Suozzi Nominates Business & Community Leaders
to Serve on Empire Zone Board

--Board Charged With Ensuring New Zone Attracts New Business
and Creates Jobs in Key Areas

-- Suozzi to Serve as Chairman

Mineola, NY – Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi and officials from the Town of Hempstead have appointed 11 members to the Nassau County Empire Zone Administrative Board. The members include business and labor leaders, community activists and government officials.

At the urging of Long Island’s State Senate delegation, Gov. George Pataki earlier this year established Nassau County’s first Empire Zone to spur economic opportunity and job creation and expand the tax base in some of the county’s most critical business communities. Once the state lawmakers approved the Empire Zone, the county and towns were charged with appointing an administrative board to manage and oversee the economic development activities within the two-square-mile zone.

“The leaders whom we have nominated bring varied talents and impressive private sector experience to this very important project,” Suozzi said. “The Empire Zone supports our vision for ‘New Suburbia’ in the County. To revitalize our aging suburban communities, we need to attract new business and create new jobs. The Empire Zone gives us a great opportunity to do just that. I am grateful they have agreed to serve and I am confident this board will work hard to make the most of this opportunity.”

The two square miles of the Empire Zone include areas within Bethpage (at the former Grumman site), Elmont, Inwood, New Cassel, Roosevelt, Uniondale, Glen Cove, West Hempstead, Freeport and the Village of Hempstead.

Nassau County has nominated six board members, and the Town of Hempstead has nominated five.

The county’s appointees are:

• Suozzi, as chairman.
• Pascual Blanco, president of Intra-World Development Associates, Inc., which specializes in community economic development and strategic planning, in Glen Cove.
• Daniel Cooper, employee relations specialist at Northrop Grumman Corp.
• Chris Fusco, service representative for the Empire State Regional Council of Carpenters.
• Suzy Sonenberg, executive director of the Long Island Community Foundation, a philanthropic trust.
• Roy Smitheimer, executive director of the Greater Port Washington Business Improvement District

The Town of Hempstead appointees are:

• Angelo Corva, owner of Angelo Francis Corva & Associates, Architects, based in Manhasset.
• Albert D’Agostino, partner at the Valley Stream law firm of Minerva & D’Agostino P.C., specializing planning, land use and zoning.
• Kenneth Mott, owner and manager of Harry’s Auto Body in Lynbrook
• Cheryl Petri, deputy town attorney for the Town of Hempstead.
• Kuldeap Krish Prasad, training supervisor for American Airlines, is a resident who lives within the Empire Zone, in West Hempstead.

Suozzi has submitted the 11 appointments to the Nassau County Legislature for final approval.

“I urge the Legislature to approve this outstanding and diverse board so that they can get to work as soon as possible.” Suozzi said. “This is an unprecedented opportunity to spark economic growth in – and tap the potential of – some of Nassau County’s most deserving communities.”