Fellowship to Honor Memory of Northport Man Killed in LIE Crash

A fellowship has been created to honor the memory of 29-year-old Scott Martella who was among six people killed in a Long Island Expressway crash in August, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday.

Martella, of Northport, focused on a life in public service before his death. He served as the Governor’s former aide and as a Suffolk County regional representative.

The “Scott Martella Fellowship” will be awarded to a student every two years who, like Martella, is committed to public service and has a passion for helping others.

• Related: Remembering Scott Martella

“Scott believed in government’s potential to improve lives and worked day in and day out in pursuit of this principle,” Cuomo said in a press release. “I believe Long Island is a better place today because of Scott’s tireless dedication and, with this fellowship, we will help ensure his legacy and public service will continue and endure for years to come.”

The selected fellow will serve for two years at the Department of Labor and will focus on community outreach. The fellow will be assigned a mentor at the DOL. Martella served at the DOL for over a year and the fellow’s work will be similar to the work he championed throughout his career.

“This fellowship is a fitting way to honor Scott’s legacy as it will enable a student who is committed to public service, to work at the NYS Department of Labor and focus on serving the Long Island community, just as Scott had,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said in a statement.

Martella, a Smithtown native, served as the director of communications for Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.

The fellow must demonstrate a commitment to helping others and have a record of public service. He or she will be selected from the 2017-19 class of Excelsior Service Fellows. Nominated fellows will then submit a personal statement on their commitment to community outreach and their desire to exemplify Scott Martella’s legacy of serving others. The selected fellow will also be required to update the Martella family periodically regarding his or her work and experience in the Excelsior Fellowship program.

Martella received his bachelor’s degree in International Business from Boston University in 2008. He spent a semester during his studies in Washington, D.C., where he developed his love for public service and government. He returned to Long Island and became the youngest trustee in the history of the Smithtown Board of Education, just one year after graduating from Boston University.

“I would like to commend Governor Andrew Cuomo for creating the Scott Martella Public Service Fellowship Program to honor the memory of a dedicated public servant and a remarkable individual who I had the pleasure of knowing,” Bellone said.

Martella worked for the Governor’s Office from 2011 to 2015, where he served as the Governor’s Suffolk County Representative at the New York State Department of State. He was then promoted to Long Island Regional Representative for the New York State Department of Labor.

While working for the Governor’s office, Martella built and maintained strong relationships with leaders in the community and impacted the lives of thousands across Long Island and New York State.

He then went on to become Bellone’s director of communications and served there until he was killed in the LIE crash on Aug. 21.

“When Scott joined Suffolk County Government he brought with him a sense of wisdom far beyond his years and an unparalleled love of community and people,” Bellone said. “Scott had a passion for helping others and impacted thousands of lives across Long Island and the state.”

Patch wrote a story on Martella in 2010 highlighting his ambition to move up in politics. The story was titled “Young Man on a Mission.”

• Related: Obituary: Scott Martella, 29, of Northport, Aide to Steve Bellone

Image via Patch Open Post article