Suffolk’s beleaguered Department of Social Services will have a new commissioner under the Romaine administration, a former Nassau County social services veteran who pledges to bring a “new era” to the agency.
John Imhof, 79, of Bethpage, guided the Nassau department for 13 years before stepping down in 2019. He has 40 years in the mental health field and will oversee the nearly 1,000 employees who provide services to Suffolk residents in need.
“John Imhof is exactly what this department needs right now,” County Executive Edward Romaine said. “He's a consummate professional with decades of experience. Changes need to be made, and John Imhof has the track record and know how to make sure social services better serves the public.”
Romaine pledged to revamp the department in the wake of the death of Thomas Valva, a young boy who shared a class with his grandson. Reports of abuse by the boy’s father and fiance flooded into the Child Protective Services (CPS) office, a branch of social services, but were not acted upon. Thomas died after being forced to sleep in an unheated garage on a night when temperatures dropped to 19 degrees.
Upon taking office, the county executive said he found a department in disarray with extraordinary wait times for essential services and a pressing need for new leadership. Its past director, Frances Pierre, stepped down on the eve of a special grand jury report initiated by District Attorney Raymond Tierney to find out what went wrong in the Valva case. Suffolk’s top officials, including all 18 county legislators, signed a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul asking her to support changes in state law that will make it easier to investigate child abuse claims.
Subject to legislative approval, Imhof will have a five-year term and earn $193,626 yearly. He will be joined by Anne Oh, formerly with the district attorney’s office, as chief counsel. Also part of the Social Services leadership team is Sylvia Diaz, a Romaine deputy executive.
Romaine said he is committed to providing the department with additional staff and other resources, including counseling and training. “The public deserves a government that functions properly and where children such as Thomas Valva don’t fall through the cracks,” Romaine noted.