Tim Bishop during a Board Meeting in 2019.
The Suffolk County Legislature on Tuesday appointed former U.S. Congressman Tim Bishop to a full five-year term on the SCWA Board.
Bishop was originally appointed in 2018 to fill a vacancy on the board created by the resignation of Errol Toulon Jr. to become Suffolk County sheriff. His new term will expire in 2025.
“We are grateful that the legislature reappointed Tim Bishop,” said SCWA Board Chairman Patrick Halpin. “Tim’s service as a former member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and senior Democrat on its Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee adds tremendous experience and knowledge of how to get things done with the federal government related to public water issues.”
"The Authority and its 1.2 million customers have benefited greatly from having Tim Bishop on the Board these past two years,” said SCWA Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey W. Szabo. "I look forward to working with him as we continue to plan for the challenges ahead."
Tim Bishop
Bishop, of Southampton, served from 2003-2015 as representative for New York’s 1st congressional district. As a congressman, Bishop served on the Education and Workforce Committee and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He supported the Affordable Care Act, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (TARP) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. He also sponsored legislation that blocked a plan to dump twenty million cubic yards of contaminated dredge waste in the Long Island Sound.
Prior to his service in the House of Representatives, Bishop served as provost of Southampton College for 16 years. As provost, Bishop served as chief executive officer in charge of the campus’s day-to-day management. During his tenure at the college, Bishop oversaw the addition of four graduate programs, construction of a new academic center and development of the award-winning Cooperative Education and Freshman Programs. Since leaving the House, Bishop has served as Director of the Center for Community Solutions, a visiting professor at St. Joseph’s College, and a distinguished visiting professor at his alma-matter the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.
"I’m delighted to be able to continue my work with the SCWA Board," Bishop said. "Making sure our residents have access to safe, clean drinking water is absolutely essential to public health. Protecting our vital resources was a top priority for me as a member of Congress so I’m excited to continue that work."
The Suffolk County Water Authority is an independent public-benefit corporation operating under the authority of the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York. Serving approximately 1.2 million Suffolk County residents, the Authority operates without taxing power on a not-for-profit basis.