Rebecca Kassay is a community organizer, small business owner, and public servant, whose diverse experiences and dedication to public service have compelled her to run for a seat in the New York State Assembly. She brings her proven track record of impactful community engagement to Assembly District 4 and the state at large.
In 2010, Rebecca graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a degree in Environmental Studies and Communications and returned to Long Island's north shore, where she created and directed a youth environmental volunteer program for Avalon Park and Preserve in Stony Brook. For over seven years, she worked alongside hundreds of Suffolk County teens, environmental professionals, and NGO representatives to tackle a myriad of environmental stewardship efforts across Long Island. These hands-on experiences with the region's environmental issues, assets, and advocates drive Rebecca's desire to preserve the heritage of this incredible island.
As aspiring homeowners, Rebecca and her husband Andrew both worked full-time, but knew that they had to make a plan to afford a home near to their work and commuter transit. In 2013, they purchased a Port Jefferson fixer-upper, and a year later, they began sharing an additional career as small business owners, converting their Victorian home into The Fox and Owl Inn bed-and-breakfast.
As the inn's proprietor, Rebecca is an active member of the greater business community: her long-standing memberships with local Rotary and Chamber of Commerce organizations have connected her to the folks who own, represent, and work in our local businesses. These relationships and conversations foster a heightened understanding of the needs and visions to rebuild and support thriving Main Streets, and the immediacy of addressing the region's prohibitive cost of housing and living.
When the pandemic struck in 2020, Rebecca saw the need to support our heroic frontline workers, and quickly identified a way to empower the rest of us who were sheltering in place: tapping into her organizing and leadership experience, she established and led the Long Island Open Source Medical Supplies initiative. Over the course of four months, hundreds of Long Islanders came together to create and donate over 40,000 pieces of homemade PPE and comfort care items to local essential workers and patients, as well as thousands of non-perishable goods to local food pantries. In that terribly dark time, this outpouring of generosity and humanity shone bright, serving as a reminder of the potential held by a community united.
As a twice-elected Port Jefferson Village trustee and deputy mayor, Rebecca has consistently integrated climate resilience strategies and community involvement into governance. She brings this commitment to her candidacy, focusing on science-based solutions, responsive leadership, and inter-municipal coordination. Her service as liaison to the Planning and Zoning Boards complements her liaisonship to the Conservation Advisory Council, Tree Committee, and her role as the Village's first Commissioner of Sustainability. Rebecca's public service record underscores her dedication to fostering connections, addressing concerns, and advocating for an environmentally and economically resilient future.
Rebecca's campaign reflects her drive to represent the voices, needs, and concerns of her fellow Long Islanders. She's running because she believes in the great potential of good governance, and the importance of representatives who bring practical, local experience to the decision-making dialogues in Albany. Rebecca is grateful for all who join her on this journey to further serve the well-being of this community and all fellow New Yorkers.