No rush to retire for Abilities CEO

We reported three weeks ago that Edmund Cortez was retiring as chief executive of Abilities Inc., the Albertson-based organization that helps train people with developmental and physical disabilities for manufacturing and technology jobs. We also said he did not return calls seeking comment.

Earlier this week, Cortez did phone back and explained that he deliberately avoided previous calls because Abilities had not yet implemented a process for selecting a new chief executive.

But Cortez, who has been Abilities' chief executive for 16 years, said he does not really know when he is retiring.

"It's an open-ended retirement," he said.

Cortez told the Abilities board in January that his current three-year contract, which ends next year, would be his last. But, he added, "If they can't replace me by June 2011, I will stay on for as long as it takes for them to find a replacement."

The search has begun for a successor.

Meanwhile, Cortez confirmed that the state comptroller's office is auditing the Henry Viscardi School, which is a part of Abilities and is on the Abilities' grounds. A spokeswoman for the comptroller's office said it began the audit seven months ago. "We are auditing school expenses," she said, adding that she could not elaborate.

Cortez said the Viscardi School is one of a number of such institutions across the state being audited by the comptroller. "It was our turn," he said.

Regarding his retirement, whenever that is, Cortez said he looks forward to "the next part of my life." But, he added, leaving "is always difficult."

Cortez's retirement might be eased, though, by the $263,000 in deferred compensation he received in 2008, according to Abilities' compensation committee. The committee said that Cortez's retirement plan was put into place in 1997, and has not yet been paid out to him "but is being maintained to fund" his future retirement.

In 2008, Cortez received a base salary of $330,000, incentive compensation of $135,000 and $23,000 in benefits. Including the deferred compensation, that totals $751,000.

Able Newspaper, a monthly publication based in Bethpage, first mentioned Cortez's compensation. Able cited a Web site, charitynavigator.org, which said the average salary for chief executives of nonprofits in the Northeast was $200,000 in 2009.

Abilities' compensation committee said Cortez's compensation is "set annually" by its board after an "in-depth evaluation" of his job performance.