Jennifer S. DeSena, Supervisor, Town of North Hempstead

JENNIFER S. DESENA

Democratic

BACKGROUND:

• DeSena, 52, of Manhasset, is the executive director of the nonprofit Manhasset Community Coalition Against Substance Abuse. Though a registered Democrat, she’s running on the Republican and Conservative party lines.
• She has not run for public office before.
• She earned her bachelor’s degree from Boston College and a law degree from St. John’s University School of Law. She worked as an enforcement attorney for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 1998 to 2001.

ISSUES:

• DeSena said she wants to improve the town’s building department so that applications can be processed more quickly with a shorter backlog.
• She said she wants to make sure town parks are well maintained and town code properly enforced. "There seems to be uneven enforcement," she said. "I just want to look at why is there discretion in whether violations are issued and whether … we need to reallocate resources to address a persistent problem."
• She said she intends to hear the constituents. "My plan is to listen," she said. "My background is working with civic associations and nonprofits. So my background is in listening and collaborating."