MINEOLA, NY (TIP): Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano announced an independent, nonpartisan, blue-ribbon panel charged with objectively reviewing Nassau County’s contracting process -which was revamped in 2000. The panel is chaired by former Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) Chairman and former NASDAQ Chairman Frank Zarb, and includes former Keyspan CEO Robert Catell and current Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz.

County Executive Mangano stated, “I thank Frank Zarb, Robert Catell and Stuart Rabinowitz for serving in this advisory capacity for Nassau County. I commend them for their civic involvement and look forward to their review.”

The panel is charged with thoroughly examining the present policy, with special focus on the fairness, integrity and enforcement of the policy’s implementation. In its work, it will be examining the policies of neighboring municipalities.

Frank Zarb, the first Chairman of NIFA, serves as Senior Advisor to Hellman & Friedman, LLC and the Promontory Financial Group and is a member of the Board of Directors of OpenLink Corp. From April 2005 to November 2006, he also served as the Non-Executive Chairman of AIG, Inc. From 1997 to 2001, he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. From 1988 to 1993, he was Vice Chairman and Group Chief Executive of The Travelers, Inc., and Chairman and CEO of Smith Barney, a Travelers subsidiary. He was a General Partner of Lazard Freres & Co., LLC, from 1978 to 1988. Frank served from 1971-1977 as Executive Director of the cabinet-level Energy Resources Council, Administrator of the Federal Energy Administration, and Assistant to the President for Energy Affairs (the “Energy Czar”). He led the nation’s energy response to the first major oil embargo. During that time, he also served as Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget and Assistant Secretary of Labor. Frank performed various assignments for the Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations.

Robert B. Catell, former Chairman and CEO of KeySpan Corporation and National Grid, U.S., currently serves as Chairman of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook, the NYS Smart Grid Consortium, Cristo Rey Booklyn H.S., Futures in Education Endowment Fund, and the NY Energy Policy Institute’s Advisory Council. He also serves on the boards and advisory boards of numerous organizations including American Vanadium Corp., City College of NY 21st Century Foundation, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Long Island Association, National Grid Foundation, National Petroleum Council, and the NY Academy of Sciences.

Stuart Rabinowitz was chosen by the Hofstra University Board of Trustees to serve as the eighth president of the University on December 20, 2000. Prior to his appointment, he served as dean of Hofstra University School of Law from September 1989 through June 2001. He joined the faculty of the Law School in 1972. President Rabinowitz currently holds the Andrew M. Boas and Mark L. Claster Distinguished Professor of Law. President Rabinowitz has held positions with a number of important government and community organizations, including the Judicial Advisory Council of the State of New York Unified Court System, County of Nassau. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors for the Long Island Association, and as co-vice chair of the Long Island Regional Economic Development Committee. President Rabinowitz is a former member of the Nassau County Blue Ribbon Financial Review Panel and a former chair of the Nassau County Local Advisory Board. Additionally, President Rabinowitz served as a member of the Nassau County Commission on Government Revision, which was charged with drafting a new charter and a new form of government for the County.