Letters

I grew up on Seafield Point in Westhampton Beach, surrounded by the waters I’ve loved all my life. My first job was lifeguarding at Rogers Beach when I was 17, and after graduating from Westhampton Beach High School in 1975 and Boston University in 1980, I built a career in advertising in Manhattan.

October 4, 1992, almost exactly 33 years ago, I entered the Seafield Center, the drug and alcohol rehab on the very street I grew up on. That experience changed my life. I have been sober ever since, and I learned that community service must be my highest priority.

Living with HIV, I dedicated myself to organizations such as GMHC, God’s Love We Deliver, ACT-UP, and Love Heals, the Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education. For 15 years, I spoke to thousands of students about resilience and hope as part of Love Heals’ education program.

Since 1995, I have worked on Robins Island and Cow Neck Farms, and today I live in North Sea with my husband, Brian, and our rescue dog, Sammy.

In 2004, I experienced a near-death reaction to a new HIV drug; Southampton Volunteer Ambulance (SVA) saved my life. I joined them to “pay it forward.” Nearly 20 years later, I remain an EMT and now serve as chairman of the board of directors.

I was humbled to be recognized last year as Suffolk County Healthcare Hero of the Year and SVA’s EMT of the Year. Over two decades, I have answered thousands of EMS calls, and more than 200 already this year.

My passion for service extends to the environment. A decade ago, I helped secure a $10,000 donation from the Red Hot Chili Peppers for the Moriches Bay Project (MBP), funding revitalizing oyster seeding. Brian and I continue to serve on MBP’s advisory board. I also serve on the board of the STAR Aqua Center, working toward a much-needed community pool, and as a lieutenant with Southampton Village Ocean Rescue.

I would like to continue this service as a Southampton Town Trustee. I want to strengthen partnerships with groups like the MBP, Stony Brook Marine Science Center, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Baykeeper, and the Peconic Estuary Partnership. By connecting residents to these organizations, we can expand awareness of water quality issues and encourage volunteer involvement. I also believe we must preserve traditions like beach driving while ensuring dunes and nesting habitats are protected for generations to come.

As “the mermaid and his husband,” I’ve raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Heart of the Hamptons. My life has been defined by service, and I believe there is no one better to help protect our waterways than “The Mermaid.”

Jimmy Mack

Southampton