New Hyde Park Village Election Primer

New Hyde Park Village Election Primer

New Hyde Park Village's elections are on March elections are on March 15 from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Marcus Christ Hall. Both Deputy Mayor Robert Lofaro and Trustee Richard Coppola are running in uncontested elections.Below are bios of both of the candidates with information they submitted to New Hyde Park Patch.Robert LofaroBob has been a resident of the Village of New Hyde Park for 25 years.  He and his wife Susan have two daughters play golf.  Both girls graduated from the New Hyde Park Road School with one now attending New Hyde Park Memorial High School and the other at Providence Collage in Rhode Island. Bob has served as Trustee for the Village for the past 12 years and has been appointed Deputy Mayor for the past 10.  Prior to being elected to Trustee, Bob chaired a five person Citizen’s Budget Advisory Board that provided recommendations to the Village Board on how to streamline expenses and reducing taxes.  Many of those recommendations were implemented after he was elected to Trustee in 1999.His full-time profession is in banking where he serves as a Director for Trade and Risk Services for one of the world largest financial intuition and is involved in financing international trade for U.S. Fortune 500 companies.Bob has also been very active in many other community organizations.  He has volunteered as a firefighter for the past 32 years, serving as a Line Officer for five years.  Additionally, he currently serves on many committees for the volunteer fire service including Budget, Audit, Ways and Means, Sports Committee, and Golf Tournament Chairman.Local children’s sporting programs have provide Bob the opportunity to coach and manage girls softball for the New Hyde Park Little League, act as division director and coach for the New Hyde Park Wildcats Soccer Club, and coach of girls basketball for Notre Dame CYO.He is proud of the accomplishments the Village Board has made during his tenure including the completion of several major road improvement projects throughout the Village, the beatification and revitalization of the area near the LIRR tracks which included a new train station, new curbing, repaved parking areas, new fencing, and many new planting areas and the establishment of new laws and codes in order to deter over-development as well as preserve the suburban character of the village.The greatest challenges the Village faces in the near future are significant impacts from the LIRR plan for the main line which includes a third track and separation of the at-grade crossings, the redesign of Jericho Turnpike by New York State, and the increasing costs required to support the daily services to the Village residents.In addition to community activities, which are a large part of Bob’s free time, he enjoys supporting his daughters through their academic activity, music programs and sports.  He enjoys family vacations and playing ice hockey as well as pretending to play golf Tiger Woods is Back. He also thanks his wife Susan and his family for their continued support and understanding and is grateful for the many other committed village residents for the roles they perform on various boards and committees that make our Village a “great place to live."Richard CoppolaRichard Coppola Jr. has lived in New Hyde Park for 33 years. He is married to Angela and has two sons and two stepdaughters – Richard, Michael, Juliana and Monique.Richard is a graduate of LaSalle Military Academy in Oakdale, New York as well as Marquette University in Milwaukee. He got his bachelor's of science degree in business from Marquette.Richard has been the president of All Vehicle Leasing Inc. for 26 years. He is a member of the New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce, the National Vehicle Leasing Association and Pi Sigma Epsilon – National Professional Fraternity in Marketing and Sales Management Past President Alpha Epsilon Chapter.As a Trustee of the Village since 1999, Richard has been Trustee liaison to the LIRR, Little League, New Hyde Park Fire Department, Chamber of Commerce, Parks Commission, Nassau County and the Auxiliary Police.He is a 29-year member of the fire department as an ex-caption of the Protection Engine Company number two and current treasurer of that company. Richard belongs to the New Hyde Park Fire Department Exempt Association and the Firemen's Association of the State of New York.Richard has also been involved in the following community groups: third degree member of the Council #2852 Knights of Columbus, a past CYO basketball coach at Holy Spirit, a school board president at Holy Spirit from 1990 to 1995, a member of the Diocese of Rockville Centre School Board from 1991 to 1994, a member of the Superintendents Advisory Council for Elementary Schools from 1992 to 1994 and a member of the Regional School Planning Board from 1990 to 1999. Richard was involved with the New Hyde Park Little League from 1988 to 2008.It is a great pleasure to serve and be involved with the businesses and residences of New Hyde Park. Richard enjoys trying to make the Village a better place to work and live in.Interested in a follow-up to this article?