Press Center

CECILE FORTE KICKS OFF CAMPAIGN FOR BROOKHAVEN TOWN CLERK;
pledges to restore integrity to the office

NEWS RELEASE
July 30, 2009


Dr. Cecile Forte officially kicked off her campaign for Brookhaven Town Clerk this week. The Republican and Conservative candidate addressed her supporters at an evening event under the stars on Wednesday.

“The reason I am running for town clerk is simple: to restore honesty and integrity to a once respected office,” Dr. Forte told the capacity crowd. “I will serve in the tradition of the late Stan Allen who never put his own personal gain above the people of Brookhaven Town. As town clerk, I will not accept a town car nor will I perform marriages. Instead, I will have a cadre of qualified marriage officers to do so; no fee will be charged.”

The Office of Town Clerk is central to the operation of town government. The keeper of all vital records, the town clerk is responsible for documents dating back to colonial times. However, few of these records are easily accessible to town residents.

As town clerk, Dr. Forte pledges to make the office more open to the public. Her top priority is making more documents available to everyone on the Internet.

“There are many documents, like town board resolutions and minutes, that should be readily available to the public on the Internet. This is what open government is about,” noted Dr. Forte. “I will institute cost effective innovations that will bring the office back to the people.”

The author of five books, Forte holds a Ph.D. in Reading and Learning Disabilities. She is an award winning expert in college and university accreditation, having served as intern Associate Director for the Commission on Higher Education, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

Dr. Forte received New York City’s Technical College’s Presidential Award and was named Outstanding Educator by former County Executive Robert Gaffney and received a Certificate of Achievement from County Executive Steve Levy for her contributions to education.

She is a member of the Town Planning Board and the Board of Directors of John T. Mather Memorial Hospital. Dr. Forte resides in Port Jefferson with her husband, David Pike, and has one son, David Pike, III.

“The Office of Town Clerk is about serving the people of Brookhaven Town, not personal gain,” added Dr. Forte.