2009 NETWORKING® MAGAZINE’S DAVID AWARD HONOREE.

HON. THOMAS GULOTTA

Former Nassau County Executive;
Special Counsel, Albanese andAlbanese LLP; CEO, Executive Strategies

Through 24 years in elected office at the state, town and county levels, Thomas S. Gulotta has become a legendary figure in Nassau County. He launched his distinguished political career when he was elected in 1977 to the New York State Assembly, and went on to serve six years as Presiding Supervisor, Town of Hempstead, the largest township in the nation. His most notable public service was his 14-year tenure as Nassau County Executive. Through policies that targeted crime, unemployment, the environment, housing, healthcare and the creation of vibrant local business districts, he changed the face of Nassau County.
During his administration, “Nassau County became one of the safest communities in which to live,” notes Gulotta. “That’s the glue that keeps it all together.” The County reduced the crime rate to a 26-year low, and through extensive education and police enforcement programs, lowered drunk-driving incidents by almost one-third. Working with local businesses to educate the unemployed and lead them to private sector jobs, his administration cut the welfare rolls by 37%. “Nassau County experienced the lowest unemployment rate in the region, and in some of those years, we had the lowest unemployment in the state, lower than any of the state’s 62 counties.” He also instituted incentives to attract private sector businesses from other regions and around the country to relocate to Nassau County. “We had one prerequisite,” he adds, “that they create jobs for people who reside in Nassau County.”
An innovator and visionary, Gulotta helped develop an extensive environmental program that addressed land preservation, water conservation, air quality and visual pollution. The program resulted in the protection of environmentally sensitive land by setting aside tens of thousands of acres as green space; the establishment of a water purification and water conservation program to reduce water waste and filter water back down to the County’s aquifer system; the creation of the largest natural gas mass transit system east of the Mississippi through a combination of converting buses from diesel to natural gas and purchasing new natural gas buses with federal funds; and a crackdown on litter and other visually polluting elements, making the County a more pleasant place for residents and visitors. Many of the program’s elements were “firsts” in the region and served as models for other municipalities.
In addition to expanded healthcare services, Gulotta is most proud of his administration’s creation of a no cost, breast and prostate cancer-screening program that educated people to the benefits of early detection and eliminated the economic barrier. With state funding, he added several mobile breast cancer-screening units. Gulotta’s housing initiative made vacant, non-environmentally sensitive County land available to developers at minimal cost for the construction of affordable housing. This effort made it possible for senior citizens to downsize and save some of their investment, while young people were given the opportunity to stay on Long Island.
The keystone of Gulotta’s public service accomplishments was his philosophy of inclusion. He credits “the many individuals, community, charitable and civic organizations who participated in the policy and decision-making process of government” for the achievements of his administration. “Government is not here to decide for people what they should do; it’s here to represent the interests of the people.”
The County’s successful Operation Downtown, which created cohesive downtown business districts, is directly attributable to Gulotta’s partnering with local community groups. Suggestions from residents like façade changes, the addition of benches for shoppers, brick paver sidewalks, and old-fashioned lighting were welcomed by government. “Shoppers were encouraged to shop locally and businesses prospered,” says Gulotta. “The downtown business districts became a mirror reflection of what the residents wanted.”
Under his leadership, these and many other initiatives were achieved while streamlining County government. These efforts won praise from the National Association of Counties for reducing the size of government by the largest percentage of any county in the country.
Recognizing the value of all-volunteer community, civic and charitable organizations, Gulotta frequently highlighted their good works. “By fulfilling their goals and objectives, they not only adequately meet people’s needs, but also save the taxpayers’ money,” he notes. Relentlessly pursuing interaction with citizens, Gulotta maintained a strenuous schedule of public appearances and meetings with community-based organizations and encouraged residents to share their ideas.
“Many of the programs we implemented were originally proposed by citizens,” Gulotta says. A suggestion made by his wife Betsy, a Nassau Community College biology professor and Conservation Project Manager for the Friends of the Hempstead Plains, brought about the County’s sump conversion program—turning many of the unsightly sumps that dot the County into nature sanctuaries and athletic fields, without disrupting their function.
“What motivated me in public service,” remarks Gulotta, “was that I loved the work and the feeling of satisfaction derived from helping people. It was our goal to treat each resident with the dignity and respect that he or she deserves. We handled each person’s issue as though it was the most important issue facing us because to that person, it was.”
He brings that same motivation to his law firm, Albanese and Albanese where he serves as Special Counsel and as CEO of his consulting firm, Executive Strategies, which he started when he left public office. Using his knowledge and skills, he brings development projects from inception to ribbon-cutting by overcoming permitting and other hurdles; breaks through government bureaucracy to achieve solutions; builds corporate clientele; and uses his own database to match one company’s resources with the needs of other corporations and individuals. “Every project is a little bit different,” he adds.
Gulotta’s personal involvement with scores of community organizations has continued. He currently serves on the Boards of the Association for the Help of Retarded Children, the Order Sons of Italy in America and the Stephanie Joyce Kahn Foundation for the Blind, as well as, serving as a member of countless other charitable organizations. He has received awards and honors from over 235 organizations for his wide-ranging efforts, including the Ellis Island Congressional Medal of Honor, Pope John XXIII Humanitarian Award and Israel Peace Award.
Merrick residents, he and Betsy have two grown children, Chris and Elizabeth. A graduate of Trinity College and Columbia School of Law, Gulotta enjoys horseback riding, boating, fishing, gardening, and spending time with his golden retriever, Yogi.

NETWORKING® January 2009