County Executive-Elect Neuhaus announces transition team
CHESTER — Orange County Executive-Elect Steve Neuhaus says he's created a transition team to help him prepare for office as Orange County Executive in January.
Former County Executive Louis Heimbach will chair the executive committee that will oversee several subcommittees.
“This transition team has a mix of business, political and civic leaders who bring diverse and talented views to the table," said Neuhaus. "I appreciate their willingness to serve."
The bi-partisan transition team will be charged with reviewing all departments and their underlying mission, recommending ways to give each department a stronger role in growing the local economy, and offering ideas on restructuring government to reduce costs,
The team will work closely with the outgoing county executive, Edward Diana, and in particular with Acting County Executive Steve Gross.
The executive committee will include Heimbach, a Republican; Middletown Mayor Joseph DeStefano, a Democrat; retired U.S. Army Col. Darrell Supak; Orange County Legislators Steve Brescia, a Republican, and Jeff Berkman, head of the Democratic caucus.
Heimbach is chair, chief executive officer and president of Sterling Forest LLC in Tuxedo. He also served as Supervisor of the Town of Wallkill and on numerous boards. He is the former Chairman of the Orange Regional Medical Center and the Greater Hudson Family Health System and is the current Chairman of the Orange County Trust Company.
Other members of the transition team will serve on various subcommittees. They include:
Todd Diorio of the Hudson Valley Building and Construction Trades Council
Josh Sommers of Focus Media Inc.
Damian Brady, an attorney with the Corporation Counsel for the City of Port Jervis
Tiffany Reis, Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Newburgh
Ken Jones, Orange County Undersheriff
Charles Carnes, Town of Crawford Supervisor
Dan Depew, Town of Wallkill Supervisor
Michele Iannuzzi Sucich, M.D., a teacher at SUNY Orange who has worked on the county health department’s efforts to fight West Nile Virus
Kyle Roddey, Village of Goshen Mayor
Nolly Climes, Program Director of Rehabilitation Support Services
Wilbur Higgins, an official in the recreation department of the City of Newburgh and an award winner for humanitarian work in Orange County
Erik Denega, PE, project manager at Orange & Rockland Utilities in Spring Valley
Subcommittees
Economic development — Heimbach will lead a subcommittee with Diorio and Sommers to review the county’s economic development efforts and develop job creation strategies.
Public works — DeStefano will lead a subcommittee that will review public works, public safety and transportation-related areas. The members will be Jones, Brady, Reis, Higgins, and Depew.
Shared services — Brescia and Berkman will lead a subcommittee addressing finance, shared services, and the county office building. They will serve with the legislators will be Roddey, Carnes and Denega.
Education and health care — Supak will lead a subcommittee focusing on social services, education and health care. Dr. Iannuzzi Sucich and Climes will join him on the subcommittee.
Transition team staff
ransition team staffers will take on the following roles:
Alicia D’Amico of Blooming Grove will be director. She is a senior executive assistant and operating officer for a prominent New York City-based nonprofit organization. She served as the executive director of Neuhaus' campaign.
Karin Hablow of Goshen will be financial advisor. She has worked for numerous investment firms in Manhattan
Langdon Chapman, Esq., of Campbell Hall will be counsel. He is counsel to the Ulster County Legislature and several municipalities across the Hudson Valley and Catskills, as well as counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee and Counsel to the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee.
"The primary mission of the transition team is to identify new efficiencies in county government,” said Neuhaus."We face many challenges in Orange County government. I look forward to a new relationship with Orange County’s taxpayers, employees, Legislature and our local governments as we move forward together."