Executive Board
Executive Director
Advisors
Steve has called Huntington home since 1994, shortly after he began his career with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). In 2021, Steve retired from State service after more than 27 years with DEC, spending the bulk of his career in the Office of Natural Resources and his final 5 years as the Regional Director of the Region 2 (NYC) office. During his time in Natural Resources, Steve oversaw regional activity across all DEC Natural Resources Divisions (Marine Resources, Fish & Wildlife and Lands and Forests). The protection, preservation, and restoration of species and habitats were his central focus. Through his efforts, and working with a network of governmental and non-governmental partners, hundreds of acres of open space were acquired and many hundreds more acres of natural habitat were restored. Steve was appointed as Regional Director in 2016. As the Region 2 Director, Steve was responsible for overseeing all program areas in DEC’s broad portfolio: Environmental Remediation, Air Quality, Solid Waste Management, Water Quality, Permitting, Legal Affairs, Operations, Communications and Natural Resources.
Steve continues to lend his experience to those looking to improve coastal areas; to help them in the development of sustainable designs that will pass muster with the regulatory agencies and improve conditions for natural resources and for the public.
David is a coastal scientist, environmental analyst, and land use planner. He has assisted communities, municipalities, environmental organizations, and the private sector plan ecologically and economically sustainable projects that restore, sustain, and improve the natural and built environments. He has designed ecological restorations, prepared coastal resilience and adaptation measures, led land use and comprehensive planning projects, conducted water quality evaluations as well as wastewater and stormwater management evaluations. David helped bring seaweed cultivation to New York starting in 2016 as an advisor to the Regional Planning Council on the LI Nitrogen Action Plan. For much of his career David was with Cameron Engineering, a planning and engineering consulting company, now an IMEG Company.
David serves the Town of Huntington as a member of Suffolk County’s Coindre Hall Advisory Board and its Waterfront Advisory Committee. David is also a member of the Village of Northport’s Waterfront Committee. Back in the day, David owned and operated a shellfish hatchery.
Mr. Bontempi has been active in the Huntington community for over 30 years. In January 2019, he was appointed to the Town of Huntington EOSPA (Environmental Open Space and Park Fund Review Advisory) Committee where he served for almost two years. He is a founding board member of the Huntington Township Business Council and Huntington’s 1653 Foundation, formed in 2017 and 2018, respectively. From 2009-2013 Mr. Bontempi was Chairman of the Board of the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce where he still serves on the Executive Board as Vice Chairman and Co-Chairman of the Long Island Fall Festival since 2009. Bob was appointed by The Huntington Town Board to serve as a Director on the Huntington Town Planning Board from 1997-1999. He was re-appointed to The Planning Board September 2020 and appointed Vice Chairman in January 2021 a position he still holds.
Mr. Bontempi has worked in the Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Industry for almost thirty years. He currently serves as Senior Regional Business Director with Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals in the Critical Care Hospital Space. Prior to that, he worked at Otsuka America Pharmaceuticals and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in multiple sales and management roles. Mr. Bontempi is also a principal in the Quay Group, Inc., a business-to-business consulting firm. Before entering the private sector, Mr. Bontempi worked as Director of Operations (1996) for the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s office where he was chief spokesperson during the TWA flight 800 tragedy. From 1992 until 1995, Mr. Bontempi worked as an Aide in the Suffolk County Legislature where he served as liaison to the Health & Human Services Committee.
John, along with his partner, have perfected the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources throughout the life of any JGM project by using modern management techniques to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time, quality, and participating objectives. His insider knowledge of completing a project in Huntington is second to none.
Don Tesoriero is a business principal of Tesori Ventures, LLC. Don started his career in the financial district of lower Manhattan working for a financial publisher. Combining his creative and administrative abilities, Don eventually took an entrepreneurial path and established himself in the Long Island business community as a marketing consultant and web application developer. Over time, he developed a track record as an innovative thinker able to turn a client’s ideas into successful ventures. Throughout his business career, Don has been at the forefront of groundbreaking initiatives that have disrupted industries and transformed the way businesses operate.
His innovative approaches to business and problem-solving have benefitted both the private and public sectors. As a public servant, Don held the position Assistant to the Mayor for the Village of Northport. Don had a variety of responsibilities, such as helping with the administration of local government, assisting with policy development, financial grant administration, and acting as a liaison between the mayor and the public. As a municipal administrator of this vibrant village, he incorporated his business administrative skills into various roles serving the village and its residents. He encouraged community engagement, transparency and forward-thinking policies to affect positive change and improve efficiencies.
Deeply involved in the local community, Don is the Commodore of the Greater Huntington Boating Council and Information Technology/Marketing Consultant for the Rotary Environmental Action Coalition of Huntington (REACH) dedicated to service projects based on environmental sustainability with a primary focus on improving water quality, restoring habitat and supporting aquaculture by reintroducing keystone indigenous species to local embayments.
Don has made Huntington his home with his family.
Principal, Looking Up Productions
A veteran of the communications field, Denise has created and told stories in all media and through all disciplines – from video to publishing to journalism to advertising to public relations, in print, broadcast, videos, web, and social media.
Denise established Looking Up Productions, a communications consultation and film and video storytelling business, in 2010, after a successful career that included founding and leading The Halo Group, an award-winning, 35-employee New York City brand communications and advertising firm, creating Goldenwords, an independent writing/producing consultation group, heading the editorial team as Managing Editor at Appleton-Century-Crofts, the oldest publishing firm in New York, and investigating news and news feature stories at various reporter stints in Pennsylvania and Ohio newspapers.
Looking Up Productions develops entertainment projects and partners with top tier production companies to bring them to network. Denise also advises corporate and nonprofit communications teams on marketing and content strategy and best practices. She has resided in the Town of Huntington for over 40 years and happily raised her family here.
Deputy Director, Department of Maritime Services – Town of Huntington
Mr. Chelius enjoyed a prosperous 25 year career in corporate America holding various leadership positions in the mortgage banking, and Information Technology industries. In 2018 Mr. Chelius accepted a position with the Town of Huntington believing his efforts would be best spent giving back to the Town that had always been so dear to him. After working in the Department of Planning and Environment, Mr. Chelius began working for the Department of Maritime Services where he currently serves as Deputy Director, combining his lifelong passion of all things water related with his desire to serve the community.
Extremely active in the community, Mr. Chelius is the Chairman of the Coindre Hall Advisory Board, Chairman of the Huntington Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) as well as a member of the Northport LWRP Committee. He is a Director of the Rotary Environmental Action Coalition of Huntington (REACH) planting sugar kelp and building oyster reefs to improve the Town’s overall water quality. Mr. Chelius also serves as Chairman of the Crab Meadow Watershed Advisory Committee with the goal of restoring habitat and vitality to the watershed.
Mr. Chelius currently resides in Lloyd Neck with his family.
Barry Lites, Esq. (Harvard Law School ’86) is the owner and principal attorney of Law Offices of Barry D. Lites, LLP, a New York-based law firm with offices in Huntington, Long Island and midtown Manhattan. Barry received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
The Firm specializes in corporate law, real estate finance, real estate development and leasing, construction, asset-based lending and transactions in the health care space.
The Firm’s clients include the MTA, Dormitory Authority of the State of New York and Empire State Development, along with many private sector business owners, real estate investors, not-for-profit corporations and faith-based institutions.
Barry serves on the board of commissioners of the Huntington Housing Authority, an agency of HUD whose mission is to develop and manage affordable housing in the Huntington community. Barry is also a member of the Executive Committee of the board of the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce, a member of the board of Moonjumpers, Inc. an organization supporting veterans and children’s causes, and a member of the newly-formed African-American Museum of Huntington.
Since 2010, Barry has been an Adjunct Professor at Hofstra Law School, teaching an International Business course. He is also a frequent panelist and lecturer on issues such as business acquisition and real estate investment.
Barry has lived in Lloyd Harbor since 1999 with his wife, Leigh Ann Hutchinson, M.D., a Long Island cardiologist, their four children and two dogs.
Founder and CEO
The Laurel Group, with Mark McAteer as founder and leader since 1992, has grown to become Long Island’s premiere landscape firm focusing on design, contracting, outdoor living retail, tennis court construction, and property care. With over 40 years of experience and more than 300 employees at 11 locations, Mark remains engaged as one of the lead landscape designers for the company’s most prestigious clients. Mark and his companies are members of various trade and business organizations and hold numerous professional certifications and licenses in landscape design, horticulture, arboriculture, and pest management, among others.
Beyond his professional endeavors Mark is known for his civic involvement and volunteer work. He is a former school board president and has also worked pro-bono on scores of municipal parks. Mark holds leadership positions in various committees and foundations including as Chair of the EOSPA (Environmental Open Space & Parks) Committee and as Co-founder of the 1653 Foundation (a 501(c)3), both of which focus on improving public spaces in Huntington. Additionally, Mark is Vice-Chairman of the Coindre Hall Advisory Board and serves on both the Huntington Rural Cemetery and the Lefferts-Tide Mill Boards, emphasizing the importance of preserving local history and ecology.
Mark and his wife Tina reside in Lloyd Harbor, while their two children have relocated to Boston. In his free time, he is an avid outdoorsman and wanna-be ski bum. Mark has been a lifelong hiker and mountaineer and has travelled the country seeking the next hill. Additionally, he loves to travel internationally and is a passionate art and car collector.
Greg is currently the Director of Cultural Affairs for the Town of Huntington where he serves on the boards of the Heckscher Museum and the Huntington Arts Council. He is also a screenwriter, film producer and plays the recurring role of Judge Marvin Nichols on Law and Order.
Brian J. Yudewitz is an attorney who has been involved in life in Huntington for over twenty years. His law firm concentrates in the areas of commercial and residential real estate, small business creation and development, regulatory compliance, consumer protection and non-profit corporation law.
He currently serves as General Counsel for The Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society Inc., the Community Credit Counseling Corp., The SYFF Group LLC and The Quay Group Inc.
He is President of Frontline Strategies, LTD. a business development company that works in the U.S. and Haiti,
as well as President of Custom Education Foundation, a charity that assists special needs children and their families.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of Angels for Warriors, a charity that provides support and resources to Military Veterans, PBA Counsel for the Centre Island, the New York Police Benevolent Association, as well as counsel to the Huntington Historical Society.
He received his law degree from Hofstra University in January 1992, and his undergraduate degree from Colgate University in May 1989.
Erik Larson is a Senior Vice President with Morgan Stanley and a Founding Member of HQ Advisors LLC. With over 28 years of experience servicing wealthy families, foundations, and institutions in all aspects of capital markets, Erik has worked at several large Wall Street firms in Chicago, London and NYC.
Erik is a lifelong Huntington resident and a dedicated volunteer and philanthropist, raising money and supporting causes, especially, military veterans and their families. Erik is extremely proud to serve the community he went to school in, played sports in, and was raised in. He is grateful for the opportunity to work with the 1653 Foundation and help advance their mission of Restoring, Maintaining and Enhancing Huntington’s Parklands and Public Spaces.
Erik has a BA in Finance from Misericordia University. Erik and his wife Meredith were both raised in Huntington and it’s where they are raising their three children
today.
Allison is a lawyer and writer who lives in Huntington with her husband and two children. She practices corporate and intellectual property law at the law firm
Twomey, Latham, Shea, Kelley, Dubin & Quartararo, LLP. She has written two books for young people about Long Island history and articles on a variety of legal topics. Allison studied history as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College (Class of 1997) and is active in local historic preservation projects, which is what originally brought her to the 1653 Foundation. Allison is a robotics coach with Long Island’s FIRST robotics league, a volunteer with Preservation Long Island and a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Huntington. She is also the founder of a foundation honoring her late father, The William Sciortino Science Foundation.
Rob Ripp is a strategic advisor and leader who focuses on helping clients build business plans that are both visionary and executable. With over 35 years in the corporate planning world, Rob brings unique capabilities to both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors.
Rob started his career at Chase Manhattan Bank where he conducted merger acquisition analysis for bank branch networks. In 1998 he joined EY as a management consultant. There he assisted corporate clients develop long-term real estate strategies and multifaceted expense reduction initiatives.
Rob joined Morgan Stanley in 2007 as an Executive Director and held a number of positions in strategic planning and process transformation. Rob is a action oriented leader who established and developed a digital reporting platform within Morgan Stanley’s Corporate Services business unit.
Justice Tinari has been a Supreme Court Justice since January 2018 and presently presides over matrimonial actions and guardianship proceedings. She began her career on the bench on March 3, 2015, when the Suffolk County Legislature unanimously approved a resolution appointing her a District Court Judge. In that capacity she presided over a criminal part which included Penal Law misdemeanor offenses as well as violations of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law and parole violations. In January 2016 she began a six-year term upon her election as District Court Judge.
Justice Tinari, as an attorney with the Suffolk County District Administrative Judge’s office, was a member of a team which oversaw the daily administration and operation of the Suffolk County Court system comprising approximately 1,000 members including judges, attorneys, court clerks, and security personnel. Justice Tinari was involved in virtually all decisions made by the District Administrative Judge providing insight obtained by regular communication with Supervising Judges, Chief Clerks, security supervisors, and other judicial and non-judicial staff.
In her role as counsel to the District Administrative Judge, Justice Tinari was responsible for communicating with various representatives and agencies which interact with the Suffolk County courts on an ongoing basis. Justice Tinari was an integral part of virtually all administrative decisions made in connection with the court system including resource allocation, media management, personnel assignments, launching pilot programs, continuing legal education programs, and collaborations with other judicial districts statewide. Many of those programs and initiatives required communication with outside agencies and organizations and Justice Tinari was often tasked with the responsibility of preparing memoranda to those entities to ensure that the recipients were fully informed.
Justice Tinari was the Public Information Officer for the Suffolk County Courts. In that capacity she interacted daily with local, national, and international media outlets on stories and programs centered around court cases and issues. Such interaction is often time sensitive requiring prompt and comprehensive responses to reporters. It also required a complete understanding of court operations and ethical parameters for dissemination of information.
Justice Tinari served as Outreach Coordinator for the Suffolk Courts for numerous court centric events during the course of the year, many of which involved interaction with statewide counterparts including the first annual Suffolk County Court’s Law Day event in cooperation with Judge Fern Fisher and the New York State Access to Justice Program. In her present position, Justice Tinari continues her role as director of the Suffolk County Courts internship program. This program, which annually includes approximately fifty participants, involves court observation and provides students with a unique opportunity to engage with various agencies which serve the court. This position required regular communication with law school deans within New York State and across the country. This year, for the first time, the program will be conducted virtually.
In addition to her duties within the court system, Justice Tinari worked with academic institutions throughout the country to ensure that Suffolk County attracts the highest caliber entrants to the court system in a number of related fields. She was also responsible for incubating, in collaboration with institutions within and outside the court system, ideas for more efficient use of court services.
As a court-attorney referee, Justice Tinari presided over hearings on a range of topics including tax assessment review and various Surrogate issues. She also served as a hearing officer on personnel matters across New York State. (2011- 2015)
Prior to her role in the administration of the courts, Justice Tinari served as Principal Law Clerk to Suffolk County Surrogate Court Judge John M. Czygier, Jr. In that capacity she was responsible for drafting decisions and preparing presentations for a Surrogate Judge who is nationally recognized for his in-depth of knowledge in the field of Trusts and Estates law. Because there is a single Surrogate Judge in Suffolk County, Justice Tinari worked alongside the Chief Clerk of the Surrogate’s Court and the Surrogate Court Judge on all administrative tasks related to the Court including personnel and other facility related issues. The duties of Principal Law Clerk require utilization of highly developed research and writing skills as well as extensive involvement in complex negotiations to resolve disputes relating to high-value estates. While serving in the Surrogate’s Court, Justice Tinari frequently lectured on topics relevant to Trust and Estate matters to members of the Bar. (2002-2009)
After working with Judge Czygier, Justice Tinari worked in the Suffolk County Supreme Court Law Department. In that capacity she drafted memorandum decisions for several Supreme Court Justices, several of which were featured as front-page news in the New York Law Journal. (2010-2011)
Justice Tinari joined the court system as a Law Clerk to New York State Court of Claims Judge Michael F. Mullen. Judge Mullen presided over many high-profile criminal and civil cases including a landmark capital case (People v LaValle). Justice Tinari was also responsible for ongoing administrative matters while serving as Clerk to Judge Mullen during his term as Supervising Judge of the Criminal Courts. As his Law Clerk, Justice Tinari was tasked with communicating with the Judges of the Criminal Courts to ensure all administrative responsibilities were executed efficiently and collaboratively. (1987-2002)
Prior to her tenure with the courts, Justice Tinari served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. There she served in the District Court, Grand Jury, and Major Crimes Bureaus and successfully prosecuted misdemeanor and felony matters from investigation to trial. Justice Tinari was selected to head a newly formed Bias Crimes Unit. This Unit was a prototype for many others later established throughout the country. In that capacity, Justice Tinari worked with the District Attorney, members of law enforcement, and defense attorneys to create a new Bureau designed to track and prosecute hate crimes. (1984-1987)
Justice Tinari began her career at Chase Manhattan Bank where she was responsible for crafting appropriate investment strategies for high net worth clients while adhering to the legal requirements for trust accounts. While at Chase, she was promoted several times, ultimately serving as an officer and direct contact and strategist for select client groups. This position required the utilization of leadership skills particularly in connection with addressing the concerns of direct reports including Chief Officers within the Bank. (1981-1984)
Justice Tinari is currently Co-Chair of the Suffolk County Women in the Courts Committee Mental Health sub-committee, Co-Chair of the Suffolk County Courts Children’s Center Advisory Board, and member of the Suffolk County Bar Association’s Bench Bar Committee. She is a past President of the Suffolk County Brehon Society and past Co-Chair of the Suffolk County Bar Association’s Surrogate Court Committee. She served as President of the Suffolk County Brehon Society, Chair of the Suffolk County District Administrative Judge’s TASK force on the Supreme Court, and Co-Chair of the District Administrative Judge’s Women in the Courts Committee. Justice Tinari served on the New York State Court System’s Foreclosure Program and the Board of Managers of the Suffolk County Bar Association Pro Bono Foundation. She is a past member of the Suffolk County Bar Association’s Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. She has also served on the Lawyer Assistance Foundation of the Suffolk County Bar Association. Justice Tinari is a recipient of the Rosemary Nelson award from the Suffolk County Brehon Society. Justice Tinari and her husband have presented as Pre-Cana instructors for over 15 years.
Justice Tinari is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and Capital University Law School where she was an editor on the Law Review. While working in the Trust and Estate Management Division at Chase Manhattan Bank’s New York headquarters, she was awarded a certification in Trust and Estate Law from the National Bankers Association’s program at Northwestern University.
Justice Tinari has lived in Huntington, New York for many years and has three adult children. She has been married to her husband, Frank, an attorney, for over 33 years.
Gail was raised in Muttontown, attended Jericho Schools and received an Associates Degree from Katherine Gibbs School in 1976, and subsequently worked at Hearst Corporation and Cosmopolitan Magazine while living in Manhattan. In 1983, she moved to Huntington, along with her husband, where she raised her three children, Christopher, Andrew, and Tara.
Upon moving to Lloyd Harbor, she began an 18 year relationship with the Village of Lloyd Harbor. She assisted the Planning Board with the review of large parcels of land that were proposed to be subdivided. Worked with the Environmental Review Board addressing docks, bulkheads, and waterfront projects, and worked with the Board of Zoning Appeals on variance applications. She is currently the Village Administrator for the Village of Huntington Bay.
Gail worked for the Huntington YMCA for eight years and began teaching strength classes after receiving her certification for the Les Mills program. It has been a privilege for her to meet many of the residents, business owners, and politicians in the Town of Huntington.
Gail believes that investing in people is what makes the Town of Huntington so unique. She is focused on maintaining the quality of life that one can expect from such a special place. She looks forward to continuing with this work through the 1653 Foundation.
A lifelong Huntington resident, Mr. Chelius was born, raised, and continues to live and raise his children in the Town he loves. After spending many years in the private sector in the banking and staffing industries Mr. Chelius wanted to give back and serve the people of the Town that has meant so much to him. Mr. Chelius now serves his fellow Huntingtonians in the Planning and Environment Department at Town Hall where he serves as FOIL Officer, Telecommunications liaison, and is active on the Zoning Board of Appeals, The Planning Board as well as the EOSPA (Environmental Open Space and Park Fund) Committee.
Garrett is a founding member of the Suffolk County Coindre Hall Revitalization Committee, is an active member of the Huntington Elks, The Ancient Order of Hibernians and is the longest serving Board member of the Cold Spring Harbor Huntington Soccer Club.
He currently resides in Lloyd Harbor where he and his three teenage children take full advantage of all the wonderful natural amenities that Huntington has to offer. he is very proud of his oldest daughter who just received an appointment from Congressman Tom Suozzi to attend the US Naval Academy.