Senator Ken LaValle Set To Retire After 44 Years In Office

LONG ISLAND, NY – After 44 years in office, New York State Senator Kenneth LaValle is set to announce his retirement on Friday at an event in Port Jefferson — he will not seek re-election this year.

LaValle, 80 (R-Port Jefferson), who was first elected in 1976 to represent the 1st Senate District — which includes all of eastern Suffolk County — has held his post longer than any other member of the Senate, has led a career marked by his devotion to the environment, education, and health care in the communities he has served. Known for his trademark red baseball cap, he has attended countless community events, getting to know his constituents firsthand.

Speaking with Patch on Thursday, LaValle reflected on what prompted his decision not to run again. "It was just the right time," he said. "I want to spend more time with my bride Penny and my dog Winston. I'm a very fortunate person. From early childhood on, I've been very blessed, just a happy guy, to be surrounded by so many good things — good parents, good friends, good job choices."

Moving ahead, LaValle, who was formerly a fifth grade teacher and principal in the Middle Country school district and was appointed Chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher Education in 1979, hopes to possibly find a new path in education at Stony Brook University, where he can continue to nurture his "inquisitive spirit."

He and his wife hope to work together on a book, as well.

Looking back on the accomplishments of which he is most proud, LaValle said the enactment of the Pine Barrens Preservation Act of 1993, as well as his environmental record and his record in education, hold deep meaning.

"I said to myself when I was elected, 'When I look east I never want to see what happened in the west,'" LaValle said. "That was major goal of mine. The first year I was in office we passed the Farmland Preservation Act, then the Pine Barren Preservation Act and the Community Preservation Fund — so it's all been about preserving and keeping, for the people who live there, the same lifestyle that they have been used to. The very reason why they chose to live on eastern Long Island."

To whomever wins his seat, LaValle said they should, "Number one, dedicate themselves 100 percent to the people that they represent and go from there."

LaValle was born in Born in Brooklyn, NY and graduated from Hempstead High School. An attorney, he earned his undergraduate degree at Adelphi College, a degree in education from the State University College at New Paltz, and a J.D. degree from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center. He received an Honorary Doctor of Civil Law Degree from Dowling College.

He has helped shape higher education policy in New York State for more than 30 years and has worked with education leaders at the State University of New York, City University of New York and independent colleges. LaValle also served on the National Council of State Legislatures’ Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education, which had a goal of creating awareness among state legislatures regarding their role in providing accessible and affordable public higher education.

LaValle aworked to establish a burn unit at Stony Brook University Medical Center; he has also advocated for the rights of cancer patients, the disabled, and the terminally ill. He was instrumental in creating the Long Island High Technology Incubator at Stony Brook University and championed the Stony Brook University Incubator at Calverton. Real property tax relief has also been an important priority for LaValle, who helped to develop the STAR program.

As he readies to pass the torch, LaValle said his news has elicited a response from the many he's worked with for so many years. "My colleagues have said, 'You've created quite a record.' Coming from your colleagues, that's the greatest compliment you can get."

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, said, of LaValle: "For more than four decades, Senator LaValle has served as a powerful voice for Suffolk County, working across the aisle to deliver results for his constituents. Whether he was working to protect and preserve the East End or shaping higher education across the state, Senator LaValle’s long list of accomplishments have left an indelible mark on Long Island. Senator LaValle has been a friend, a fighter for his community and a great statesman and I wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell also shared his thoughts.

"Sen. LaValle is an icon of the East End," he said. "He has a deep commitment and passion for the people he has represented in Albany. The projects made possible with funds he secured are too numerous to mention. From protecting our environment, our quality of life and keeping us safe, Ken has been a fierce advocate for the 1st District. There will never been another one like Ken and I am sorry to see him retire, but wish him the best."

Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman — Schneiderman also served as East Hampton Town Supervisor and a Suffolk County Legislator — said he has worked with LaValle for more than 20 years. "He's always been just tremendous to work with. He's been a compassionate leader on education, on environmental issues, on infrastructure." LaValle, he said, has been a friend to the East End, helping to secure a grant for $7 million for preservation in East Hampton; working to save the campus at Stony Brook Southampton after Long Island University shuttered; supporting initiatives at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, "and the simplest things, such as road improvements and culverts. I've never seen him be partisan. He always acts in what he believes is the public's interest," Schneiderman said. He added: "If anybody deserves a chance to kick back and enjoy the fruits of their labor, it's certainly Ken LaValle. I wish him the best. He certainly has earned his retirement. He has an extraordinary record and legacy of service."

His next chapter, LaValle said, will involve returning to his roots, working with students. "One of the things I'm going to explore — I'm very fascinated with generational changes. There's the Greatest Generation, I'm the Silent Generation, and now there are the millennials. I want to, in an academic way, analyze the differences in generations and what was taking place in society to shape those ideals."

One thing is for sure, LaValle won't be sitting idly. "My mind is always going. People have said, 'Do you ever shut it off?'" All he has become started with his mother's words, LaValle said. "She told us, 'Every day, ask yourself, 'How are you being relevant?' When we asked my mom how we do that, she said, without blinking an eye, 'Follow the young people.' I was a classroom teacher. That has never left me. Teaching, instilling information in people that will be useful to them and that they will then, impart to other, is so important."

As he bids adieu to his constituents, LaValle has a message: "I've enjoyed them. I hope we can continue protecting the East End of Long Island."