New Trustee Joins Lynbrook Village Board

It's a new-look board for the Village of Lynbrook at the start of 2011.

At Monday's village board meeting, Thomas Atkinson was appointed to the board to fill the trustee's seat vacated by Bill Hendrick Alan Beach was named the new deputy mayor. The board once again has a full five-member board.

Atkinson previously worked as a village prosecutor, working for village courts to uphold municipal laws and ordinances. He is a lifelong resident, attending and Chaminade High School. He studied law at Villanova University and Rutgers University.

The new trustee said he was honored to be asked to join the board. "Anytime you receive a call to serve the people of the village, it's incredibly humbling," Atkinson said. "If you know me, I'm not the smartest guy in the world, I'm not the most educated, but I'll never be outworked."

Beach, who along with Hendrick was elected in 2007, expressed his appreciation to the board and residents for supporting him in his role as village trustee. The new deputy mayor also said he is proud that people from other villages compliment him on the great job the village board is doing to help improve Lynbrook.

"I am humbled and honored, and at the same time excited, to have received the trust of my fellow board members," an emotional Beach said at the meeting. "I want to let [residents] know that this board will do everything in its power to keep Lynbrook the best place to live with families, and I feel fortunate to serve the people of Lynbrook."

For his part, Hendrick said he's grateful to have the village board that he does, because he believes they are all the right people to help navigate tough times ahead. The new mayor also made his State of the Village address on Monday night.

"I think this is a very balanced board and certainly has the right four trustees to enter unto a bad time, a bad economy that Lynbrook has been beating back with a  stick," Hendrick said. "And I think these are the people to do it."