Two Manhasset residents are running for one position on the Manhasset Public Library Board of Trustees. Incumbent Charles Jettmar and candidate William Hannan are vying for a seat which is a five-year term. The trustee position will commence on July 1, 2018, and expires June 30, 2023. The League of Women Voters will host a candidates night on Monday, March 19, at Manhasset Public Library in the Community Room at 8 p.m.
Residents are invited to attend this informative meeting to get to know the candidates.
Jettmar is a managing director of capital projects and engineering at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. He has been a Manhasset resident since 2009 and is active in the North Strathmore Civic Association as vice president. He is married to Lisa and has two sons, Charlie and Harry.
Said Jettmar:
“My interest in the trustee position stems from my family’s and the Manhasset community’s use of the library. Serving on the board has been a way for me to give back to an organization that gives so much to my family and the community at-large.
The Manhasset Public Library is at the heart of Manhasset’s cultural and educational life.
The board has an important fiduciary role in assuring that the tax revenues that support our library are well-spent. To that end, I am a candidate because I believe that my professional and personal experience helps me bring diverse leadership skills to our library: a construction and facility operations background that can help to maintain the substantial building infrastructure investment made by the Manhasset community; an academic engineering background that can encourage technical content among the Library programs and offerings; and, most importantly, a parent that can bring the perspective of the needs of young children, an important constituency that our library serves.
I am proud of my service during the past four years on the Library Board, and contributing to its results. An example of some of the achievements during my tenure include, but are not limited to:
• Negotiating a labor contract with staff, that provides for wage and benefit growth that coordinates with those of other peer libraries;
• Producing annual budgets that maintain the Library’s core functions while staying within the New York State mandated tax cap;
• Safeguarding the infrastructure by conducting reviews with staff that address issues with the building HVAC and electrical systems;
• Upgrading the security system;
• Creating a Manhasset History Center that archives all of the historic documents presently stored in the building, and seeks to attain additional historic information from the Manhasset community; and
• Formulating and issuing an interior design services RFP to provide a restacking plan that enhances the usable space available for library patrons.
It was this opportunity to have an impact that originally drew me to the Trustee position. Both my family and the community use the library extensively. If re-elected, I will continue to work with the Director and the Board to improve and maintain our beautiful facility.”
Hannan and his wife Lisa moved to Manhasset in 2004 from Manhattan. They have three children: Elizabeth, 18; Jack, 16; and Catherine, 11. Catherine attends Munsey Park, Jack is a junior at Manhasset High School and Elizabeth is a freshman at U.S.C.
Hannan grew up on Long Island in East Rockaway. He graduated from N.Y.U. with a degree in economics and public administration. He began a career in public finance at Lehman Brothers where he co-managed the $2 billion tax exempt commercial paper program. Later, he became an institutional salesman, and continued in the municipal bond market at Chemical Bank, Raymond James and JP Morgan. He recently joined Miller Tabak as a director of investments and portfolio manager. Hannan earned his MBA from Fordham University, his MA in American Studies from Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and his MPH from Johns Hopkins University. He enjoys reading, politics and golf.
Hannan has been active in Manhasset in both PAL and CYO. Now that his children are transitioning to college, he has more time to serve his community. Hannan is past president of Southampton Shores Colony Club Association which has 225 homes and a $500K+ budget. He served on the Board there for eight years. He is also a lector at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
When asked what he would bring to the Library Board of Trustees, Hannan stated, “The Manhasset Library functions as a place for community gathering, as well as a source of knowledge and ideas. I hope my experience in public finance, as well as my curiosity, helps our library succeed in all its endeavors. The library’s function and operation are interwoven with the public trust and I believe my values complement this trust.”
