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Leading by example… that is what Smithtown resident Scott Martella is doing. Quietly, behind the scenes he works tirelessly for people. Scott recently accepted a position with the Cuomo administration, becoming Suffolk County Representative to the Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo. To avoid any conflict, Scott relinquished his position as Vice President of the Smithtown Board of Education.
Scott Martella has lived in Smithtown his entire life. He graduated from Smithtown High School in 2004, and went on to Boston University where he received his BA in 2008 in International Business. During his time at BU he did a semester in Washington DC where he interned for Boston Scientific. It was during this semester that he recognized his passion for government, policy and politics.
In 2008 Scott joined Brian Foley’s campaign for New York State Senator. During the campaign he traveled throughout the district speaking with people and listening to their concerns. This experience solidified his belief in government as a positive force. “Meeting people with different needs and expectations was great. I spoke with seniors and veterans, college students, people struggling to stay on Long Island, people with jobs and those without. I came away with a sense that government had to retool as an institution. That is one of the things that is so great about working with this governor. He gets it.”
Scott has a strong belief in the quality of the public education system on Long Island. At the age of 22 he became the youngest person to be elected to the Smithtown Board of Education. He is also a realest; “The tax cap was the right thing to do. People are struggling to stay in their homes and to stay on Long Island. There needs to be mandate relief in addition to the tax cap.” He is most proud of his work on the BOE to maintain programs in the district. He is also very impressed with the students who showed up to express themselves before the BOE. “They were great… their voices need to be heard, not only in front of the BOE, but in discussions about housing policy and zoning issues.” He went on to say, “I grew up on Long Island surrounded by family and it was wonderful. We have many families with generations on LI who have built communities into what they are. I would like to see that today’s young people have the same opportunities. I would hate for Long Island to become a place where people must leave to pursue a better quality of life.”
In his position as Suffolk County Representative to the Governor’s office, his job is to relay the concerns and issues that local governments and organizations are experiencing. “The Governor has a work ethic that is unbelievable and I enjoy that and respect that.” To make sure that he is effective in his position, Scott maintains contact with all the municipalities on a regular basis. He attends meetings, and acts as the liaison for the governor’s office. “I love what I am doing. I am happy to facilitate for the people of Suffolk County.”
What’s next for Scott Martella? He is looking forward to Governor Cuomo’s continued success as the Cuomo administration takes on challenges like mandate relief and holding the line on property taxes.
On a personal note, Scott is dating Shelbi Thurau who is also a Smithtown HS graduate from the class of 2005. He is very proud of his family and is quick to acknowledge the significance of family in his life. He gets his work ethic from both parents his dad is a union carpenter and his mom is a clerk typist.
Scott Martella is doing what he loves, representing Smithtown and Suffolk County. He is working for a boss he is proud of and he is optimistic about the future. Now if he could just find an affordable place to live. But that’s a story for another day!