The Flower Hill Party announced Thursday that should the late Mayor Robert McNamara win a trustee race on Sept. 15, resident Claire Dorfman will be appointed to take the seat.
McNamara died in April, after an executive order by Gov. Andrew Cuomo rescheduled the village elections from the spring to the fall. As per the order, McNamara remains on the ballot for trustee throughout any election delays.
“It is unfortunate that state law requires Bob to remain on the ballot even though he has passed away,” Mayor Brian Herrington of the Flower Hill Party said in a statement. “Residents can pay one final tribute to Bob and his dedication to our Village by electing him back to the Board of Trustees one last time.”
Herrington went on to say that should McNamara be elected to the trustee seat, resident Claire Dorfman would be appointed in his place.
A resident of the Manhasset area of Flower Hill, Dorfman received her Bachelor’s of Arts in Communications at Adelphi University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Cornell University.
Following her education, Dorfman began her career as Press Secretary and Chief of Staff for downstate members of the New York State Senate. She then took public and government affairs roles at Cablevision (now Altice) and Madison Square Garden before settling into her current position at JP Morgan-Chase, where she manages state and local government relations for the northeast region.
Dorfman currently lives with her husband Shane and their three children, and is an active volunteer at Salem Elementary School in the Port Washington school district, where her kids are students. She began her involvement with the village as a citizen member of Flower Hill’s Sustainability Committee, where she works with sitting Trustees Jay Beber and Frank Genese.
“Claire is a proven leader and has been engaged with the Village assisting on our Sustainability Committee. She is dedicated to our vision of fiscal responsibility, modernizing the Village, enhancing safety, and improving communications” said Herrington.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to my community by serving on the Board of Trustees,” Dorfman said in a statement. “I want to thank Mayor Herrington and his team for giving me the opportunity if Bob McNamara is to win the seat. I hope residents will vote for Bob so I have the chance to serve them. The Flower Hill Party is a collaborative group that has a bold vision for our Village. They have admirably led the Village through the pandemic and storm recovery, I am excited to join them in continuing to build the best Village in New York State.”
