Jon Kaiman hired as deputy county executive in Suffolk

Stephen Romano

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone has hired former North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman as a deputy county executive to lead the state’s Shared Services initiative, which was recently included in the state budget.

Kaiman, who served as town supervisor from 2004 to 2013 and ran unsuccessfully for Congress in the 3rd District last year, will also lead the county’s intergovernmental affairs and communications team, a county spokesman said.

“Jon Kaiman is a natural leader and public servant with a proven track record of getting the job done,” Bellone said in a statement. “I am excited that Jon will be leading my administration’s efforts to streamline bureaucracy and deliver savings for Suffolk County taxpayers under Gov. Cuomo’s new Shared Services initiative.”

Kaiman, a Democrat, will replace Jon Schneider, who left the post in February to become director of public and media relations for LIU Post.

The Shared Services initiative is a plan in which county executives throughout the state place cost-saving plans before voters.

Kaiman will make $178,733, a county spokesman said.

He will begin work this month following his resignation as president of the Port Washington-based Arden Claims Service, a company that administers court-ordered settlements, a spokesman said.

“As a former town supervisor on Long Island, I look forward to working with local officials in a manner that is meaningful and helpful to them to make government more efficient, less costly and ultimately work better for all of the people we serve,” Kaiman said in a statement. “I thank the county executive for this opportunity to usher in a new era of collaboration and accountability across Suffolk County.”

Before running for Congress, Kaiman, a Great Neck resident, served as the head of NIFA, a state oversight board that controls Nassau County’s finances.

He also served as an adviser to Cuomo on the Superstorm Sandy recovery effort.

Before being elected town supervisor, he served as a Nassau County District Court judge for three years.

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