LIPA Board of Trustees

Mr. Belinsky is the President and CEO of HELP USA, a $70 million Not-for-Profit organization which was founded in 1986 and recognized by the United States Congress as a national model. HELP USA is one of the country’s largest developers, builders and operators of service-enriched transitional and permanent housing. Currently, HELP USA has developed 28 residences and manages more than 2,200 units nationwide, each one providing high quality security, architectural aesthetics and comprehensive support services to the homeless, populations at risk of becoming homeless and working poor families.

Prior to joining HELP USA, Mr. Belinsky was a Principal of Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. an investment banking firm. Mr. Belinsky has more than 25 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. He headed an international privatization advisory practice at KPMG LLP. He was a Vice President in Merrill Lynch’s investment banking group specializing in Municipal Finance. In addition, Mr. Belinsky has served in New York State’s executive branch and has served as Assistant Director of Special Projects for the New York State Housing Finance Agency developing homeless and special needs housing

Mr. Belinsky received a MBA from Columbia University School of Business and a B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany. He is currently serving his second term as a Trustee of the Manhasset School Board. From April 2002 through April 2004 he has served as a Trustee for the Village of Plandome Heights. Previous to serving as a Trustee he served on the Village’s Zoning Board of Appeals. He and his wife live in Manhasset with their four children.

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X. Cristofer Damianos is a Principal of Damianos Realty Group LLC, a commercial real estate development company located in Smithtown, N.Y. specializing in the development, management and acquisition of office, retail and industrial properties throughout Long Island.

Mr. Damianos is also a member of the Association for a Better Long Island (ABLI), Vice-Chairman of the Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages, Governor of St. George’s Golf & C.C. and Founder and Director of Gold Coast Bank as well as former Trustee of St. Charles Hospital and Rehabilitation Center.

Mr. Damianos was recently honored as Man of the Year by Brookhaven Memorial Hospital and is the 2007 recipient of the ABLI Developer of the Year Award.

He holds a B.A. from Tulane University and a M.B.A. from Adelphi University. He resides in Suffolk County with his wife and three children.

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Gemma de Leon is the Executive Vice-President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, Local 1102, representing 13,000 members in the retail and service industries. She is responsible for negotiating and enforcing collective bargaining agreements and is the Local's chief operating officer. She also serves on the Executive Board of the International Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which represents 1.4 million workers in the United States and Canada.

Previously, she was Plan Manager of the local union's health and pension funds, which cover over 20,000 lives for major medical, hospitalization, dental and retirement benefits.

Ms. de Leon is also Vice-President of Association of Benefit Administrators, New York, a network of employee benefits, healthcare provider and investment professionals.

Ms. De Leon also serves on the Nassau County Youth Board which coordinates, funds and evaluates youth services for over 45,000 young men and women.
She is also an Advisory Board member of the Energeia Partnership of Molloy College, comprised of Long Island leaders dedicated to promoting civic responsibility and exploring solutions to issues affecting the region.

Ms. de Leon earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration and an M.B.A. in Marketing Management from St. John’s University. She resides in Wantagh with her husband James Lopresti and their children Mark and Matthew.

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Honored by many civic, charitable, fraternal and political organizations, Mr. Lawrence E. Elovich of Elovich & Adell, Esqs. is a practicing trial lawyer specializing in personal injury cases. For the past 25 years, he has been the President of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce. He is a Nassau University Medical Center trustee and member and Board of Directors for the American Cancer Society and Long Beach Cancer Care. In addition to holding numerous other positions, Mr. Elovich is a former Chairman of the Nassau County Bar Associations legislative committee and past President of the Long Beach Lawyers Association. He currently serves as the senior member of the Board of Trustees at the Long Beach Medical Center.

Mr. Elovich is a member of the Lynbrook Elks Lodge and was a past Exalted Ruler of the Long Beach Elks as well as an Executive Deputy District Governor and Zone Chairman of the Nassau County Lions. While attending law school, Mr. Elovich served as a Long Beach Special Patrolman for two years as well as serving as a volunteer fireman for the City of Long Beach Fire Department.

Currently residing in Long Beach with his wife of 43 years, Mr. Elovich enjoys general physical fitness activities and spending time with his three daughters and seven grandchildren.

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John Fabio served as Vice President of the Nassau Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation from 2001 to 2009. Previously, he served as an Educational Administrator with the New York City Board of Education SPARK (Students Assistance) Program, before retiring in 2001 after 32 years of service.

During his tenure with the Board of Education he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of SPARK in 25 Queens public high schools. Mr. Fabio also served as an adjunct college instructor in the Queens College Counselor Education program and the Department of Health Sciences at Brooklyn College.

In 1993 Mr. Fabio was elected to the North Hempstead Town Council where he served until 1997. Prior to his election as councilman, he served as a member of the Town of North Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals.

For the past 30 years Mr. Fabio has been an active leader in community and civic affairs. He has severed as secretary to the Board of the Education and Assistance Corporation (EAC). He currently serves as president of the Greenvale Civic Association and was a founding member and past president of the North Hempstead Civic Coalition. Mr. Fabio also served as a member of the North Hempstead Councilmanic District Commission.

Mr. Fabio received his B.A. and M.S. degrees from Queens College, certification for Health Education from Brooklyn College, and New York State School Administrator and Supervisor certification from C.W. Post College.

Mr. Fabio and his wife have resided in Nassau County for the past 35 years.

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Michael Fragin is a partner at the Ducat Investment Group, LP, an investment firm focusing on opportunities in real estate and mortgage debt throughout the United States. Prior to Ducat, Michael was a Managing Director at Paramount BioCapital, a life sciences merchant bank located in New York City.

Before entering the private sector, Michael served as Vice President of Strategic Planning at the Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) where he oversaw the Authority's major capital development projects and was the liaison between the authority, the Bloomberg Administration, and other agencies redeveloping the World Trade Center site.

 Prior to the BPCA, Mr. Fragin served as Executive Assistant to Governor George Pataki covering a wide range of political and policy areas. Previously, Mr. Fragin was CFO and executive director of the New York based Afikim Foundation where he was vital to the development and funding of educational projects worldwide. Mr. Fragin helped found and develop companies in the telecommunications and technology sectors prior to attending business school.

Mr. Fragin graduated from Yeshiva University, Magna Cum Laude, with a degree in Economics and obtained his MBA in Finance and Management from Columbia Business School.

Mr. Fragin also serves as a Trustee and Fire Commissioner of the Incorporated Village of Lawrence in Nassau County. Fragin has been a political columnist with the Jewish Star newspaper, served for several years as a firefighter with the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department, and is an active Emergency Medical Technician with the Hatzalah Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Fragin participated in the rescue effort at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001, aiding dozens of wounded. Mr. Fragin, his wife and five children reside in Lawrence.

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Christopher M. Hahn heads the Government Relations & Regulatory Affairs group for Meltzer Lippe.

Christopher has held several high level positions in government and the Non-Profit world prior to joining the firm. In January of 2009, Governor David Patterson appointed Christopher a Trustee of the Long Island Power Authority where he helps oversee the second largest public utility in the United States. Christopher has worked with many top national, state and local elected officials during his career including United States Senator, Charles E. Schumer (D-NY).

Prior to joining the firm, Christopher led United Way of Long Island during one of the most critical transitions in its history. He tirelessly worked to effectively move the organization from a traditional allocation-based model to a Community Impact operational plan. Christopher is a true champion of optimization and collaboration among Long Island's nonprofit organizations, and has worked tirelessly to create efficient and effective non-profits. Prior to joining United Way, he served as Chief Deputy County Executive for Nassau County, the top appointed post in the Suozzi administration. He directed and managed the daily administration, communications and operations of Nassau County government, which consisted of a $2.6 billion budget, 8,700 employees and 47 departments.

During his tenure, he helped to create the Nassau County Empire Zone and protect open space under the Environmental Bond Act; engaged in various downtown revitalization efforts; and proposed a no tax increase budget that was unanimously passed by the Legislature. Hahn was also charged with implementing and managing Suozzi's aggressive campaign to save the Cradle of Aviation Museum. Within weeks, Christopher raised more than $700,000 for the museum, which was more than the Cradle of Aviation had fundraised in the entire previous year.

Christopher's earlier career posts included working as a Senior Associate in the government group of Holland and Knight, LLP and serving as the Long Island Director for United States Senator Charles E. Schumer for five years. While working for Senator Schumer, Hahn facilitated all of the Senator's regional priorities. Among his accomplishments were coordinating and supervising all regional post 9-11 Homeland Security activities on the Senator's behalf; securing all of the permits for a massive beach re-nourishment project for Fire Island communities and a coastal preservation project from Montauk Point to Fire Island Inlet; spearheading the Senator's initiative to clean up Brookhaven National Lab; and assisting in the establishment of the Long Island American Viticulture Area for the Long Island wine industry.

Christopher is a graduate of SUNY Albany where he competed in NCAA Football and was Student Body President and St. John's University School of Law, where he received a Public Interest Fellowship. He lives in Setauket with his wife, Kara and daughters, Karina and Hope.

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James C. Herrmann is the President of James C. Herrmann & Associates, Ltd., (JCH) a full service insurance agency and brokerage with offices in Rockville Centre, New York, Denver, Colorado and Atlanta, Georgia.

JCH has obtained National recognition as a leading provider of Environmental Risk Management & Insurance Services for commercial lending, mergers & acquisitions and Brownfield redevelopment.

Jim began his insurance career in 1986, specializing in healthcare professional liability and financial services. Today, these two areas represent a significant portion of JCH’s business as they insure many health care facilities, physicians and not-for-profit agencies. JCH is also the endorsed provider of environmental insurance for The Community Bankers Association of New York State with many prestigious lending clients.

Jim has been a speaker and participant at numerous national Brownfield and environmental insurance meetings and was honored to speak at the Brownfields Summit at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC.

Jim is an Ex-Captain in The Rockville Centre Volunteer Fire Department, a Past President of The Friends of Mercy Medical Center and a past member of the Board of Directors of Mercy Medical Center and Our Lady of Consolation Nursing Home.

Jim resides in Nassau with his wife Donna, son James and twin daughters, Emma and Sarah.

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Neal Lewis is an attorney with a broad range of experience in both civic and environmental matters. He is the former Executive Director of the Long Island Neighborhood Network, and is active on environmental issues. His extensive experience in organizing cooperative efforts involving large coalitions and study groups has helped enact policy changes at various governmental levels. Current project initiatives at the Sustainability Institute include the Clean Energy Leadership Task Force, the LI Clean Energy Roundtable, and the Long Island Interfaith Environmental Network. 

In addition to his commitment to the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College, Neal currently serves as a member of the Nassau County Planning Commission, the Nassau County Environmental Bond Act Advisory Committee, and was appointed by the Suffolk County Legislature to Co-Chair the Carbon Cap Committee and Suffolk County’s Homestead A-Syst Committee to develop an informational program for Suffolk residents to reduce risks associated with pesticide usage. 

Neal was previously a member of the Nassau County Charter Revision Commission, which rewrote the charter (constitution) of Nassau County, to make it consistent with the one-person, one-vote constitutional principle. Neal authored and advocated in favor of budgetary, good-government, and environmental reforms that were adopted as amendments to the new Charter of Nassau County. Regarding service on the Charter Revision Commission, the Newsdayeditorial board wrote: “Nobody brought a greater sense of civic responsibility to the charter-revision effort than Neal Lewis.” (“Politicians Imperil Nassau’s Reforms,” Newsday editorial, September 19, 1994)

As an environmental attorney, Neal successfully litigated a case decided at the Appellate Division in New York on the question of pesticides used by golf courses (S.P.A.C.E. v. HURLEY, 739 N.Y.S.2d 164(2d Dept 2002)). He was also successful with a case raising similar issues at the lower court level against Suffolk County (Lewis v. Gaffney). 

Neal received his bachelor ‘s degree from SUNY New Paltz and Juris Doctor from CUNY Law School. He is a graduate of the first Energeia class (2006) at Molloy College, and completed the Columbia Business School Institute for Not-for-profit Management’s Leadership Development Program (2003).

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Susan Gordon Ryan has held a variety of executive level positions in the field of education, government, and not for profits. She has had a distinguished career. She began her career as a special education teacher at the Henry Viscardi School in Albertson, NY.

After her special education career, she worked for the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historical Preservation. She founded the “Empire State Games for the Physically Challenged,” a fitness and competition program for people with disabilities, which serve approximately, 2000 children per year. She was able to use her personal and professional background to develop this unique and innovative program that is celebrating its 24th year.

She is also the first woman to serve as Long Island Regional Director for the NYS Parks, largest and busiest state park region. She coordinated all administration, programs, events and activities throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.

After her 12-year tenure with the government, she moved on to work in the not-for-profit field including corporate and foundation relations at St. John’s University. She also coordinated government relations, special events and fundraising for several other not-for-profits. Before returning to the National Center for Disability Services, now known as ABILITIES, she served as the Chief Deputy Parks Commissioner for Nassau County Parks.

She has been the recipient of numerous awards and acknowledgement including NY Senate Woman of Distinction. She has served on the Nassau County Environmental Bond Act Committee and is a member of the Energeia Partnership.

Susan resides in Point Lookout with her husband Francis X. Ryan and children, Shayne and Taylor.

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Suzette C. Smookler of Port Jefferson, New York has had a distinguished career in healthcare and education. She currently is the Administrator for Hospitality Services at Stony Brook Medical Center.

Ms. Smookler served on the Port Jefferson School District Board of Education from 1996 to 2002 and for four years as President. She is a registered dietitian and served as the President of the Long Island Dietetic Association from 1984 to 1985.

Ms. Smookler was employed by the New York State Department of Health – Office of Health Systems Management from 1980-1991. In this role she monitored Long Island hospitals and long term care facilities for compliance to New York State and Federal codes and regulations.

Ms. Smookler earned her Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University and her Masters; Health Care Policy and Management from Stony Brook University.

Suzette was born in Glen Cove and raised in Nassau County. She and her husband have resided in Suffolk County for the past 33 years. They have three grown sons.

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Mr. Waldman is partner in charge of commercial audit practice development at Holtz Rubenstein Reminick LLP.  Mr. Waldman began his career in the Long Island office of KPMG, where he was the partner in charge of the audit practice and became Managing Partner in 1994. He has worked with publicly- and privately-held manufacturing and distribution companies, technology firms, as well as not-for-profit organizations.

Mr. Waldman has made significant contributions to the community with his membership in organizations including the Long Island United Way, the Long Island Association (LIA), the Long Island Philharmonic, the Jewish National Fund, and the Nassau County chapter of the New York State Society of CPAs.

He also has devoted time and energy to philanthropic organizations including the American Heart Association, the National Center for Disability Services, Long Island Children’s Museum, Family Service Association, American Jewish Committee, and Our Lady of Consolation Geriatric Care Center. Education is a priority to Mr. Waldman. He has served on the Board of Education of the East Williston Union Free School District and as treasurer of the Nassau/Suffolk School Boards Association.

He currently is chairman of the LIA Education Committee. An active alumnus of Hofstra University, he serves on the Alumni Association of the Frank G. Zarb School of Business and its Dean’s Council. He is an Associate Adjunct Professor of Accounting at Hofstra and is on the Advisory Board of the Long Island University School of Professional Accountancy.

His commitment to his community has resulted in numerous awards and citations from the organizations with which he has been involved.

Mr. Waldman earned Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science degrees from Hofstra University.

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Diana Weir is Executive Vice-President of the Long Island Housing Partnership (LIHP), the largest not-for-profit developer of affordable workforce housing on Long Island.

Prior to joining LIHP, Ms. Weir served as the first Hispanic councilwoman on the East Hampton Town Board. From 1994 to 1999, she served as Chief-Of-Staff for New York’s First Congressional District, directing the overall operations of the Washington and Long Island district offices; advising on major policy issues, overseeing constituent services, interacting with community groups, constituents, elected officials, the news media and all levels of government.

Before working in government, Ms. Weir was Senior Vice-President at the Bank of The Hamptons, in charge of branch administration, including human resources and marketing, and participated in formulating the bank’s strategic plan. For the prior twenty years, Ms. Weir was Senior Vice-President and Corporate Secretary for Smithtown Bancorp, where she was in charge of administration and oversaw the computerization of the bank’s operations.

Ms Weir was appointed by Governor Pataki to the SUNY Stony Brook Council, and recently served on the search committee for the University’s fifth president. Ms. Weir served as a Suffolk County Human Rights Commissioner and co-chaired the Economic Development panel at the Long Island Hispanic Leadership Summit. Ms. Weir received many awards for her community work, among them New York City El Diario / La Prensa’s “Distinguished Latinas,” Suffolk County Hispanic Heritage Month’s “Hispanic Role Model” and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s “Small Business Minority Advocate of the Year.”

Diana has a son and daughter, three grandchildren and resides in Wainscott, New York.

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