Asharoken Mayor Named Town Deputy Highway Superintendent

Town of Huntington Superintendent of Highways William Naughton announced Wednesday the appointment of Patricia Irving as his new Deputy Superintendent of Highways.  

Pat Irving replaces retiring Deputy Superintendent Carl Cavanaugh.

Pat Irving has served as Mayor of the  for the past two and one half years. Prior to that, she served five years as a village trustee.  

Since being elected Mayor in 2008, Irving has initiated several projects improving the infrastructure of the Village. This includes a major deposit of sand on Asharoken beach and the recent renovation of the seawall where Asharoken meets Eaton's Neck. 

Her first priority was to insist that the United States Army Corps of Engineers enforce the Northport power plant's operating permit that requires the  to replace sand lost to Asharoken beach as a result of the plant's operation. Consequently, the utility this month completed the placement of over 50,000 cubic yards of sand on the beach.

During the March, 2010, Nor'easter, the dunes and seawall protecting Asharoken Avenue from Long Island Sound breached. The road became impassable to both Asharoken residents and all of Eaton's Neck. 

Mayor Irving immediately declared a state of emergency and sought the help of the town, county, state and federal government. The US Army Corps of Engineers expedited the process and obtained emergency funding of $2.7 million from Congress to immediately design, engineer and rebuild the seawall. The reconstruction of the seawall was completed this week.

Superintendent Naughton said he had worked with Pat Irving years ago when she spearheaded a project to get new sidewalks and guiderails for in Northport. 

"I was familiar with Pat's tenaciousness to get a job done, but it was during the Asharoken state of emergency that I experienced her ability to handle an emergency and dangerous situation with both calmness and professionalism, but a determination to get the job done, with as little inconvenience to the public as possible," Superintendent Naughton said. "She has a management style that I admire and she will be an asset to the highway department and the Town of Huntington."

Mayor Irving also has projects underway in Asharoken for new storm drains and as well as a new Village Hall.

Naughton added, "Pat has the ability to move multiple projects forward in a very short time. Other politicians take years to accomplish a fraction of what she has done."

Prior to her involvement in Asharoken, Irving spent ten years with  in Long Island and New York City. Her last position with Citibank was Chief of Staff for the Chairman of Technology.