NCBA chair Samuel Nahmias runs for Lawrence mayor seat

Samuel Nahmias, chair of the Nassau County Bridge Authority, is running for mayor of Lawrence village.

The current mayor, Alex Edelman, has reached his term limit of four two-year terms. Nahmias enters a race that already includes Benny Goldstein and Lawrence deputy mayor Paris Popack.

“I think that in order to address the needs of the residents of the community, is to be fiscally responsible,” Nahmias said, and “run the village like the best of businesses, which is something that I have incredible experience in doing,”

Nahmias, 46, began life in Mexico City, but moved to the United States when he was 5. He bounced between Pittsburgh and Brooklyn growing up before settling down in Lawrence some 20 years ago.

He created the company STUDYLOGIC in 2005, which studies local market data while taking on large global clients to assist in business intelligence. And then, in 2022, he took over as the NCBA chair, a group that manages the Atlantic Beach Bridge.

Nahmias recently stepped down from STUDYLOGIC, he said, divesting a large part of the company’s assets to create more time for the NCBA. 

Nahmias also has had a career in research, starting at Frost & Sullivan, then CFO magazine as part of the Economist Group as head of research. Nahmias did similar work for Forbes Digital Media Group.

He studied at Albert Einstein School of Economics YKT in Mexico, where he earned his master’s degree in economics and later earned a certification in macroeconomics. 

Recently, Nahmias stepped out of his role as executive chair of the Israel Heritage Foundation.

He currently serves on the board of directors at Hebrew Academy of Atlantic Beach.

During his NCBA tenure, the E-ZPass system has been installed in the bridge tollbooths. He has also refinanced the NCBA’s bonds, saving $1.1 million in interest payments.

The NCBA has urged Lawrence village to repair the lights along the Nassau Expressway — also known as State Route 878 — near the Atlantic Beach Bridge.  Nahmias is at the forefront speaking at village meetings and taking legal action.

Serving as Lawrence mayor would not be a conflict of interest with his chair role, Nahmias said.

“I would step down from the NCBA, if (the mayor role) required more time from me,” he said. “Because, community first.”

As mayor, Nahmias said he’d prioritize listening to constituents.

“I often get scolded by my own board at the NCBA for listening too much to people in public comment,” Nahmias said.

Nahmias said he plans to restore Lawrence villages’ values of fiscal responsibility, something he believes the village lost in spending money to bring a kosher restaurant and golf simulators to the Lawrence Country Club.

“That club runs on a deficit, that to me is not good fiscal responsibility.”

Nahmias said he’d spend money on roads and lighting within the village.

Recently, Nahmias said he sold property that he owned in Cedarhurst to the village there and gave them a mortgage with a 3 percent interest rate, to be used as additional parking space. Nahmias said it was a “difficult decision” but did this for the greater good of the community.

All candidate petition forms are due to be submitted by May 14. The village election is June 18.