Faces of Three Village: Mitch Pally, Soccer Club President

Mitch Pally is widely known in the home building business across Long Island as the CEO of the Long Island Builders Institute, a position he has held since December of 2010. He has a background in governmental relations for the Weber Law group, and serves on the board of a number of regional groups. He is also the former director of legislative and economic affairs for the Long Island Association, and played a role in the development of New York State legislation as a committee member and chief counsel.

But in Three Village, many also know Pally on a local level as the president of the Three Village Soccer Club, a position he held between 1994 and 2004 and which he returned to in June of 2011. Patch recently had the chance to chat with Pally about the varied roles he plays on both a regional and local level.

Patch: How have you seen the soccer club evolve over the years?
MP: The club has become much bigger in regard to the number of kids that are playing. It provides a substantial number of programs for all kids of all ages and skill levels and it provides a number of clinics and skill lessons. It has evolved from having volunteer coaches in our travel program to having regular soccer coaches. And having the soccer park, our facility at the university, enables all the games to be played in one place. Now there’s about 1,600 who would be enrolled in the club in September.

Patch: Lacrosse is very popular in Three Village. Do you think soccer competes with lacrosse in this community?
MP: I don’t think lacrosse and soccer compete. They obviously attract some of the same kids who do both. I think they’re two mainstays. I think lacrosse has been a very prominent part of the Ward Melville athletic program for many years, and I think soccer is trying to get to that level in the school district program. ... We look at [the soccer club] as a feeder program directly for the school district.

Patch: Let's talk about the Long Island Builders Institute (LIBI) for a minute. What kind of trends are you seeing in the home building industry?
MP: Homebuilding on the island is obviously changing with the demographics. You’re seeing a lot more move into the multifamily units. You still have a large number of large homes being built on the east end, but I think the trend is no longer just the single family home. The trend is it’s now a multifamily and single home industry. That plays an integral part. Our members are more than happy to build them. The issue is not normally finding the builder, but it’s the town and county approval and the land to build on. We’re building homes now for returning veterans. We have to work in cooperation and consultation with the towns and villages. That often is the harder piece than the actual building of the units.

Patch: How do you manage your time to be able to dedicate yourself to all of your endeavors?
MP: The best way I find to manage to do that is to make a list. I start with a list of things I want to accomplish each day. That way I make sure I know what I’m starting with each day and what my goals are. I think it’s very important from a time management standpoint to do that. And I have a very understanding wife who understands my time commitment to the soccer club.

Patch: What do you love about your work, and what, if anything, would you change?
MP: I love doing both. I think it’s a perfect balance between my job here at LIBI and my community endeavors which are to incorporate the soccer club. And my position on the MTA board from a regional perspective. I think people have to give back to the community, and that’s how I do so. What would I change? I don’t think I’d change anything at the moment. I love doing what I do the way I do it.