Welcome Patrick McHeffey to the board

After village trustee Lori Devlin announced her appointment to serve as village Clerk, a village-wide search commenced to fill the soon to be vacated Trustee position. Earlier tonight, mayor Paul Pontieri welcomed village-resident Patrick McHeffey to the board as the newest member.
“I feel it’s an opportunity to put service above self; to give back to the community in a very tangible way,” he said of his appointment. “I also think it’s essential that my generation learn as much as we can from the current administration. The Mayor and Board of Trustees had the vision and work ethic to turn Patchogue into one of the best places to live in America. That kind of success doesn’t come without a great deal of experience, wisdom, and hard-earned lessons. If we’re to continue to build upon that foundation, it’s essential that we begin to learn as much as we can.”
McHeffey, 34, a Center Moriches High School graduate, the youngest person now serving the board, has experience having served on the CDA board with a core belief of creating a good strong community. He lives on Cedar Avenue with his wife Sophie and two children Rex, 3, and Rory, 9-months. Together, they moved to the village in 2017.
“I love how strong of a community Patchogue is. It’s able to draw strength from its history and yet be welcoming to newcomers of all kinds,” he said of his draw to the community. “If you care about community, and service, and friendships, there’s a place for you in Patchogue.”
McHeffey is also currently served his fourth term as a member of the Village of Patchogue Community Development Agency, where he serves as the chairperson of the audit committee and is a member of the Protecting the Environment in Patchogue, Strong Towns and Congress for the new Urbanism. Professionally, he works in his family's bakery, Nettie's Country Bakery, in Center Moriches, where he does everything from baking and packaging to managing long-term business development strategies. Prior to that, he spent several years in the world of finance and accounting, serving as controller of Blue Point Brewing Company.
McHeffey holds a Bachelor's of Science in Accounting at Roger Williams University and a Master’s of Urban Affairs from Boston University, where he focused on city planning and local economic development.
During the pandemic, McHeffey also developed and launched a website used by COAD to help organize local needs and donations as well as a marketplace website geared towards serving locally produced foods called Gathered.
“I’m excited to dive into all aspects of village government, but one area I’m particularly drawn to is making sure that Patchogue works well for all people,” he said ready to hit the ground running. ““That’s a broad goal, and it’s a continuation of the efforts that this administration has been undertaking for years. I think continuing to focus on safe, walkable, age friendly streets can only serve to make the village stronger.”
Devlin, a 36-year village resident, served as trustee since 2006 and as a planning board member prior to that. She recently retired from her position as Suffolk County District Manager for Winebow, a national importer and distributor of fine wines and spirits. She will continue as the president of the Patchogue Arts Council and will fill the position held by former clerk Patti Seal, who retired in June of 2020. Deputy village clerk Valerie Braile will remain at her current position.