By Bill Bleyer
bill.bleyer@newsday.com
Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum executive director J. Lance Mallamo, who has been credited with revitalizing and stabilizing the former Centerport estate, has left after a decade to manage the historic sites in Alexandria, Va.
Mallamo (shown at left with Steven Gittelman, the museum's board chairman) has become director of the Office of Historic Alexandria, responsible for the city's eight museums and historic sites, a half dozen historic districts and developing preservation policies.
"Lance has served Suffolk County with distinction for more than a quarter century,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, who credits Mallamo for the museum's upgraded accreditation by the Association of American Museums.
"I've been here 10 years,” Mallamo said. "It's been a wonderful experience.” But he felt it was time for a new challenge.
At the Vanderbilt, which once had a reputation as a poorly run political patronage base, Mallamo, 55, and the museum board developed a solid working relationship with county officials. That led to an ongoing capital program approved by the Suffolk Legislature to rebuild the Gold Coast estate's crumbling infrastructure.
New programs have been added at the 43-acre site that includes 12 historic structures and a planetarium. The servants' wing at William K. Vanderbilt II's mansion was opened for tours and a living history program developed in which guides take roles from different time periods. A volunteer corps was developed to maintain
the gardens, and the seaplane hangar was reopened as a temporary exhibit space.
Gittelman said the museum will conduct a national search for a replacement.
Mallamo was also co-chairman of the Long Island North Shore Heritage Area Planning Commission, which developed a plan to protect and promote North Shore historical sites. The plan was completed in December and adopted by the state.
For more details, see the story in LI Life this coming Sunday.
Newsday Photo /David L. Pokress
1 comment:
It is about time that they got rid of Mallamo who is what his name means 'bad friend.' A quick look around at the deteriorated buildings shows the damage that he has done there. It is still a political patronage institution rife with corruption. Just look at how the acting director was hired by violating Suffolk County regulations. Why have they been constantly on the verge of bankruptcy? By the way, the seaplane hanger has not reopened. To have a chance at improving the place, they need to get rid of Gittelman too.
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