Dem party official to head Curran’s 35-member transition team

Nassau County Executive-elect Laura Curran rolled out her transition team on Monday, naming a prominent Democratic Party official as chairman even as she said her administration will keep its promise to prioritize qualifications over political affiliations.

Curran’s team to recommend candidates for top county posts consists of 35 people, including Republican and Democratic elected officials, developers, philanthropists, union presidents, and leaders of local universities, hospitals, religious institutions and nonprofits.

Thomas Garry, a managing partner at the Uniondale law firm of Harris Beach and vice chairman of the Nassau County Democratic Committee, will lead the group — which launched a website, www.nassautransition2017.com, to accept applications for appointed jobs in the Curran administration.

Curran, a Democratic county legislator who often railed against patronage during her campaign, has pledged to base hiring on “what you know, not who you know.”

Her campaign declined to make her available for an interview on Monday, but released a statement in which Curran said the team would help “rebuild our government with qualified and talented individuals who are going to help end the culture of corruption and bring a fresh start to Nassau County.”

Garry said he understood why some might question if his role in the transition suggests the party will have outsize influence over Curran. But he added: “I disagree with the premise” and said he will not be taking a government job.

“I know what it means to run a large organization and to try to get various people with various opinions to work together,” said Garry, whose law firm has more than 225 attorneys in 12 offices.

The transition team also includes some Curran campaign contributors as well as several former aides to Thomas Suozzi, the last Democratic county executive.

Curran has pledged to ban her government appointees from holding active leadership positions in a political party committee or club, and from contributing to her campaign.

In acknowledging those promises, Nassau Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs said Curran should ultimately be judged upon who she actually hires, not who advises her transition.

“Tom is not taking a role in the government, so I think that’s the critical piece,” Jacobs said of Garry.

Republicans on Curran’s transition team include Westbury Village Mayor Peter Cavallaro and Hempstead Town Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney, who has worked with Curran on Baldwin redevelopment efforts.

“She doesn’t come to the table with any biases — it’s just ‘what are we going to do,’” King Sweeney said of Curran.

By Paul LaRocco

paul.larocco@newsday.com@paullarocco

Paul LaRocco is a reporter on the investigations desk. Since starting at Newsday in late 2010, he has also covered Nassau and Suffolk county politics and government and the Town of Oyster Bay.