Lindenhurst reorganizes village leadership after official's retirement

The Village of Lindenhurst has undergone a reorganization, with a key role recently split into two jobs after a longtime official's retirement.

The position of administrator clerk became two roles after the person who held that title, Doug Madlon, retired in August.

Mayor Mike Lavorata said in an interview that the recent changes were "part of a bigger plan to make this village more efficient."

Madlon, 70, had worked for the village since taking a job as deputy administrator in 1988.

In September, the board of trustees appointed him to serve the remainder of the term of trustee Joan Masterson, 83, who resigned after more than 11 years on the board.

Madlon's old job was divided into the role of administrator, which former deputy village clerk Joseph Barone took over at an annual salary of $113,000, and the role of clerk.

Kathleen Schrader, who had been Mayor Mike Lavorata’s secretary, is now clerk and collecting an annual salary of $94,000.

Lavorata’s former assistant, Katherine McCaffrey, got a promotion to deputy clerk and is taking home an annual salary of $80,000.

Barone, who chairs the Babylon Republican Party, has worked for the village since his hire as a part-time employee in 2004, while Schrader started working for the village in 2018.

McCaffrey became a Lindenhurst employee in 2011.

Masterson said she hopes to continue to work part-time for the village in some capacity.

“I just felt it was time,” Masterson said of her resignation. “Working on the village board was great and I’ll miss everybody but Doug will do a great job.”

By Denise M. Bonilla

denise.bonilla@newsday.comdenisebonilla

Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.