After three years as Sen. Charles Schumer's man on Long Island, Matt Cohen is leaving the post to work where so many other local government officials have gone: the Long Island Power Authority.
Cohen, a diminutive 26-year-old Northport native, coordinated Schumer's effort to reduce helicopter noise on Long Island. He will soon become LIPA's director of government relations. His last day with the senator’s office is March 24.
Cohen will be replaced as Schumer's Long Island director by Gerry Petrella, who presumably knows of the long days he faces doing the senator’s advance work. Petrella was North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman's director of intergovernmental relations.
“Matt Cohen was an incredible gift to our office but far more importantly to the people of Long Island,” Schumer said. “We will miss him so.”
Reid Epstein