Ralph Suozzi

Ralph V. Suozzi (born July 21, 1956 in Glen Cove, New York) is a former mayor of Glen Cove, New York. He was first elected to the post of mayor in 2005, after creating an independent party he named - Glen Cove Voters - after the people who would ultimately choose the next mayor. Suozzi defeated Republican candidate attorney Drew Fonrose and incumbent two-term Democratic Mayor Mary Ann Holzkamp. His mantra was and is, "It's about people, not politics." Suozzi is known for being a hands-on mayor who often responds to citizens personally and can be found responding to the scenes of city emergencies on a regular basis. During Superstorm Sandy in 2012, he kept City Hall open 24/7 for the first five days after the storm.

The son of former Glen Cove mayor Vincent "Jimmy" Suozzi, Ralph Suozzi was born on July 21, 1956 in Glen Cove, New York. He is the middle child of seven siblings, and attended St. Patrick's Elementary School, Glen Cove Public Middle and High Schools and attended college at SUNY Fredonia before graduating from Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus in 1979.

Suozzi and his wife, Jane, have two children who attend Glen Cove public schools.

Mayor of Glen Cove

Suozzi was elected mayor of Glen Cove, New York in November 2005. During his administration, City finances have improved steadily. Suozzi has vastly improved the city’s budget process, reduced debt while simultaneously shedding expenses, developed new sources of non-taxpayer revenue, and successfully lobbied Washington D.C. and Albany to bring much needed federal/state funds to Glen Cove.

Background 

Suozzi is former business executive with more than 30 years’ experience in corporate leadership, including CBS Television and American Express. In his executive role at American Express, Suozzi directed teams that designed deployed, maintained and trained professionals on systems that affected more than 100,000 employees worldwide. Suozzi, a former ten-year member of the Glen Cove Volunteer Fire Department, is a lifelong resident of Glen Cove and the son of the city’s former mayor, Vincent “Jimmy” Suozzi.

Planning and innovation 

Ralph Suozzi has identified and acquired millions of dollars in government grants to clean up the local environment and help the city to finance capital projects and public safety initiatives. Suozzi has made Glen Cove a leader in Smart Growth efforts. He enacted a new Master Plan, the first in 55 years, to guide modern zoning and redevelopment efforts and introduced Visual Simulation Legislation to assist planners, professionals and everyday people through digital visualization of any proposed large development projects.

Newsday lauded Suozzi for his "determination" and "innovative" effort to preserve the Glen Cove Mansion, one of the last remaining Gold Coast homes on Long Island's North Shore. The newspaper's editorial page, addressing the potential demolition of a cherished Manhasset property, said, "They could start by taking a look at how Glen Cove innovated to try to save the John and Ruth Pratt mansion on Dosoris Lane" and cited Suozzi's initiation of a new innovative Estate Preservation Zone in the City’s zoning code.

Infrastructure, qualiy of life and the environment 

Suozzi’s administration has been focused on quality of life, infrastructure and public safety improvements.

He created Glen Cove’s first ever Electronic Waste (E-Waste) recycling program and has increased participation in the City’s annual Stop Throwing Out Pollutants (S.T.O.P.) residential hazardous waste disposal program through aggressive marketing. The mayor has saved the city money and energy with new energy efficient LED lighting saving over $46,000 per year. In addition he has rebuilt and rehabilitated roads, sidewalks, curbs and drainage structures in hundreds of locations throughout the city.

In 2009 Suozzi built a state-of-the art handicapped accessible playground at Stanco Park for children ages 2 through 12. Suozzi has also made improvements to Morgan Park by the addition of lights to the parking field, handrails for the steps near the concert stage, rehabilitated parts of the sea wall and rebuilt the iconic gazebo that was destroyed during a 2012 storm. At the Glen Cove Golf Course major improvements include connecting the facility to the sewer collection system (2009), replacing the Cart Barn, replacement and upgrades to the entire electric system and transformer, repair to storm-damaged netting, handicapped accessible bathrooms at the View Grille (formerly Soundview) and the removal of dead trees and stumps and replacement with new trees throughout the course. In addition the tennis courts are currently out for bid, slated for rehabilitation this fall, followed by the rehabilitation of the basketball courts.

Youth, veterans and seniors 

Suozzi has worked very closely with our City’s Youth, Seniors and Veterans. In 2007 he built a new Youth Center, and in 2008 he acquired a five-year $4 million NYS Community Learning Grant in collaboration with the Glen Cove School District, the Youth Board and the Boys and Girls Club. The Mayor has maintained funding levels and improved services at the Glen Cove Senior Center including a complete upgrade of the facility and its utilities. Suozzi has demonstrated his admiration and respect for all Veterans by the addition of permanent flagpoles, lights, new landscaping and re-bronzing of all monuments. He recently appointed Korean War Veteran and former Commissioner of Public Safety Ben Farnan to head a committee to replace a long-lost WWII Memorial honoring local veterans from the Landing Area.

Public health and safety 

In 2006 the mayor made his first trip to Washington D.C. to engage the NYS Congressional Delegation and federal agencies to help secure funds for environmental cleanups, rehabilitation of city infrastructure, and law enforcement technology improvements that have made community policing more time and cost effective.

The Mayor secured 100% federal funding from grants through the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) that provided the Glen Cove Police Department with Digital Fingerprinting Technology. This reduced a multi-week manual system into a high-speed digital process that searches all nationwide electronic databases for criminal matches. Additionally he secured 100% funding for the design and implementation for the security camera system in the downtown and the downtown garages.

In 2007 the Mayor instituted the Emergency/Community Notification (ENS) System which is sometimes referred to as a “reverse 911” system. The ENS is used to notify residents and businesses of alerts related to weather, scheduling of city services, special events, and other significant community notifications.

Suozzi expanded and modernized the community’s water distribution and alarm systems ensuring that our water supply meets all federal and state standards. This upgrade ensures that we have sufficient capacity to meet daily demands as well as excess capacity for fire safety, mechanical failure, and maintenance.

Recognition 

Suozzi is a Vision Long Island & NYCOM Award Winner, an expert panelist for Sustainable Long Island and was selected as advisor to the New York State Conference of Mayors. He has been recognized officially by the Long Island Planning Council, the Long Island Index, Vision Long Island and the New York League of Conservation Voters. Suozzi was one of just four mayors nationally invited to participate in a panel discussion at the Environmental Protection Agency's 2011 Brownfields Conference in Philadelphia. In 2012 Suozzi was one of just 30 mayors nationwide to serve on the U.S. EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee. He was selected for the Energeia Partnership Class of 2012, a think-tank organization focused on challenges facing Long Island leaders from a variety of businesses and disciplines.

He has been honored by the Nassau County AHRC Foundation for his humanitarian efforts and both the Nassau County Chapter of the NYS Society of Professional Engineers and the Long Island Contractors Association for his focus on infrastructure improvements. The North Shore Wildlife Sanctuary and Matinecock Rod & Gun Club presented awards to Suozzi for expending extraordinary effort and resources to restore and maintain the critical tidal flow of Dosoris Pond. The waters of Dosoris Pond are refreshed with each tide, now bringing forth an abundance of marine life and aquatic birds that were once lost.

Suozzi comes from a political family. His father Vincent Suozzi, his uncle Joseph Suozzi and his cousin Thomas Suozzi were mayors of Glen Cove prior to Ralph Suozzi. His cousin is former Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi.

Community involvement 

Suozzi has a Bachelor of Science from Long Island University’s C.W. Post College and is a 1974 graduate of Glen Cove High School. He is a member of the following organizations: Small Communities Subcommittee of the EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC), St. Rocco’s Church, Sons of Italy, Knights of Columbus, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Kiwanis, North Shore Historical Museum, NAACP, Glen Cove PTA & SEPTA, Glen Cove Beautification, Glen Cove Volunteer Fire Department Benevolent Association, Morgan Park Summer Music Festival Executive Committee, Inter-Agency Council and is a 30-year volunteer of St. Rocco’s Feast.

2013 year reelection: Suozzi lost his bid for reelection.

Suozzi started out with a basic and simple idea. That government was for the people and not about the political parties or the candidates they place in front of the voters. By creating an Independent Political Organization - Glen Cove Voters - Suozzi ran for office with a simple idea and message which was, "It's About People Not Politics". In the three way race that his candidacy created, Suozzi emerged as the winner and as a symbol to all of his openness and transparency, he had the mayor's office door removed and paraded before a crowd of 1,000 residents at his first inauguration symbolizing a new day in local government and an Open Door Policy.