to Southampton Village, including budgetary software and the creation of a quality-of-life app that helps citizens report problems and track their progress in real time. Jesse has helped the village navigate a new artistic era, enacting legislation for vacant storefronts, partnering with international art fairs, and implementing numerous public art installations. Last year he delivered the first tax cut in over twenty years. He is currently helping update the village’s comprehensive master plan for the first time in over two decades, focusing on preserving the historical integrity of the village, prioritizing the needs of local businesses and residents, and reimagining parts of the downtown.

A dedicated runner and plogger, when he’s not working, you can find Mayor Jesse running almost every day on Wickapogue Road or walking with his fiance, Martyna, and their new dog, Timmy.

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Hon. Jesse Warren

Hon. Jesse Warren

Secretary

Hon. Jerry Larsen

Treasurer
Village of East Hampton
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Hon. Jerry Larsen

Hon. Jerry Larsen

Treasurer

Hon. Raymond Fell

Immediate Past President
Mayor, Village of Bellport

Raymond Fell has been the mayor of the Incorporated Village of Bellport for the past three years, following a thirty-seven year career as an educator in the Patchogue-Medford School District. As mayor, Ray has been a strong advocate for his village. Having been a resident of Bellport for forty-three years, his efforts have focused on developing strategies to improve the village’s infrastructure, financial health, recreational resources, and community pride. He has also been vigorous in securing grants to help advance the quality of life for the residents of Bellport.

Mayor Fell’s dedication to the children in his community is palpable and has been demonstrated in the work he carried out while at Patchogue-Medford. Ray worked as a high school physical education teacher for thirteen years. He was a middle school principal for thirteen years and district superintendent for eleven.
Ray has also been an active participant in the Bellport community. He has been a member of the Bellport Country Club, as well as serving as a member and the chairperson of the community’s Golf and Tennis Commission for ten years.

Ray is happily married to his wife, Deborah, for the last forty-three years. They have a daughter, Gillian.

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Hon. Raymond Fell

Hon. Raymond Fell

Immediate Past President

Hon. Richard B. Smith

Past President
Mayor, Village of Nissequogue
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Hon. Richard B. Smith

Hon. Richard B. Smith

Past President

Hon. Allan M. Dorman

Past President
Mayor, Village of Islandia

First elected to office in 2005, Islandia Mayor Allan Dorman has kept his promise to initiate change and growth in the village. He has implemented many improvements including a comprehensive road improvement program and the Islandia Senior Bus, a service that shuttles senior citizens curb-to-curb for doctors visits and shopping trips.

As a Vietnam Veteran, Mayor Dorman was committed to having a memorial built to honor the many community veterans. In November 2009 the Islandia Veterans Memorial was dedicated, and its showcase eternal flame has since become a village landmark. Very visible in the community, Mayor Dorman is well known for his “Cup of Joe with the Mayor” visits with residents on Saturday mornings, where he meets them with coffee and donuts and listens to their concerns and suggestions.

An Islandia resident for more than 30 years, Mayor Dorman retired from United Parcel Service after 28 years in management and currently serves as 1st Vice President of the Suffolk County Village Officials Association.

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Hon. Allan M. Dorman

Hon. Allan M. Dorman

Past President

Hon. Paul V. Pontieri, Jr.

Past President
Mayor, Village of Patchogue

Elected Mayor for the first time in 2004 and again in 2008 and 2012, and Village Trustee for the prior eleven years, Mayor Paul Pontieri has served the Village of Patchogue for 19 years. During his eight years as mayor, Paul Pontieri has made economic development his top priority, and he has focused on putting “feet on Main Street,” the heart of the village. With this as the Mayor’s basic philosophy, during his tenure in office, Patchogue has experienced a revitalization made possible by over $150 million dollars in public and private investment. Mayor Pontieri has established Patchogue as a successful model of smart growth, with a number of major economic development initiatives that he and his administration have spearheaded.

Mayor Pontieri was a school administrator for many years and a former businessman. In August 2009, he was appointed Brookhaven Deputy Town Supervisor for Economic Development, a position he held for two years. He is the Governor’s appointee to the Board of Directors of Suffolk County Community College, a member of the Board of Directors of the Long Island Regional Planning Council, Executive Board Member of the New York Conference of Mayors, a Trustee of Independent Group Home Living (IGHL), and past president of the Suffolk County Village Officials Association. Mayor Pontieri is also involved in many community organizations and activities, and is a member of the Board of Directors of Patchogue-Medford Youth and Community Services. The Long Island Housing Partnership, the Regional Planning Association, and Vision Long Island have honored Mayor Pontieri for his accomplishments in the revitalization of downtown Patchogue, and for the village’s commitment to providing affordable housing for its residents.

Mayor Pontieri was born and raised in the Village of Patchogue. He graduated from Patchogue High School and raised his family in the place he has always called home.

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Hon. Paul V. Pontieri, Jr.

Hon. Paul V. Pontieri, Jr.

Past President

Hon. Paul F. Rickenbach, Jr.

President Emeritus
Mayor, Village of East Hampton

Elected to an unprecedented four terms as mayor of the Village of East Hampton, Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach, Jr. has spent most of his life as a dedicated public servant. He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, serving in the Panama Canal Zone. Mayor Rickenbach became a police officer in September of 1958, joining the East Hampton Village Police Dept. A graduate of the New York State Police Academy, the Suffolk County Police Academy and Suffolk County Community College with a degree in criminal justice, he became Officer-in-Charge of criminal investigations undertaken by the East Hampton Village Police Department, and retired with the rank of Detective Sergeant. Paul was appointed Trustee in the Village of East Hampton, then subsequently elected as mayor.

Among his many honors and distinctions, Paul served as President of the Suffolk County Police Association, as well as two terms as President of the Suffolk County Village Officials Association. Building on the previously established Main Street Historic District, Paul’s greatest legacy resides in the creation of historic districts and landmarks within East Hampton, including the Hook Historic District, the Hunting Lane Historic District and the Ocean Avenue Historic District. He helped bestow landmark status upon the Odd Fellows Hall, the East Hampton Train Station and the Thomas Moran Property. Under Paul’s leadership, East Hampton adopted a “Comprehensive Plan” and an “Open Space Plan” that safeguarded eight endangered historic properties within the village.

Born in Jackson Heights, and raised in Great Neck, Mayor Rickenbach and his wife Jean reside in East Hampton and they have two daughters and four grandchildren.

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Hon. Paul F. Rickenbach, Jr.

Hon. Paul F. Rickenbach, Jr.

President Emeritus

Hon. Paul J. Tonna

Executive Director
Former Suffolk County Presiding Officer

The Honorable Paul Jude Tonna serves as Executive Director of the Suffolk County Village Officials Association. He also serves as Molloy College’s Executive Director for The Energeia Partnership, a leadership academy dedicated to identifying and addressing the serious, complex and multi-dimensional issues challenging the Long Island, New York region. He is Managing Partner of Praxis Public Relations, Inc. a business consulting and government relations company.

Mr. Tonna served from 1994 to 2005 as a Suffolk County Legislator and for three years, 2000-2002, his fellow legislators chose him to lead the Suffolk County Legislature as its Presiding Officer. During Legislator Tonna’s 12 years of elected office, he had been a strong advocate for the poor, homeless and marginalized on Long Island, affordable housing, labor organizations, and the environment. He sponsored, co-sponsored, and passed numerous laws and/or initiatives including: ground breaking non-smoking legislation; innovative programs focused on eliminating child poverty and homelessness; legislation designed to elevate the standard of living for all Suffolk County residents and innovative Greenways Funds to protect open space, farmlands and parklands.

Paul Tonna is a strong advocate of immigrants working and living on Long Island. The 2003 award- winning film documentary Farmingville chronicled some of those efforts. He has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows including: Lou Dobbs, CNN; The Oxygen Network; LI Telecare; TV 55, The Rosie O’Donnell Show; News 12 Long Island; NBC News 4 and PBS WLIW 21.<br>
Mr. Tonna is a former Adjunct Professor in Theology Religious Studies at St. John’s University. He is the former Chairman of the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) and former Vice-Chairman of the Long Island Regional Planning Council. Mr. Tonna is an active member of many not-for-profit boards including: The Advanced Energy Research Technology Center (Stony Brook University), Energeia Board of Advisors (Molloy College), The Long Island Index Advisory Board, and Erase Racism’s College of Advisors. He also serves as the Executive Director of the Suffolk County Village Officials Association (SCVOA) and the United States Green Building Council’s Long Island Chapter (USGBC-LI). Mr. Tonna is Chairman Commissioner of the South Huntington Water District; Founding Director of Empire National Bank, and on the Board of Directors of BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. (“BRT”) a life sciences biotechnology company focused on adult stem cell-based cellular therapies for various personal medical applications.

Paul Tonna has received many awards and honors including: Molloy College’s Caritas Medal; St. John’s University St. Vincent De Paul Medal; Suffolk County Human Rights Commission Legislator of the Year; National Association of Social Workers Public Citizen of the Year; Habitat for Humanity Man of the Year; The Nature Conservancy’s Conservation Award; Networking Magazine’s David Award; Long Island Business News 50 Around 50 Award; ACIT Community Advocate Award; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission Public Service Award, American Jewish Committee Community Service Honoree and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

Mr. Tonna earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy from New York University, a Masters of Arts degree in theology from Immaculate Conception Seminary and conducted doctoral studies in systematic theology at Fordham University.

Paul Tonna resides in Huntington, New York with his wife Carol and his children: Peter, Paul, John, Grace, Mary, Carolann, Joseph and Lucy.

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Hon. Paul J. Tonna

Hon. Paul J. Tonna

Executive Director

Hon. Peter A. Bee, Esq.

Counsel
Former Mayor, Village of Garden City

Peter Bee is a partner in the 18-attorney law firm of Bee Ready Fishbein Hatter & Donovan, LLP, where he concentrates in municipal, labor & employment law. A graduate of St. John’s University (undergraduate and law), Mr. Bee founded his law firm in 1980 after ten years of Nassau County Government experience. Mr. Bee’s clients include local governments at the County, Town, Village and Special District levels. He has served as Counsel to numerous zoning and planning boards throughout Long Island. He is a former School Board Trustee, Village Trustee, and Village Mayor in his home town of Garden City. Mr. Bee currently serves as Counsel to our own Suffolk County Village Officials Association. He is a published author on a variety of municipal law topics, and a frequent speaker at professional associations.

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Hon. Peter A. Bee, Esq.

Hon. Peter A. Bee, Esq.

Counsel