Letters

I am writing in support of Terie Diat’s candidacy for the North Haven Village Board in the municipal election on September 15.

As president of North Haven Manor Association — the largest private homeowner’s association in North Haven — I have known Terie as both a neighbor and as an exemplary secretary of our Association Board. Terie, 59, has been a resident of North Haven Manor for 30 years. Her husband, Jon, is a lifelong North Haven resident who writes the fishing and nature column for The East Hampton Star.

Terie’s candidacy is important in several respects. First, she is running for the seat vacated by North Haven Manor resident James Davis, who, sadly, died last February. Although Mayor Jeff Sander appointed Chris Fiore to serve out Davis’s term, it would behoove North Haven to have on its board a resident of the area’s largest community. Terie filed specifically to fill this seat.

Amazingly, Terie’s candidacy also marks the first contested election in North Haven since 2013. This means almost a decade in which no independent candidate has mounted a race for the board and won. The reasons may be various. Apathy may play a part in no candidate throwing in her or his hat into the ring. Or there may be a perception that the Village Board is controlled and run by an “old boys’ (and girls’) club.”

As a strong supporter of Mayor Sander and this board, Terie’s victory will offer a new point of view and help to put this perception to rest.

North Haven faces a growing list of complex issues and challenges that our board must anticipate and meet if we are to maintain our island’s lovely character and way of life. They include shoreline protection and mandatory wastewater treatment systems to protect the Peconic Bay system and local waters; continuing monitoring of noise and rental code regulations that are critical to residents’ enjoyment and peace of mind; management of the deer population and the tick health threat; addressing a ridiculous lack of cell service; protection of open spaces; and the ability to anticipate what the village will need in 2030 and 2040.

Terie has the experience, intelligence and common sense to help lead the village into the future. She retired in 2019 after a 37-year career as a finance executive at Colgate-Palmolive, for which she managed the integration of acquired companies, multibillion-dollar budgets, complex projects, international teams of people, and served as the interim CFO of a $60 million company.

I enthusiastically endorse Terie Diat’s candidacy and urge voters to put her on the North Haven Village Board.

Susan K. Reed

President

North Haven Manor Association