Clarkstown Transition Team Named

Clarkstown Supervisor-Elect George Hoehmann has announced his official transition team.

The 16 people on it bring a wealth of knowledge and provide a cross reference of expertise in a variety of subjects, he said in a prepared statement. These members will meet with= current Town Department heads and staff, review operations and provide an unbiased and non-partisan assessment of the town’s strengths and weaknesses.

The ultimate goal of the team will be to form an overall strategy for a smooth transition of power to allow Hoehmann the opportunity the hit the ground running.

The transition team members include:

• Howard Hellman, Chairman
• Karen Amatuzzo
• Peter Bradley
• Honorable Christopher Carey
• Maryann Collopy
• Phil DeGaetano
• Dave DeJoy
• Jocelyn Feuerstein
• Steve Gold
• Walter Goldman
• Dr. Don Hammond
• Brion Hayman
• Al Samuels
• Kimberly Sofia
• Lino Sciarretta
• George Townsend

“I am very proud that we are able to present to the people of Clarkstown a very dynamic and professional team. These individuals will aide in the creation of a strong working government prior to January 1st. With their help, on day one, we will be in strong position to begin delivering the change the people voted for,” Hoehmann said.

The team members will begin meeting next week. The team will be divided into smaller working groups, which will focus on various important aspects of Town Government.

TEAM:

Howard Hellman, Chairman Transition Team – Mr. Hellman has extensive business, volunteer board and leadership experience in a wide range of areas. He is the Chairman and Founder of All Bright Electric Inc., located in West Nyack a large-scale electrical company with over one hundred employees serving the Tri-State area. Additionally, he is the President of Hellman Management Inc., providing management services for commercial and residential properties as well as the President of Hellman Development Company a developer of market rate and affordable housing properties. Mr. Hellman has served on many boards for not-for-profits including but not limited to the following; Boy Scouts of the Hudson Valley, President; Salvation Army, advisory board; YMCA of Rockland, trustee; RILC board member; Rockland Community College Foundation, board member; and formerly a board member for Hudson Valley Patterns for Progress. In addition, Mr. Hellman is a Board member for the Rockland County Industrial Development Agency where he offers his expertise in assisting with economic development andalso serves on the Workforce Investment Board for Rockland County where he is currently Vice Chairman. He is a former Chairman of the Rockland Business Association.

Karen Amatuzzo – Ms. Amatuzzo is a Clarkstown resident for the past twenty-two years. She has a BBA in Marketing from PACE University and previously worked in the garment industry. Ms. Amatuzzo has been active in the community in a wide variety of capacities including the PTA, and is a former President of the Clarkstown Family Resource Center at New City Elementary. Additionally, she is an appointed member of the Traffic and Safety Advisory Board. She and her husband William reside in New City with their two children.

Peter Bradley – Mr. Bradley is a Congers resident since 1972 a graduate of SUNY Albany with a BS in Communications. Currently Mr. Bradley a New York City Fire Department Lieutenant and previously served as an FDNY Fire Marshal. Mr. Bradley has extensive training in both fire safety and building/fire code rules and is also a NYS Level I and Level II Fire Investigator. He is currently on both the FDNY Captain and FDNY Supervising Fire Marshal promotional lists. Prior to joining the FDNY, Mr. Bradley was an employee of the Chrysler Corporation and a proud member of the United Auto Workers Union for eight years. He resides in Congers with his wife Liz and their three children.

Honorable Christopher Carey – Honorable Christopher Carey is currently completing his second term in the Rockland County Legislature where he serves as the minority leader. Successfully re- elected last week he will continue to represent the residents of Legislative District 9 for another term. Mr. Carey is employed by Verizon Communications as a manager of Technologies/New Product development and works out of the corporate headquarters located in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. He has a Master’s of Science in Telecom and Computing Management from Polytechnic University; an MBA in Finance from Long Island University as well as a BA from Manhattan College. He has served on numerous boards of directors and served on the transition team for Rockland County Executive Ed Day in 2013.

Maryann Collopy – Ms. Collopy is a client sales executive with over thirty one years of experience at IBM. In this capacity, Ms. Collopy is responsible for developing and managing business relationships with clients and also acting as a business advisor to numerous IBM international teams. In this later role she offers support and helps to provide solutions for their IBM staff business needs in remarketing in the international market. Born and raised in Rockland County, Ms. Collopy is a resident of New City. She volunteers in numerous capacities at St. Francis of Assisi Church in West Nyack, and is a member of “Eva’s Diva’s” which participates in the annual Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Eva’s Diva’s team collectively has raised well over $100,000 during the past five years.

Phil DeGaetano – Phillip DeGaetano is a 30 year resident of New City, where he resides with his wife Sabina and their three children. Mr. DeGaetano currently serves as a Commissioner of The Clarkstown Parks and Recreation Commission. He is a past member and President of the Clarkstown Central School District Board of Education. Mr. DeGaetano is also a former member of the ARC of Rockland Foundation Board of Directors. He currently is employed by the Law Firm of Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz Edelman and Dicker LLP, where he serves as Collection Manager.

More from Nanuet Patch

• See-Saw Continues: Weekend Weather
• Reward in Colley Killing, ‘Jinx’ House Sale, Regeneron’s Big Expansion
• Use TZB as Long as Possible: Officials

Dave DeJoy – Mr. DeJoy is an executive at IBM Corporation in Somers, NY. As the Director of Sales Management and Transformation for IBM Systems Software, he has 25+ years’ experience in Finance, Accounting and Sales Operations. He holds a B.A. from Pace University in Finance and Managerial Accounting, and an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University. He serves on the parish council Finance Committee of St. Francis of Assisi Church in West Nyack. He’s lived in Bardonia with his wife and family since 1997.

Jocelyn Feuerstein – Ms. Feuerstein has been a New City resident for over 22 years and serves as the Dean of Students at the Rockland Country Day School. Jocelyn and husband Todd have raised two children in Clarkstown, Jessica and Bennett. Jocelyn has more than 20 years of professional experience in developing programs for students, along with many years of marketing and outreach experience in the publishing industry for companies that included Warren, Gorham and Lamont and Prentice Hall. Jocelyn holds a BS in Marketing from New York University’s School of Business and Public Administration. Jocelyn is currently the Dean of Students at Rockland Country Day School where for the past five years she has been responsible for all of the social and emotional aspects of student life, including discipline and family outreach along with programming, activities, and discipline for all RCDS students.

Steve Gold – A small business owner and 24-year resident of New City who has been active inmany local organizations including President of JCC Rockland and currently as chair of the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Rockland County. A local business owner with a startup company, Cluck Inc., which is a natural extension of his lengthy career in the food industry. Mr. Gold has expertise in developing new approaches and ideas to address challenging situations from an extensive background in marketing and sales.

Walter Goldman – Mr. Goldman is a life-long resident of Rockland County. Graduating from Pace University in Westchester. In 1983 Mr. Goldman started a computer consulting company Magnacom Technologies. Magnacom became a full scale IT services company serving small to medium size businesses. In 2009, upon the sale of Magnacom, Walter started Goldkap Consulting Group located in Suffern, where he works with a wide range of clients in lowering operational costs and assisting in all facets of business growth and development. Presently Walter works with scores of businesses on finding efficiencies and developing and enhancing strategic business plans. He also works with the Rockland County Career Center teaching entrepreneurship and with NYS ACCES-VR in developing and assisting persons with disabilities in executing business plans.

Dr. Don Hammond – Dr. Don Hammond is a life-long resident of Rockland County. He has served in executive capacities for national and regional nonprofit organizations for more than 30 years. Don currently serves as President/CEO for Meals on Wheels Program and Services of Rockland County. Don is a trustee of the Village of Nyack and has served as a board trustee for the Nyack Schools’ Board of Education for seven years and as its president for two years. He holds his Doctorate of Ministry in Urban Missions from Westminster Theological Seminary, a master of business administration degree from Iona College and a bachelor’s degree from Nyack College.

Brion Hayman – Is a life-long resident of Rockland County and President and owner of Gateway Building Service Inc. for over 20 years. Mr. Hayman has a Bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Geneseo. Gateway Building services Inc. is a leader in the Facilities and Commercial Building services industry, with customers throughout the tri state area. Additionally, he has served as a board member and President of a not for profit, Lifting up Westchester, (Former Grace Church Community Services) for 17 years, and Chairman off the Building committee and member of Finance committee for 7 years.

Al Samuels – Mr. Samuels is President and CEO of the Rockland Business Association a position he has held since 2001. Prior to assuming that post, he directed the RBA’s government affairs program as well as being responsible for membership development and sales. Mr. Samuels’s background is varied. For 18 years, he owned and operated Davric Associate, a New York City- based recruiting firm for the publishing industry. Prior to that, he served as a reporter, editor and publisher in the consumer and business press. His career also embraces positions in law enforcement and the sport of Rodeo. Samuels is one of Rockland County’s two voting members on Governor Cuomo’s Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council.

Kimberly Sofia – Kimberly Sofia is a local attorney and active member of the community. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree and graduated summa cum laude from Pace University in Manhattan and received her law degree from New York Law School. In Manhattan, Kim worked with an organization to help assist battered women obtain divorces. In Brooklyn, Kim worked with the Public Administrator of Kings County helping with the legal aspects of estate administration. She is a litigation associate at the law firm Fellows Hymowitz, P.C., in New City, where she handles complex personal injury cases and criminal defense matters. Kim was recognized as 2014’s “Forty Under 40” of Rockland County by the Rockland County Economic Development Corp. She is a Board Member on: the Rockland County Bar Association, the Rockland County Women’s Bar Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rockland County, and the Columbian Bar Association of Rockland County. Kim is also a member of the Rockland Business Association, New City Chamber of Commerce, New York State Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice. Kim resides in New City with her partner Judge Scott B. Ugell and their dogs Duke and Sookie.

Lino Sciarretta – Lino Sciarretta, esq., is a Partner in the White Plains law firm of Wilson Elser Moskowitz, Edelman and Dicker LLP, where he specializes as a real estate and land use attorney who uses his considerable commercial litigation and transaction skills in representing clients on zoning, municipal, leasing, transactional and environmental matters. Lino has extensive experience defending governmental agencies, developers, municipalities and private sector clients in zoning, real estate development, civil rights, and discrimination in employment, general insurance coverage and environmental matters. Lino has successfully litigated numerous complex cases in state and federal courts at the trial and appellate levels and defended municipalities in claims brought under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. He served as village attorney for the villages of Irvington, Bronxville and Mamaroneck, NY, and as deputy village attorney and special counsel for numerous other municipalities.

George Townsend – Mr. Townsend is a resident of Nanuet New York where he resides with his wife and children. Mr. Townsend is a CPA and has extensive government experience serving in the City of Mount Vernon where he is the Chief Accountant for the City. In this role he has extensive experience in developing, implementing, evaluating and monitoring departmental and municipal budgets.