Burman, new ABLI chief: LI at crossroads

Garden City developer Jan Burman has been named to a two-year term as president of the Association for a Better Long Island, an organization with all of about 25 members. But those members, the largest developers in the region, represent some $15 billion in commercial, retail and industrial property.

Burman, of The Engel Burman Group, immediately issued a warning: "Let's be clear," he said in a statement. "Business as usual is dead and is never coming back. Long Island is at a crossroads. It will either direct its own economic future, leveraging one of the best educated workforces in the nation to reinvent our economy, or it will become a region at risk, one that failed to appreciate that you can't wait for Washington to bail us out of the recession."

Burman's company is likely best known for development of the Bristal Assisted Living chain, which has locations in Nassau and Suffolk counties. In an interview, Burman said the Island needs to rely on its cadre of "smart people" to dig its way out of recession. This is the second time around for Berman as president of ABLI. He served in the post about 10 years ago.

ABLI founding member Ed Blumenfeld called Burman "a capable guy," and added, "He's not a dinosaur like me, and he's not a young buck who doesn't know what's going on."

Burman replaces Mitchell Rechler of Rechler Equities, developers in Plainview.