Village Administrator Keith Spadaro will step down on Oct. 9

Late last week, Keith Spadaro, the Rockville Centre village administrator, announced that he would be stepping down on Friday, Oct. 9.

Spadaro, a village resident, has been its administrator since March 2012, when he was hired by Mayor Francis X. Murray to replace Frank Quiggley.

He is stepping down to take a private-sector job at a financial services firm in New York City. “The opportunity came up out of the blue,” Spadaro said. “I wasn’t looking. A friend of mine reached out to me and asked if I had any interest in the position.”

Though the mayor and village board oversee the village, the administrator manages its day-to-day operations.

Spadaro’s announcement will put in motion a search for a replacement. In the interim, one of the deputy village administrators will fill the role, though the village has yet to decide who it will be.

The process of hiring Spadaro’s replacement will likely extend well beyond his departure. He said he would be happy to help the village if asked. “They’re going to do a job search, and I’ll give them my opinion if they want it,” he said. “I’d say the mayor is a friend, and I’ll do whatever I can to help the village.”

“How do I say farewell to our Village Administrator? I can’t,” said Murray. “I wish my friend all the best in his new adventure and thank him for his years of dedication and commitment to all our residents.”

Spadaro said that he would miss not only his six-minute commute, but the people who work for the village. “And it’s nice being involved in decisions that affect your neighbors, and hopefully you’re making life better for all the residents of Rockville Centre,” he said.