Candidate Profile: Joan Cergol For Huntington Town Council

TOWN OF HUNTINGTON, NY — Voters in Suffolk County will head to the polls Nov. 5 to cast their ballots for Huntington Town Council, where they will choose from Joan Cergol, Kathleen A. Cleary, Eugene Cook, Andre Sorrentino and Patrick W. Deegan Jr.

Patch reached out to all candidates to hear where they stand on important issues affecting the community.

Here are the responses for those who participated. The answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

Joan Cergol

• Age (as of Sept. 1, 2019): 58
• Town of Residence: Huntington
• Position Sought: Huntington Town Council
• Party Affiliation: Democrat, endorsed by the Working Families Party, Independence Party and running on the Green Party line.
• Family: Married 33 years to Greg Cergol, NewsChannel 4 WNBC-TV Long Island Reporter. We raised and educated in Huntington two daughters, Emily and Kristina, who went on to graduate from Ithaca College and Boston University, respectively, and who now work in the advertising and television entertainment industries. We have a female boxer named Dempsey who brings us much laughter and joy.
• Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: No.
• Education: Long Island University, Brookville, NY B.A., 1984, Cum Laude, double concentrations in Broadcast Journalism/Public Relations (earned 61 credits toward B.A. at Loyola University of Chicago before transferring to LI to complete degree studies). Energeia Partnership (two-year regional leadership training program), Molloy College, Class of 2016.
• Occupation: Town Councilmember (two years) preceded by 15 years of Huntington Town government leadership experience as the Director of the Huntington Community Development Agency (four years) and as an economic development specialist in Town Supervisor's Office (11 years). Before entering government, I was an executive in the public relations industry for 18 years, five of those years in my own business.
• Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Huntington Town Council member; Director, Huntington Community Development Agency.
• Campaign Website: https://www.joancergol.com/

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

"Environment and economic development go hand in hand in maintaining residents' quality of life. On the environment side, we need to be vigilant about protecting and managing our precious natural assets — our waterfront and drinking water — by advancing improvements to storm-water capture and treatment systems, expanding and protecting shellfish grow-out, acquisition of open space and continuing public water quality education. At the same time, we need to ensure that Huntington has the public infrastructure supports it needs to thrive and that which upon our residents depend and expect of our preeminent Town (expansion of sewers; adequate parking; waste management, improvements to road networks). Our human and economic health depend on taking care of all of the above."

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

"I bring to this job a very unique combination of skill-sets and perspectives that each have importance and relevance in relating to and serving the needs of my constituents. I am a local government leader, public relations executive, book author, college professor, volunteer, wife and mother. This collective experience, cultivated from 35 years of work in both the private and public sectors, an outstanding college and post college graduate education and a lifelong love and keen understanding of the evolution of my hometown Huntington, are the tools I reach for everyday to solve problems and serve our residents."

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

"My general campaign platform is simple: our residents wish to be heard and their needs respected. I have always prided myself on my longtime reputation as an accessible and responsive public official. I am a patient listener who is eager to make a positive difference in my hometown, and simply, do the right thing. I believe in, and practice, good government, which in addition to being fiscally responsible, transparent, reasonable and flexible to changing needs, includes having to work a little harder to engage populations that are not culturally accustomed to or otherwise equipped to look to government to share their input that is so needed so we can serve all interests."

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

"An outstanding college education, that includes my attendance of Huntington Union Free School District 3 from K-12, along with a lifetime of professional experience, discussed earlier, has well prepared me to handle the business of the people. But education, highly-developed skills and experience are not enough: one must also possess the right temperament to handle public life - which I believe requires an equal share of compassion, reason and personal strength, particularly in the heat of the moment when resident passions are flaring or even being directed at you. I never take it personally because I understand it's not necessarily easy to pick up the phone, write a letter or email, or leave the comfort of your home to come out and and speak publicly to protect the town you love. In these instances, I have respect and find instant commonality with my constituents. In fact, very often, while residents are airing their grievances or perspectives at the podium at our town board meetings, I'm inwardly cheering them or thinking: 'guess what, we're on the same team!'"

The best advice ever shared with me was...

"Just be yourself."

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

"As I have done in the past, I will remain your accessible, sincere and responsive advocate in local government."