William Rockensies was elected chairman of the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency during the Thursday night board meeting in Mineola.

Rockensies, of West Hempstead, takes over for former head Richard Kessel, who announced earlier in the month he was stepping down from his role with the IDA, which promotes business growth and grants tax breaks to development projects.

Taking Kessel’s spot on the Board of Directors is Marco Troiano, of Malverne, who was appointed to the IDA April 24. 

Board members are appointed by the county executive and approved by the county Legislature for the volunteer, non-compensated positions. Members then vote on positions, including chairman and secretary.

Rockensies thanked Kessel for his time on the board and for helping him adjust to his role over the past year when he was first appointed as a director.

“For being a volunteer position Richard went above and beyond that and put more than enough time into this board,” Rockensies said. 

Kessel, 72, was appointed to the board by then-Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, a Democrat, in 2018 and supported by Bruce Blakeman, a Republican.

Rockensies is currently the director of the construction services division at Melville-based H2M Architects and has served on the board since April 2022, when Blakeman appointed him. 

Prior to H2M, Rockensies was commissioner of engineering for the Town of Hempstead. He also was a civil engineer in the Village of Freeport’s Department of Public Works. 

Troiano owns three Nassau-based businesses, including Troiano Fuel Oil and Air Conditioning Co., Xanadu Landscape Development Corp. and restaurant Il VillagioTrattorio.

Other members of the IDA include John Coumatos, Reginald Spinello and Victor LaGreca. Board Member Raymond Pinto serves as secretary. 

Coumatos owns Bethpage-based B.K. Sweeney’s Parkside Tavern and has been on the board since 2012.

Spinello is a former Glen Cove mayor, IDA and Community Development Agency chairman who has served since April 2022.

LaGreca is currently the president of Local 298 AFL – CIO.