Assessor Harvey Levinson Announces Staff Appointments

(Mineola, NY) As part of a major reorganization effort aimed at introducing a professional management standard and improving the delivery of services at the Nassau County Department of Assessment, Assessor Harvey Levinson today announced his recent staff appointments.

James Culver, past Director of Education for the International Association of Assessing Officers, ex-Executive Director of NYS Assessors Association, former Assessor for two cities in Upstate New York, and Nassau County's reassessment consultant, will serve as the Chief Deputy in charge of Valuation Services. Mr. Culver will apply his diverse expertise and knowledge of Nassau County in an administrative capacity to improve the procedures and assessment models used to assign values to all of the County's over 415,000 properties.

Also joining Assessor Levinson's team of professionals is Jeanette Duncan, the Manager of Residential Valuation for the City of Cambridge, MA, and Marc Michalet, a highly respected assessor and real estate expert from the Syracuse area. Ms. Duncan will serve as a Deputy Assessor for Valuation Services and Mr. Michalet will act as the Deputy in charge of Assessment Services and Quality Assurance.

James Culver and Jeanette Duncan hold the title of Assessment Administration Specialists. Only an estimated 100 individuals worldwide have been recognized and granted this professional designation by the International Association of Assessing Officers.

Charles Berman, the former acting Receiver of Taxes of North Hempstead and Deputy Town Clerk for the Town of Oyster Bay, will serve as a Special Assistant to Assessor Levinson and Wei Ju, a certified computer systems engineer and programmer, has been appointed as Deputy Assessor for Valuation Services.

Dolores Sedacca, former Mayor of the Village of East Williston and ex-Commissioner to Nassau County's Assessment Review Commission, will help develop the Department's Constituent Service Division and supervise its Speakers Bureau. Ms. Sedacca's extraordinary government and community affairs background will complement Assessor Levinson's approach to making County government "user friendly."

Board of Assessors Vice-Chairman Dennis Brown will assume the duties of Director of Operations and will be responsible for administering and supervising all of the day-to-day departmental functions.

In addition, Assessor Levinson retained Randolph Yunker who served as the media spokesman for the previous administration. Mr. Yunker, who has an extensive background in government, media/public relations and a unique understanding of assessment issues, was named Director of Communications.

Judith Sindlinger will continue in her position as Secretary to the Chairman of the Board of Assessors. Ms. Sindlinger, according to Assessor Levinson, exemplifies many of the fine qualities and dedication that should be evident in all public servants.

"I am delighted to add these remarkable and talented professionals to my management team," stated Assessor Levinson. "They are, without question, the best and most qualified individuals to have ever worked at the Department of Assessment. I am confident that they will be able to assist me in making the Department of Assessment a model of efficiency in County government."