My name is Dan Goodwiin and I’m running for Southold Town Highway Superintendent.
Being ready for a storm is who I am at my core. A mechanical engineer and emergency response professional, I’ve trained to prepare in advance, vet out solutions for the unknown, and adapt to change. Our community’s recent brush with Hurricane Henri proved a lesson in our need for a future Highway Superintendent ready to be proactive rather than reactive.
Like you, I watched the forecast change from a slight chance of rain to a direct hit—a rare Category 1 storm riding the jet stream North, fueled by warmer waters and a rising tide reminiscent of Sandy. As Henri set its sights on us, my family’s properties secured and ready, I set my sights on drafting a plan to prepare and protect the people of Southold for the long term and stepped into action to do the job of Superintendent of Highways.
Midday, as the storm tracked east, I got into my truck and drove from Orient Point to our western-most neighborhoods in Laurel. I took stock of our strengths and identified deficiencies with our infrastructure. Flooded roads and sidewalks, overgrown vegetation, and little to no advance communication from our current town leadership—these were among the failings that would have left us reeling were we in the cone of another Ida, a Bob, or a Gloria. The detailed notes and geo-tagged photos I gathered as Henri was impacting the town tell the story of a storm and its potential for disrupting our lives.
While I was driving the North Fork, I also observed our Highway Department personnel at work during the storm. It is thanks to their skill handling equipment and working hard during the worst of it—and a lucky last-minute eastward shift in the storm track—that we fared as well as we did. It is their dedication to the safety and well-being of Southolders that warrants our appreciation.
I learned the value of training and leadership from my time managing teams of hazmat technicians, laborers, equipment operators and professional drivers, who continually prepare for the large events of the future. To serve our community, I bring an engineering background and hands-on expertise in environmental response, industrial maintenance, and infrastructure and utility projects up and down the east coast. My experience in budgeting and utilization will lend themselves in my ability to “plan the work and work the plan” for routine maintenance and improvements to our roads.
I believe that as Southolders we are strong and resilient. I believe we must be prepared to weather the storms of any season. But most of all, we need leadership that picks up the phone and answers your calls for change before the storm arrives. This is why I am running for Superintendent of Highways on November 2nd. I ask for your support, your confidence, and your vote to move Southold Forward.
