Trustee Jennifer Stewart is committed to continuity. From her work in the village to the home where she lives, she is Floral Park all the way through.
Stewart raised her children in the house where she grew up, and from that home, she’s witnessed years of change in the village she calls home.
“It is really powerful. That house has a lot of memories. I lived there with my mom and my two sisters for our entire childhood,” Stewart said, adding that she and her husband, Kenny, bought the house in 1996. “It speaks to the specialness of the village of Floral Park that we stayed.”
Stewart was first appointed to the Floral Park board in 2021, when Kevin Fitzgeral FITZGERALD??? was elected mayor, vacating his trustee seat. She was appointed by the mayor and the board, and then won her first election to the seat in 2022. She is up for re-election this year.
“It’s really an honor and a privilege to serve the village that I grew up in, and where I raised my kids,” she said. “I’m seeking re-election to continue the work that we as a team have begun. I really enjoy trying to help residents solve their day-to-day problems.”
She said that during her time as a trustee, she’s been proud of several of the code changes the board has made, including a permit allowing valet services at restaurants, a law preventing short-term and lawn rentals, and fines for false fire alarms.
“Some surrounding communities allow people to rent out their yards for celebrations and parties or to use their yards as dog parks,” she said. “We don’t allow any of that to keep the charm of the community.”
Stewart said she has been particularly interested in her work with the Floral Park Fire Department, saying that her role as the village board liaison has given her a whole new respect for the volunteer work of the village firefighters.
Before her time on the Floral Park board, Stewart served on the Our Lady of Victory school board. All three of Stewart’s children, Bridget, 27, James, 26 and Catherine, 23, attended the school.
“As a teacher, I felt like it was a unique opportunity to look at the workings of the school from a teacher lens and a parent lens,” she said.
Stewart works in special education in Hempstead and supports interventionists who work directly with elementary students.
“I knew I wanted to be a teacher from the time I was in third or fourth grade,” she said. After teaching in Brooklyn, she left the classroom to work from home and raise her children, before returning to education work.
Stewart said that she’s looking forward to continuing her work alongside her valued fellow board members.
