Ex-senator's daughter gets county post

Lisa Murphy, daughter of former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.), will head a newly created Nassau Human Services department, which combines the departments of Mental Health and Senior Citizens Affairs with the Office for the Physically Challenged and the county Youth Board.

County Executive Edward Mangano, a Republican, nominated the mother of seven to be the department's $105,000-a-year commissioner last week. The new department's four divisions will continue to have separate directors who must hold state-required qualifications. There are no state-mandated qualifications for Murphy's new title, Chief Deputy County Executive Rob Walker said.

Nassau officials say the consolidation will save $750,000 annually in salaries. -- Celeste Hadrick