Engineer William Rockensies elected Nassau IDA chairman
Newly appointed Nassau County IDA chairman William H. Rockensies, left, and newly appointed IDA board member Marco Troiano. Credit: Dawn McCormick
An engineer from West Hempstead has been elected chairman of the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency, which awards tax breaks to expanding businesses and housing developments.
William H. Rockensies was unanimously selected for the unpaid post by his fellow IDA board members last week. Rockensies' election wasn't contested.
He succeeds Richard Kessel, who stepped down after the March board meeting, concluding a five-year tenure.
Rockensies, 61, is director of construction services and a senior vice president at H2M architects+engineers in Melville. Previously, he was engineering commissioner for Hempstead Town, overseeing the resurfacing and reconstruction of roads, storm-water drainage and bulkhead projects, and recovery efforts after Superstorm Sandy struck in October 2012.
“As chairman, my goal is to support the expansion of existing businesses and incentivize new businesses to find a home in Nassau so our residents can benefit from the new jobs created and the long-term growth of our tax base,” Rockensies told Newsday. “Today, IDAs are more important than ever due to the rising costs of both project financing and construction.”
Among the state's 107 IDAs, Nassau is one of the largest with its 161 active projects, having created 11,724 jobs as of Dec. 31, 2021, according to a recent report from state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, who regulates the agencies.
Rockensies, a Republican, was appointed to the IDA board in April 2022 by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, also a Republican.
"Bill Rockensies has the expertise and experience to lead the industrial development agency at a time when businesses are looking to locate to Nassau County because the business environment is friendly and open," the county executive told Newsday on Tuesday.
Last month, Blakeman appointed Malverne entrepreneur Marco T. Troiano, 63, to fill one of two vacancies on the seven-member board. All are volunteers.
Troiano, a Republican, is the third generation of his family to operate Troiano Fuel Oil Company Inc. in Valley Stream. His brother, Vito, also is in the 75-year-old business.
Separately, Marco Troiano started Valley Stream-based Xanadu Landscape Development Corp. with a friend in 1984 and opened the Italian restaurant Il Villagio Trattoria in Malverne in 2009.
James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.
