Letters

I am writing this letter to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to several individuals and organizations for their kind acknowledgment of my many years of public service to the East End communities.

As many know at this point, in May, after 17 years, I retired from my position as vice president of Community and Government Relations at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. That chapter of my life began in 2008, after six years of serving as the Southampton Town deputy supervisor. During my tenure at the hospital, I also served as the chair of the Southampton Town Public Safety Commission, from its inception in 2009 until the end of 2023.

There have been numerous other areas of community service that I have been a part of, including serving as treasurer of the Southampton Town EMS Advisory Committee. One I am particularly proud of is being an honorary member of the Hampton Bays Volunteer Ambulance, having assisted them with the construction of their current ambulance headquarters.

Over the years, I have served on the boards of numerous organizations, such as the Friends of the 106th Rescue Wing in Westhampton, the Hampton Bays Civic Association, Hampton Bays Beautification Association’s Audit Committee, Hampton Bays Citizens Advisory Committee, The Peconic Institute, SEA-TV Public Access Committee, Charity In Action — Dominican Sisters Family Health Service, All For The East End (ATFEE), Village of Southampton Commission on Veterans Patriotic Events, and the Southampton Business Alliance.

In June, The Southampton Press ran a page-one article about my retirement and community service [“Robert Ross Retires After 40-Plus-Year Career and Community Involvement,” 27east.com, June 7], and I want to thank and acknowledge reporter Dan Stark for the well-written article. A few weeks ago, The Express News Group Editorial Board wrote a very kind editorial [“Community Service,” Editorial, June 12], and I am grateful to them for doing so. Thank you.

Thank you to State Senator Anthony Palumbo and State Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni for the New York State Legislature Resolution commemorating my many years of community service.

At its meeting on July 8, I was honored to receive a proclamation presented by the Southampton Town Board. Thank you for that acknowledgment.

And, finally, this year’s Southampton Village Fourth of July parade — thank you to the Village of Southampton Commission on Veterans Patriotic Events for asking me to be the grand marshal. That was truly a very humbling honor that I will always cherish.

Thank you all.

Robert I. Ross

Hampton Bays