Office of Borough President James P. Molinaro
Staten Island, New York
Borough President Molinaro appoints Dr. Thomas Matteo as Borough Historian
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Borough President James P. Molinaro today held a ceremony in his office to officially appoint Thomas W. Matteo, Ed.D., as the Borough’s fourth historian.
Dr. Matteo, 58, of Tottenville, succeeds Richard Dickenson, who died last year.
“It is my great pleasure to appoint Tom Matteo as our new Borough Historian,” Molinaro said. “I have known Tom for many years and admired his remarkable record of accomplishment at Sea View Hospital, which has a fascinating history of its own. Tom has a wealth of knowledge about Staten Island and a lot of interesting ideas on how a 21st Century historian can make our past more accessible and fun to learn, especially for our young people.”
Dr. Matteo said, “I am honored to have been selected as Borough Historian. I hope to bring our rich history out of the dusty archives and into the light for the public to see, enjoy and learn. One way is to create a digitized, on-line library of pictures and documents and make them accessible through a website.”
Dr. Matteo has written several books on Staten Island history and is working on several others. He is an Associate Professor of Business at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City. In 2005, he retired from his position as Executive Director at Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center and Home after spending seven years successfully turning around the troubled institution. Among other changes, he expanded the facility’s Alzheimer’s unit, extended the adult day health-care program’s hours, and increased training opportunities for staff members.
Prior to heading Sea View, Dr. Matteo held several executive positions in City government, including President/CEO of OTB, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs, and First Deputy Executive Director of the Emergency Medical Service.
May 30, 2007