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==Accelerate Long Island==
==Accelerate Long Island==
In 2011, Lesko spearheaded an initiative as Brookhaven Town Supervisor to commercialize research at Long Island's major research institutions, including [[Stony Brook University]], [[Hofstra University]], [[Brookhaven National Laboratory]], [[Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory]], [[North Shore-LIJ Health System]] and the [[Long Island Association]] <ref>{{cite web |title=Accelerate Long Island|url=http://www.northshorelij.com/NSLIJ/Accelerate+Long+Island|date=2011-01-25}}</ref>. The effort was modeled after other successful commercialization efforts around the country, like Connect.org in [[San Diego]] and other high-tech economies in [[Silicon Valley]] and [[Boston]] <ref>{{cite web |title=Accelerate Long Island|url=http://www.northshorelij.com/NSLIJ/Accelerate+Long+Island|date=2011-01-25}}</ref>. Subsequently, Accelerate Long Island was launched as a not-for-profit organization by the Long Island Association with the research institutions and several private companies serving on the Board of Directors <ref>{{cite web |title=Accelerate Long Island Board Names Mark Lesko as Executive Director|url=http://www.longislandassociation.org/news.cfm/2012/all/accelerate-long-island-board-names-mark-lesko-as-executive-director |publisher=The Long Island Association|date=2012-08-15}}</ref>. After hiring an interim director, the Board of Directors uanimously tapped Mark Lesko to be the organization's first Executive Director <ref>{{cite web |title=Resi Cooper, of Accelerate Long Island|url=http://www.newsday.com/columnists/james-bernstein/resi-cooper-of-accelerate-long-island-1.3657432 |publisher=Newsday |author=James Bernstein |date=2012-04-16}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web |title=Accelerate Long Island Board Names Mark Lesko as Executive Director|url=http://www.longislandassociation.org/news.cfm/2012/all/accelerate-long-island-board-names-mark-lesko-as-executive-director |publisher=The Long Island Association|date=2012-08-15}}</ref>. Lesko will be charged with transforming Long Island's economy by cultivating an eco-system that connects researchers with entrepreneurs and investors and creating high-technology jobs <ref>{{cite web |title=Accelerate Long Island Board Names Mark Lesko as Executive Director|url=http://www.longislandassociation.org/news.cfm/2012/all/accelerate-long-island-board-names-mark-lesko-as-executive-director |publisher=The Long Island Association|date=2012-08-15}}</ref>. Mark Lesko expects to resign as Supervisor in September 2012, and the special election for Brookhaven Town Supervisor will be held on the of the general election, November 6, 2012 <ref>{{cite web |title=Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko resigns to lead LI tech effort|url=http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/brookhaven-supervisor-mark-lesko-resigns-to-lead-li-tech-effort-1.3906785|publisher=Newsday |author=Sophia Chang and Deon Hempton|date=2012-08-15}}</ref>.
In 2011, Lesko spearheaded an initiative as Brookhaven Town Supervisor to commercialize research at Long Island's major research institutions, including [[Stony Brook University]], [[Hofstra University]], [[Brookhaven National Laboratory]], [[Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory]], [[North Shore-LIJ Health System]] and the [[Long Island Association]] <ref>{{cite web |title=Accelerate Long Island|url=http://www.northshorelij.com/NSLIJ/Accelerate+Long+Island|date=2011-01-25}}</ref>. The effort was modeled after other successful commercialization efforts around the country, like Connect.org in [[San Diego]] and other high-tech economies in [[Silicon Valley]] and [[Boston]] <ref>{{cite web |title=Accelerate Long Island|url=http://www.northshorelij.com/NSLIJ/Accelerate+Long+Island|date=2011-01-25}}</ref>. Subsequently, Accelerate Long Island was launched as a not-for-profit organization by the Long Island Association with the research institutions and several private companies serving on the Board of Directors <ref>{{cite web |title=Accelerate Long Island Board Names Mark Lesko as Executive Director|url=http://www.longislandassociation.org/news.cfm/2012/all/accelerate-long-island-board-names-mark-lesko-as-executive-director |publisher=The Long Island Association|date=2012-08-15}}</ref>. After hiring an interim director, the Board of Directors uanimously tapped Mark Lesko to be the organization's first Executive Director <ref>{{cite web |title=Resi Cooper, of Accelerate Long Island|url=http://www.newsday.com/columnists/james-bernstein/resi-cooper-of-accelerate-long-island-1.3657432 |publisher=Newsday |author=James Bernstein |date=2012-04-16}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web |title=Accelerate Long Island Board Names Mark Lesko as Executive Director|url=http://www.longislandassociation.org/news.cfm/2012/all/accelerate-long-island-board-names-mark-lesko-as-executive-director |publisher=The Long Island Association|date=2012-08-15}}</ref>. Lesko will be charged with transforming Long Island's economy by cultivating an eco-system that connects researchers with entrepreneurs and investors and creating high-technology jobs <ref>{{cite web |title=Accelerate Long Island Board Names Mark Lesko as Executive Director|url=http://www.longislandassociation.org/news.cfm/2012/all/accelerate-long-island-board-names-mark-lesko-as-executive-director |publisher=The Long Island Association|date=2012-08-15}}</ref>. Mark Lesko resigned as Supervisor in September 2012, and the special election for Brookhaven Town Supervisor will coinside with the general election, November 6, 2012 <ref>{{cite web |title=Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko resigns to lead LI tech effort|url=http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/brookhaven-supervisor-mark-lesko-resigns-to-lead-li-tech-effort-1.3906785|publisher=Newsday |author=Sophia Chang and Deon Hempton|date=2012-08-15}}</ref>.


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 00:13, 19 November 2012

Mark Lesko
Personal details
Born (1967-02-04) February 4, 1967 (age 57)
Political partyDemocratic
OccupationPolitician, Assistant U.S. Attorney
Websitemarklesko.net

Mark J. Lesko[1] (born February 4, 1967) is an American politician and former Assistant U.S. Attorney. He won two special elections for Supervisor of the Town of Brookhaven, New York in March 2009 and November 2009 and won again with nearly 60% of the vote in the November 2011 general election [2]. On August 15, 2012, Lesko was selected by the Board of Directors of Accelerate Long Island to become the organization's first Executive Director [3].

Biography

Lesko is a native of Washington D.C. He is a graduate of Yale University, where he was a quarterback on the varsity football team.[4] In 1994,[5] Lesko received his law degree from Georgetown University Law School, graduating on the Dean's list and serving as a Notes Editor of the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal.[4]

Lesko practiced law at firms in Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. He then served as Assistant U.S. Attorney for 10 years, from 1999-2002 in the District of Columbia and 2002-2009 in the Eastern District of New York.[6]

In 2009, Lesko was the Democratic candidate for the open Brookhaven Town Supervisor position, which was vacated by Democrat Brian X. Foley. Lesko's opponent for the special election to fill the seat was a town councilman, Republican Tim Mazzei.[7] The special election for town supervisor was held on March 31, 2009 and Lesko topped the sitting Councilman Mazzei with almost 55% of the vote.[8] Supervisor Lesko beat Martin Haley in the general election on November 3, 2009, receiving 56% of the vote. [9] Supervisor Lesko won his third term on November 8, 2011 against Republican Challenger Cecile Forte with nearly 60% of the vote. [10]

Lesko and his wife Karen reside in East Setauket, New York.

Career as Assistant United States Attorney

Lesko served as Deputy Chief of the Long Island Criminal Division, where he ran the U.S. Attorney's Office on Long Island leading all federal investigations and prosecutions in Brookhaven.

Some of his successful cases as Lead Prosecutor include:

  • Muttontown Slavery Case[11] − a Muttontown couple were found guilty of abusing two Indonesian women and holding them as slaves in their home.[12]
  • The Lawrence Aviation Environmental Pollution Case - The leadership of Lawrence Aviation Incorporated was convicted for dumping 12 tons of hazardous waste into the ground of Port Jefferson Station, New York.[13]
  • The Symbol Technologies Fraud Case − Virtually all of the company's senior management were found to be involved.[13]
  • A racketeering case involving the murder of an innocent man by gang members.[13]

Mark also has overseen and managed the federal prosecutions leading to conviction in:

  • The "Asphalt Cartel" Case − Involving the owners of major asphalt companies in Suffolk County for conspiracy to rig bids.[14]
  • The prosecution of officials of the William Floyd School District for tax evasion.
  • The conviction of a sitting New York State Judge.[13]


Major Initiatives As Supervisor

As Supervisor, Lesko has made it a priority to take the politics out of Brookhaven government. Lesko has forged a partnership with a Republican Councilwoman, Deputy Supervisor and Councilwoman Kathleen Walsh, and has appointed a new bi-partisan management team. [15]

Lesko has applied fiscally conservative principals to Town government. He has froze property taxes for three years in a row and has cut spending in the General Fund by 26%. [16] [17]

Lesko supported a property tax cap, a spending cap, and a debt management cap for Brookhaven Town, and voters overwhelmingly approved all three measures, which were referendums on the ballot in November 2010. [18] Wall Street Rating agencies have affirmed Brookhaven’s high bond ratings eight times since Lesko has taken office. [19] [20] [21]

Lesko has focused on economic development in the Town and is the brainchild of "Accelerate Long Island", an initiative to connect research conducted at Long Island's major universities and research institutions and connect them with entrepreneurs to create start-up companies on Long Island. [22]

Lesko has also focused on redeveloping the blighted areas of the suburbs and redirecting development away from virgin land through a program he developed called "Blight to Light". [23]

A hallmark economic development project of Supervisor Lesko is the Ronkonkoma Hub Transit-Oriented Redevelopment, which seeks to create a live-work destination 50 acres of Brookhaven owned property adjacent to the busiest train station on the entire Long Island Rail Road and proximate to Long Island's major commercial airport, Long Island MacArthur Airport. [24]

Accelerate Long Island

In 2011, Lesko spearheaded an initiative as Brookhaven Town Supervisor to commercialize research at Long Island's major research institutions, including Stony Brook University, Hofstra University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, North Shore-LIJ Health System and the Long Island Association [25]. The effort was modeled after other successful commercialization efforts around the country, like Connect.org in San Diego and other high-tech economies in Silicon Valley and Boston [26]. Subsequently, Accelerate Long Island was launched as a not-for-profit organization by the Long Island Association with the research institutions and several private companies serving on the Board of Directors [27]. After hiring an interim director, the Board of Directors uanimously tapped Mark Lesko to be the organization's first Executive Director [28] [29]. Lesko will be charged with transforming Long Island's economy by cultivating an eco-system that connects researchers with entrepreneurs and investors and creating high-technology jobs [30]. Mark Lesko resigned as Supervisor in September 2012, and the special election for Brookhaven Town Supervisor will coinside with the general election, November 6, 2012 [31].

References

  1. ^ Saslow, Linda (2009-04-02). "Supervisor for the Short Term in Brookhaven". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "Biography". marklesko.net.
  3. ^ "Accelerate Long Island Board Names Mark Lesko as Executive Director". The Long Island Association. 2012-08-15.
  4. ^ a b Template:PDF
  5. ^ Georgetown Law: Class of 1994: Mark J. Lesko (Page 28), includes photo
  6. ^ Whittle, Patrick (2009-03-10). "Power brokers eye Brookhaven supervisor". Newsday.com.
  7. ^ Strickler, Andrew (2009-01-11). "Mazzei, Lesko kick off campaigns". Newsday.com. Archived from the original on 2009-01-17.
  8. ^ "Final Results of Special Election on Tuesday, March 31, 2009". Suffolk County Board of Elections.
  9. ^ "Suffolk County Board of Elections, FInal Results of General Election on Tuesday, November 9, 2009". Suffolk County Board of Elections.
  10. ^ "Suffolk County Board of Elections, Final Results of General Election on Tuesday, November 8, 2011". Suffolk County Board of Elections.
  11. ^ Kessler, Robert E. (2007-11-15). "Alleged slavery victim's son says mother was threatened". Newsday.com.
  12. ^ Kessler, Robert E. (2007-09-19). "Housekeeper: Couple tortured, humiliated me". Newsday.com.
  13. ^ a b c d "Results That Matter..." LeskoForSupervisor.com.
  14. ^ Lutz, Lee (2009-01-07). "Lesko in supervisor race". Times Beacon Record Newspapers.
  15. ^ "Mark Lesko Biography".
  16. ^ "Mark Lesko Biography".
  17. ^ "Brookhaven Town Board Adopts No Tax Increase Budget".
  18. ^ "Suffolk County Board of Elections Final Results of General Election on Tuesday, November 2, 2010".
  19. ^ "Supervisor Mark Lesko Announces that Wall Street Agency Affirms Brookhaven's High Bond Rating".
  20. ^ "Moody's and Standard & Poor's Rating Agencies Both Affirm the Town's High Bond Ratings".
  21. ^ "Mark Lesko Biography".
  22. ^ "Group Effort to Rev up Economy".
  23. ^ "Blight to Light".
  24. ^ "Rethinking Ronkonkoma".
  25. ^ "Accelerate Long Island". 2011-01-25.
  26. ^ "Accelerate Long Island". 2011-01-25.
  27. ^ "Accelerate Long Island Board Names Mark Lesko as Executive Director". The Long Island Association. 2012-08-15.
  28. ^ James Bernstein (2012-04-16). "Resi Cooper, of Accelerate Long Island". Newsday.
  29. ^ "Accelerate Long Island Board Names Mark Lesko as Executive Director". The Long Island Association. 2012-08-15.
  30. ^ "Accelerate Long Island Board Names Mark Lesko as Executive Director". The Long Island Association. 2012-08-15.
  31. ^ Sophia Chang and Deon Hempton (2012-08-15). "Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko resigns to lead LI tech effort". Newsday.

External links

Political offices

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