Community Ambassador
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Community Ambassador
In an effort to minimize its impact on your quality of life, the LIRR Expansion Project’s construction team has implemented an outreach effort entitled “The Ambassador Program.” You now have your own point-of-contact who can provide you with the latest information on the project, and of equal importance, can quickly address your questions and concerns.
“Community Ambassadors” is the name given to those community outreach individuals representing 3rd Track Constructors, the consortium tasked with building the nearly ten-mile-long LIRR Expansion Project from Floral Park to Hicksville.
The Ambassadors have the responsibility to provide every community along the project route with up-to-date information regarding the project’s construction, crucial milestones, event scheduling, and the various efforts taken that will seek to minimize the project’s impact.
As Ambassadors, these communication professionals are committed to adhering to a series of principles in how they conduct themselves.
The Ambassadors for the LIRR Expansion Project:
Seek to be trusted messengers of project news and information to the various communities along the right of way
Have an obligation to provide accurate and timely information to all communities, their residents, and their elected officials along the project route
Are responsible for creating open and effective communication between the communities and the people designing and building this key infrastructure improvement project. That dialogue is designed to prevent any misunderstandings
Recognize that, at some point, the construction will become intrusive and bothersome. They will work with the community to anticipate these issues; work with the construction teams to minimize potential problems whenever possible; and to aid in any way the construction schedule so that local residents can get on with their lives
Know that protecting a community’s quality of life during construction requires information, dialogue, and accountability. That means the Ambassador’s role includes acting as a personal ombudsman for those who live along the right of way, making themselves available during the entire tenure of this project whether it is by phone, email or in person
There is little question that LIRR Expansion Project construction will create inconvenience, but the Ambassadors will do everything possible to answer questions quickly and fully, and to keep residents informed on what to expect and when.
Every Ambassador lives on Long Island, too. We get it.
We understand that a construction project of this size may be challenging at times, but it is our responsibility to communicate with you throughout this project so that you may be informed and have your questions answered as promptly and completely as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We look forward to serving you and getting to know your community.
Judy White, founder of CJ2, has spent decades building relationships within the media community, government, and the private and nonprofit sectors. White is president of the Women’s Economic Developers of Long Island (WEDLI) and serves on the Board of New HOUR for Women & Children, among others. As trusted representatives who listen and advocate, CJ2 will assist in developing collateral materials that support the community outreach program.
Together with White, CJ2 partner and co-founder, Camille Koorey, will serve as the Community Ambassadors for Floral Park and New Hyde Park.
Katherine Heaviside, Epoch 5 founder and president, is a respected and honored Long Island thought leader in public relations. An accredited MWBE, Heaviside’s firm enjoys a regional reputation for specializing in corporate communications, crisis management, media relations, and marketing support.
Epoch 5 is tasked with fulfilling the mission of the Community Ambassadors, with individuals, serving as 24/7 ombudsmen, assigned specific residential and business stakeholders along the right-of-way for the duration of the project. Epoch 5 is also tasked with assisting in the creation of messaging content.
Epoch 5’s Andrew Kraus, senior vice president, serves as the point person and Community Ambassador for Garden City and Garden City Park.
Gary Lewi, Managing Director, Rubenstein, began his career as a Long Island radio news journalist and, subsequently, became Director of Public Affairs for the Town of Hempstead. He was recruited to become Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Alfonse D’Amato, creating a New York-based press operation that introduced the then revolutionary concept of communicating with media through email. Following the Senator D’Amato’s first term, Lewi was offered a position at Rubenstein where he is responsible for agency sectors that include public policy, energy, transportation, infrastructure, environmental issues, and crisis communication. Lewi remains a guest lecturer on ethics in public relations before business and trade groups and at Hofstra University, Columbia University, and Long Island University and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the publication “City & State.”
Gary is assisted by Seth Sylvan, a vice president at Rubenstein. Sylvan has more than 25 years of experience in the communications business and is considered an expert in crisis, brand, event, and marketing communications.
Titanium Linx Consulting, founded by Margot K. Cargill, is a diversified project management firm specializing in providing support services in the areas of business development, marketing and communications, public and government relations, and compliance management. Titanium Linx Consulting is a certified Federal WOSB and NYS M/W/DBE, and Cargill is the president of the Uniondale Chamber of Commerce and numerous business networking organizations throughout Nassau County. Cargill serves as the Community Ambassador for Westbury, Carle Place, and North Hempstead.
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