As she exit's the Lynbrook Village Board, Laura Ryder joins the Hempstead Town Board. Who will she be representing? What are the reactions?

D’Esposito’s 4th District seat is filled after being vacant for months

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Village of Lynbrook Trustee Laura Ryder was unanimously appointed by the Hempstead Town Board on March 14 as councilwoman for the 4th Councilmanic District seat vacated by former Councilman Anthony D’Esposito.

Ryder’s appointment came four months after D’Esposito was elected to Congress. Her work as trustee in Lynbrook hasn’t gone unnoticed by community members. She worked with the board to increase humanitarian efforts in Lynbrook, and she vows to continue that work as councilwoman.

“We are proud to welcome Laura Ryder as the newest member of the Hempstead Town Board,” Supervisor Don Clavin said. “Laura is someone who cares deeply about her community and has worked with local municipalities, chambers of commerce, developers, and civic organizations to make our neighborhood a better place. We on the Town Board believe Laura Ryder is the perfect person for the job, and I am confident that residents of the 4th Councilmanic District will agree.”

“I thank Supervisor Don Clavin and the Hempstead Town Board for putting their faith and confidence in me and I look forward to working together to keep our town a great place in which to live, work, and raise a family,” Ryder said in a release.

After being elected to the Lynbrook Village Board in March 2021, Ryder helped manage village finances and day-to-day operations amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mayor Alan Beach, who worked alongside Ryder for the last two years, gave his thoughts about Ryder the new councilwoman.

“Supervisor Don Clavin and the Town Board, you have selected a passionate community advocate and talented professional,” Beach said in a Facebook post. “Laura has been an asset to Lynbrook for many years and we look forward to her serving Lynbrook and our neighboring communities in this new capacity.”

Ryder is the founder and chairperson of the Lynbrook Cares Committee. The committee hosts a group of volunteers who help elderly residents and people with disabilities by shoveling their snow, landscaping their lawn, and other tasks. Ryder also volunteers with the Lynbrook Community Chest, which provides financial assistance to village residents.

Ryder was named Nassau Citizens United 2018 Finest Influential Woman of the Year, Lynbrook 2014 Woman of the Year, and Lynbrook 2018 Humanitarian of the Year. Some of the humanitarian organizations she serves include the Lynbrook 9/11 Memorial Committee, Christopher’s Hemophilia Benefit Committee, Lynbrook Beautification Committee, and Vice President of the Malverne School District Special Education Parent Teacher Association.

“I think she would be a great councilwoman and a great addition to the Town council,” Lynbrook resident Robert Grogan said. “She is a lifetime resident of Lynbrook and the town and been involved in serving the community throughout her life. Just the kind of person we need in politics in today’s day and age when it seems that there are too many extremists in these kind of positions now.”

Her volunteer work is why she is beloved in Lynbrook and in neighboring communities. She worked with the village board to create additional housing, worked to bring several new businesses to the village, and helped to ensure  neighborhood police, fire, and emergency personnel have the tools they need.

After working with the Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce to attract new businesses to the village, the chamber extended its congratulations to Ryder in a Facebook post. “The Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce congratulates Laura Ryder as she becomes the Town of Hempstead Councilwoman. We are so proud to call her our friend. Best wishes to you, Laura!”

As Ryder fills D’Esposito’s seat, she wanted to share her gratitude for him and the work he’s done as councilman. “Congressman Anthony D’Esposito is one of the greatest public servants to ever represent the 4th Councilmanic District,” she said in a release. “I want to thank him for everything he has done for our community. I vow to continue his legacy of hard work and caring in serving the residents of America’s largest township.”

D’Esposito returned the compliment.

“Laura is a good friend and she comes from a great family,” D’Esposito said. “She’s done a great job being a trustee in the village of Lynbrook. She is going to work hard and I have her back 100 percent. I look forward to working with her and I know that she will continue the great representation of the 4th Councilmanic District.”