This is my first column as the CSEA Long Island Region President. Let me begin by thanking all of you for entrusting me with this very important position. I am truly humbled to be here.
I will be building on all of my pre-existing relationships and establishing new relationships for the betterment of our region.
If you are familiar with my leadership style, you will know that I am strong and assertive and won’t back down when I think our members’ livelihoods are being compromised.
At the same time, I feel that it’s just as important as CSEA Long Island Region President to build bridges as much as it is to get into the trenches and fight when necessary.
My first priority is to work with region officers and staff to establish where we have the biggest issues, prioritize them and hit the ground running to alleviate those problems to make this region stronger and more unified.
I will also be working closely with CSEA Long Island Region Director Miguel Cruz to learn more about the roles of our region staff members so I can properly utilize their strengths to work in your favor.
I’ll also be getting to work planning workshops, establishing committees and planning my slate’s installation ceremony.
I definitely have my hands full, but it’s a challenge that I’m looking forward to tackling.
I’m looking forward to the spring, too, so I can spend more time outdoors, which will be the perfect time for me to meet some of our members who work at the state Department of Transportation, buildings and grounds and highway departments.
Remember to have patience with them. Everyone seems to want their roads to be paved, but they don’t like traffic being slowed down because of it, which is something that’s necessary if you want a smooth ride on the roads.
Road workers aren’t the only people that I’d like to meet, I’m also looking forward to attending member meetings, information fairs and other events so I can get to know our members across Long Island.
Again, thank you for trusting me with the honor of being your region president. It’s a privilege that I am committed to showing you was well earned.
Jerry Laricchiuta, President
Long Island Region
