Jo-Ann Raia

Jo-Ann Raia, Town Clerk of the Town of Huntington, was first elected in November 1981 and has the distinction of being the longest serving town clerk in the history of the Town of Huntington.

For many years, Ms. Raia has represented Nassau and Suffolk counties as District Director of the New York State Town Clerks Association (NYSTCA), and has been a liaison to the New York State Departments of Health (Division of Vital Statistics) and Motor Vehicles (Disability Parking Permit Division).

Ms. Raia has received many honors and awards, including: Recognition of Appreciation from the Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department; the Leadership Huntington’s Lifetime Achievement Award; a Certificate of Appreciation from the Huntington Town Fire Police Association; recognition as Town Clerk of the Year by the New York State Town Clerks Association, and All Around Woman of the Year by the Times of Huntington.

Ms. Raia has donated her time to many non-profit organizations, including serving as a trustee of the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association. Since 1995, Ms. Raia has been conducting her Valentine’s Day Wedding Ceremonies at Town Hall, where she hosts a reception for the couples and their guests.

One of Ms. Raia’s most notable achievements as Town Clerk was developing a first class Records Management Program in 1986, which includes a records center and archives for the Town of Huntington. Her efforts have been recognized by the State of New York and by other professional organizations, including: a MARAC (Mid-Atlantic Region Archives Conference) Award for “The Guide to the Archival Records and Manuscripts of the Town of Huntington”; a New York State Archives & Records Administration “Archives Week Award for Excellence in Local Government Archival Program Development”; a “Certificate of Commendation for the Preservation and Access to Huntington, New York, History” from the American Association of State and Local History; and grant funding through Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund Grants and the Documentary Heritage Program Grant for the Town of Huntington.

A resident of Huntington since 1958 and Town Clerk since 1982, Ms. Raia stands alone as someone in tune with her community and its needs. Her two children, Diane and Andrew, were born and raised in Huntington and are graduates of the Town of Huntington schools.