Brookhaven Notebook: Town Gets New Deputy Supervisor, Chief-of-Staff

Romaine Taps Panico as Deputy Supervisor

Town councilman Daniel Panico, who represents the town's sixth council district, was sworn Dec. 24 as deputy supervisor. Panico, a Republican, succeeds councilwoman Kathy Walsh, a Republican who served as deputy supervisor under previous supervisor Mark Lesko, a Democrat.

Panico was first elected in a special election in 2010 after previous sixth council district representative Keith Romaine – the son of Brookhaven's newly elected Republican supervisor, Ed Romaine – died suddenly at the age of 36.

"Together working with Ed, and the entire Town Board, we are going to set a new direction for this Town which will be a model for other levels of government to follow," Panico said in a statement. "In a time of widespread cynicism and distrust in government, I firmly believe that our brand of transparent, accessible and effective governance will lead Brookhaven toward a brighter tomorrow."

Former Town Attorney Installed as Chief-of-Staff

Garrett Swenson, who served as senior assistant town attorney between September of 1998 and March of 1993, was sworn in as Brookhaven's new chief-of-staff on Dec. 19.

Swenson spent 15 years working in the Suffolk County attorney's office and also served as attorney for Southampton Town for one year. A resident of Brookhaven hamlet, he studied at Hofstra University School of Law and Stony Brook University.

“Garrett has a wealth of municipal law experience and is very familiar with Brookhaven town government,” Romaine said in a statement. “He is well qualified to be chief of staff and to serve as my special counsel when called upon. I have great respect for his many years of public service and I look forward to working side by side with him in my administration.”