Five Freeporters vying for two Board of Trustee seats

Two Village Trustee seats are up for elections for the March 2019 Village Trustee elections — Deputy Mayor Jorge Martinez’s seat and William White’s seat. White took a seat on the role after former village trustee Debra Mulé stepped down to serve as Nassau County District 5 County Legislator in January 2018. White will not be running this year.

On Oct. 2, Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy announced two candidates – Jorge Martinez, incumbent and Deputy Mayor; and Chris Squeri, local businessman and member of the Freeport Community Development Agency would be running.

Squeri, is a local marina owner and operator who moved to Freeport in 2001, said he had been boating in the community with his family since he was 4 years old.

Martinez, is a Freeport resident for 40 years, has served as a Freeport Village Trustee since 2007. He was re-elected to the post in 2015.  He is also Deputy Commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Human Services, Office for the Aging. Prior to that he served as Deputy Chairman of the Freeport Zoning Board of Appeals.

On Oct. 19 at E.B. Elliots on Woodcleft Avenue on the Nautical Mile, president and vice president of the South Freeport Civic Association, Joseph Gambino, 38 and Jennifer Winters, 34, announced they were running for the two open seats.

Winters is originally from Lynbrook and has been living in Freeport for the last year. She works as a financial service professional for New York Life in Melville. Gambino is originally from Brooklyn and has been living in Freeport for the last 10 years. He is doctor of chiropractic and practices out of an office on Smith Street in Freeport.

The President of the Freeport Board of Education, Michael Pomerico announced on Dec. 30 that he is running for the one of the two vacant seats on the Village Board of Trustees.
Pomerico will run on the Village First Party. Pomerico is a veteran, 30 years, of the Freeport Police Department, has served as the acting executive director of the Freeport Police Athletic League, PAL and is presently serving his 12th year on the school board.

The filing window for the election starts Feb. 5, which allows time for other potential candidates to announce a political campaign.

Compiled by Nadya Nataly