Rebecca Kassay serves as the Assemblywoman for New York's 4th district in Suffolk County. Born and raised in St. James, she attended SUNY New Paltz and graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies and Communications before returning to Long Island to create and direct a youth environmental volunteer program at Avalon Nature Preserve in Stony Brook. For seven years, she worked alongside hundreds of local teenagers, environmental professionals, and NGO representatives to tackle a wide range of environmental stewardship efforts across Long Island. These hands-on experiences with the region's environmental issues, assets, and advocates drive Rebecca's desire to preserve the natural heritage of this incredible island.
In 2013, Rebecca and her husband bought their historic home where they opened a bed-and-breakfast. Throughout her decade as the inn's proprietor, Rebecca was an active member of the greater business community: her long-standing memberships with local Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, and civic organizations connected her to the hardworking people who own, represent, and work in our local businesses. These relationships and conversations fostered her understanding of the needs and visions to rebuild and support thriving Main Streets, and the immediacy of addressing the region's prohibitive cost of housing and living.
When the pandemic struck in 2020, Rebecca saw the need to support our heroic frontline workers, and empowered the rest of us who were sheltering in place by creating and leading the Long Island Open Source Medical Supplies initiative. Over the course of four months, hundreds of Long Islanders came together to create and donate over 40,000 pieces of homemade PPE and comfort care items to local essential workers and patients, as well as thousands of non-perishable goods to local food pantries. In that terribly dark time, this outpouring of generosity and humanity shone bright, serving as a reminder of the potential held by a community united.
As she did during her four years of service as a Port Jefferson Village Trustee and Deputy Mayor, Rebecca will work to integrate climate resilience strategies and community involvement into governance. She acted as Trustee liaison to the Planning and Zoning Boards, Conservation Advisory Council, Tree Committee, and served as the Village's first Commissioner of Sustainability. Rebecca's public service record underscores her dedication to fostering connections, proactively addressing concerns, and advocating for an environmentally and economically resilient future.
Rebecca lives in Port Jefferson with her husband, Andrew, and their dog, Utah. She is immensely grateful for this opportunity to serve her district and the great state of New York.
