North Hempstead names new comptroller after long search

North Hempstead has hired a comptroller after an extensive search and a period where the town went about 16 months without an official in the position permanently.

Last week, town board members unanimously approved the appointment of Kristen Schwaner, 37, of Massapequa Park, to the job at an annual salary of $160,000.

The town’s finance director, Paul Wood, had been filling in as acting comptroller since August. Town officials were eager to fill the vacancy after a deputy comptroller resigned in February, leaving the department with no management staff.

"The opportunity to serve as the comptroller of the Town of North Hempstead is both an honor and a responsibility that I do not take lightly," Schwaner, a certified public accountant, said in a statement. "I am excited to be part of the town board’s leadership team, ensuring fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability. Together, we will strive to make North Hempstead an even better place to live, work, and raise a family."

Councilwoman Veronica Lurvey said before her vote on the measure to hire Schwaner that her selection was the outcome of “a long bipartisan selection process.”

“I have great confidence that Kristen will serve North Hempstead with distinction and contribute to the continued growth and success of our town,” Lurvey said.

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said in a statement that she was pleased with Schwaner’s appointment and thanked Wood for temporarily filling the role.

DeSena said she believes Schwaner “will work hard to fulfill my administration’s mandate of protecting our taxpayers’ wallets.”

The supervisor added that she will work with Schwaner to hire “capable and qualified deputies” to fill department vacancies.

The comptroller is responsible for handling the town’s overall financial management and its town-operated districts.

Most recently, Schwaner was a vice president of financial planning and analysis at Hauppauge-based Sight Growth Partners, an administrative services provider in the ophthalmology sector.

She served as an assistant director at New York-Presbyterian Queens hospital and before that was a clinic controller at ProHEALTH Medical Management in Lake Success. Schwaner holds a bachelor's degree from Hofstra University.

The comptroller position became vacant after the departure of Tania Orenstein in January 2022. The same month the chief deputy comptroller also resigned.

DeSena, a Democrat who caucuses with Republicans, put forth a resolution last December to hire John Morris, 64, of Smithtown, to fill the top slot in the department, but Democratic board members voted down the measure. DeSena was set to nominate him again at a March board meeting, but ultimately pulled that resolution off the agenda.

North Hempstead’s 2023 approved budget is nearly $163 million, and the town has a AAA rating from Wall Street bond rating agency Moody's Investors Service, a rating reaffirmed in March.