Dermond Thomas, Valley Stream village trustee candidate

When Dermond Thomas and his wife, Kimberly, were ready to move from Brooklyn to the suburbs, they chose Valley Stream for a reason. Now Thomas is looking to serve his community of four years by running for the village Board of Trustees.

After an unsuccessful campaign for New York state Assembly last fall, Thomas was tapped for the United Community Party slate for this March’s village election. “I feel it’s my way to give back,” he said. “Being a trustee is the best way to serve the community.”

Thomas, who lives in the east end of Valley Stream and has two young children, said he is interested in expanding recreational opportunities for all residents of the village. Valley Stream has great parks, he said, and there is the potential to do so much more. There are ways to use that space more efficiently, Thomas explained, without hitting taxpayers for more money. He added that the village should explore grant opportunities wherever it can.

He said he also wants to continue the work of the current village board in tackling the downtown revitalization project. By improving the Rockaway Avenue business district, Thomas said it can create jobs and give people the opportunity to enjoy themselves without having to leave the village.

When Thomas moved to Valley Stream in 2007, he said he wanted a community with a downtown. “You can see the potential all over the place on Rockaway Avenue,” he said.

The village should use different avenues to communicate with its residents, Thomas said. He is an advocate of using social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter to keep people informed about what’s going on in the village. “This is the digital age,” he said, “and lots of people only communicate through those means.” Additionally, he said, the village can find out the concerns of its residents through social media.

Village government should also be proactive when there are laws passed at a higher level — whether it’s county, state or federal — that will affect the residents of Valley Stream.

Thomas, a corporate attorney, said he believes his experience with mergers gives him an understanding of finance that will make him an asset to the village board. He also said he is committed to public service and won’t let Valley Stream residents down if he’s elected.

He also describes himself as being open-minded, and wants to hear ideas from the community on how to make Valley Stream a better place.

Thomas said if he is elected to the Board of Trustees, he would be a great salesperson for the village. After all, he said, he chose the community because of it’s small-town atmosphere and the closeness among residents, despite being one of the largest villages in the state.

There’s nothing Thomas says he wants more than for Valley Stream to have a bright future. “I’m a family man. I have two small children,” he said. “I want them to grow up in a place that is the best place.”

About Dermond

United Community Party

Age: 34

Family: Married, two children

Career: Attorney at Arnold and Porter, LLP

Education: Amherst College; Columbia Law School

Other: Pro-bono work for non-profits, small businesses and victims of domestic violence; American Bar Association; New York City Bar Association; National Bar Association; New York State Bar Association; Former budget ambassador for school District 13