This Tuesday, Dec. 10, there will be a contested election for Garden City Park Water/Fire Commissioner. I urge you to vote for Alan Cooper, he has the experience and leadership we need to restore fiscal integrity to our community.
Alan has spent the past 38 years of his life in public service. He joined the Garden City Park Fire Department in 1981 and quickly rose to the rank of rescue Captain and Engine Lieutenant. He became an Emergency Medical Technician at the age of 18, and later a New York State certified and nationally registered paramedic.
Alan holds a Ph.D. in psychology and an MBA in management from Adelphi University.
In 1993 he was elected Garden City Park Water/Fire Commissioner and served four terms. During his tenure on the board of commissioners, he played a significant role in revamping our fire equipment, replacing virtually the entire fleet of outdated emergency vehicles, including two new state-of-the-art ambulances, and rebuilding fire headquarters, which was originally built in 1921.
He has been praised for being an exceptional commissioner, balancing the needs of our community with fiscal responsibility, he is supported by officers and members of the Garden City Park Fire Department.
While Water/Fire commissioner, Dr. Cooper led the effort to overhaul the water distribution infrastructure replacing outdated pump equipment and water mains throughout the district. Additionally, he approved the construction of a new water purification station to avoid the need to chlorinate our water supply (which unfortunately is now done).
With all this investment, his fiscal management was outstanding, and in his first year on the board, he reduced our water tax rate. When he left office in 2007, Dr. Cooper ran for the New Hyde Park/ Garden City Park school board and served five years as a school board trustee.
In 2008 he was appointed to the Town of North Hempstead Housing Authority, where he currently serves as Commissioner overseeing five housing developments across the town.
Professionally, Dr. Cooper is currently the associate dean of the Willumstad School of Business at Adelphi University and the owner of a consulting firm specializing in process improvement and organizational development.
Prior to that, he was the chief people and performance officer at White Plains Hospital in Westchester. He spent the first two decades of his career with the North Shore–LIJ Health System (now Northwell Health) as vice president for learning and innovation.
In these roles, he has been responsible for developing and managing budgets in the tens of millions of dollars.
Again, I urge you to vote for Alan Cooper on Tuesday, Dec. 10 between the hours of 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Garden City Park Water District, 333 Marcus Ave. in Garden City Park. For details on Alan’s platform and taxpayer concerns, visit www.VoteCooper2019.com..
Michael McGillicuddy
Former commissioner
GCP Water/Fire District
