Mr. Kent goes to Hauppauge
But Chris Kent told the News-Review he'll remember where he came from -- and remind everyone else in Hauppauge, too.
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Former Riverhead deputy supervisor Chris Kent of Baiting Hollow was named to the highest appointed post in Suffolk County government last week: chief deputy county executive.
But he told the News-Review he'll remember where he came from. And remind everyone else in Hauppauge, too.
"It makes me proud," he said of his somewhat unexpected appointment, announced last Friday. "I'm proud of representing Riverhead and the East End, and I'll be trying to bring the thoughts and perspectives of the way people out here think to the county government."
Mr. Kent, who moved here in 1981, also served as a Riverhead councilman and a deputy town attorney before his deputy supervisor appointment in 2005, a post he left two years later to become Suffolk's director of real estate.
"We tried to make a special effort to have an East End focus in this decision," Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy said. "Chris will help us further our goals in that area."
"By Wednesday, he told me," said Mr. Kent, a father of three. "I was surprised."
His priorities for Riverhead include preserving farmland, redeveloping downtown and bringing a YMCA to county-owned land near Stotzky Park, as well as the development or, when necessary, preservation, of the Enterprise Park at Calverton.
He also expects to play the role of peacemaker.
Acknowledging the often chilly relationship between Riverhead Supervisor Phil Cardinale and Mr. Levy, both Democrats, he said: "I think sometimes that's just lack of communication. You have a supervisor and county executive that both work hard to control spending and do what's right.
"If we have them reach out to each other more, that could [help]."
For his part, Mr. Cardinale said he has Mr. Kent's cell phone number and "will use it early, and often."
"He's a friend," Mr. Cardinale said. "He's been a friend for a decade or more. And he's a friend to the town, too, so that's really good. I know that I have a person who will take my phone calls and get back to me very quickly if I leave a message."
mwhite@timesreview.com
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