Petrone Gets New Deputy

Patricia Del Col will become deputy supervisor at the end of the year, Town Supervisor Frank Petrone announced Tuesday.

She will succeed Laure Nolan, who is retiring, but not going very far. The Town Board Tuesday night approved a deal to hire her as a consultant to the supervisor's office.

Del Col is the director of the Department of Engineering Services, a post she has held for the past five years.   

"Pat has had a distinguished career in the public and private sectors and has a deep understanding of the town, town government and town issues. I look forward to working even more closely with Pat as we manage town operations and address our residents' needs,"  Petrone said in announcing the appointment. "At the same time, I thank Laure Nolan for her many years of dedicated public service and wish her only the best in her retirement."

 "I am excited by this challenge and I thank Supervisor Petrone for the confidence he has shown in my ability to serve Town residents," Del Col said.

 Del Col graduated from Whitman High School and attended Stony Brook University and the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology and environmental science and a master's degree in cell biology.  She started her career as a senior environmental planner in the Town of Babylon's Department of Environmental Control, working on that Town's Bay Management Program.

She joined Huntington government in 1986 as director of Environmental Control.  She left town government in 1988 and returned two years later as the department's deputy director. She became director again in 1994.

In 1998, Del Col left town government and went to work for Covanta Energy as business manager of Covanta Babylon. She returned to Huntington government, to her present post, in 2005.

Del Col lives in Melville with her husband and daughter.

The Town Council appointed Peter Wolpensinger acting director of the engineering department.