After Election Day, the Mineola Board of Trustees had an opening when Dennis Walsh resigned ahead of his upcoming tenure on the Town of North Hempstead Board beginning in January.
As his replacement, Mayor Scott Strauss chose Janine Sartori, a Staten Island native with experience participating in different organizations from Parent Teacher Associations to Mineola’s Board of Zoning Appeals. Sartori said a reason she came to the village was the abundance of resources to have her voice heard and make an impact.
“There was nothing we were missing in Mineola,” Sartori said in an interview with Blank Slate Media. “We found a beautiful home that we love and we’ve been happy ever since.”
Sartori saw what the village had to offer raising her twin boys and getting them involved in whatever she could. She cited using the library, pool, parks and recreation center as the first avenues her family used to get acclimated in the community.
“That was really when I got entrenched into it, my boys got older and I transitioned naturally to parent groups,” Sartori said. “Within the first few years of being here, I got a very good understanding of everything there was to offer.”
At a board meeting in November, Strauss said he had many conversations with qualified residents in what led to one of the toughest decisions he had to make as mayor. Ultimately, he decided upon Sartori.
“Thank you for your willingness to serve our residents and business owners. I’m sure you will be a great asset to us all,” Strauss said that night.
Sartori said it was an honor to be considered for the board. She also said that the appointment was an accomplishment she never set out to specifically do when coming from Staten Island, but something that has evolved from her previous opportunities in Mineola.
“It was flattering to find out there was a chance to be a trustee,” Sartori said regarding the opening. “We had a conversation and quickly established we both were on the same page regarding our vision for the town and we wanted to accomplish moving forward.”
Sartori’s appointment makes her the only trustee who did not graduate from Mineola High School, a fact Trustee Paul Pereira said he believes will be to the board’s and village’s benefit.
She will finishes Walsh’s term, which will be up for election in March.
“I believe it is time for a fresh perspective, and she is more than capable of providing that for us,” Pereira said at a previous board meeting.
With nearly a month under her belt, Sartori said she is focused on doing as much as she can while on the board.
“I have views on what this village could be, but ultimately I represent the people who live here and I’m going to get to know them so we can both see how we envision the future,” Sartori said. “Coming together with the goal of seeing what we could do for Mineola is ideal right now.”
