Bill Clinton has fall lunch date with LIA, Kevin Law

The Long Island Association, under new leadership for the first time in 16 years, will open its fall season with a marquee name: Former President Bill Clinton will be guest speaker at the organization's Oct. 12 lunch.

Actually, Clinton will be guest interviewee. The nation's 42nd president will be interviewed by the LIA's new president, Kevin Law, who will take over the reins of the region's largest business and civic organization on Tuesday.

Law said earlier this week he will ask Clinton about the U.S. economy, the midterm elections, and the gubernatorial race in New York State.

"He [Clinton] oversaw one of the most prosperous periods in our history," Law said. "I'm going to ask him what we did then that we're not doing now to create jobs."

Law takes over the LIA from Matt Crosson, who had served as the Melville organization's president for 16 years before leaving in March to become president of the Greater Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. Law, who has been chief executive of the Long Island Power Authority for the past three years, has said he plans to reinvigorate the LIA, whose level of activity seemed to have declined in Crosson's last months.

"I want to hit the ground running," Law said. "I'm looking at my first 100 days. I want to get my arms wrapped around the organization, our finances and our priorities for 2011." Law has invited the state's two major gubernatorial candidates - Democrat Andrew Cuomo and Republican Rick Lazio - to debate on the Island in the fall.