Riverhead BID president and executive director both stepping down

The Riverhead Business Improvement District Management Association’s president and executive director are leaving the organization.

BIDMA President Steve Shauger and Executive Director Kristy Verity are stepping down, Council Member Bob Kern and Supervisor Tim Hubbard announced during Thursday’s work session. Both board members mentioned the news while Kern, the liaison to the BIDMA, was giving a report on its latest activities. Board members did not say when either of them would be leaving their positions.

In an email yesterday, Shauger, the manager of two downtown Riverhead hotels, said he announced a few months ago to the BIDMA board his intention to step down as president. He  was first elected the BIDMA president in 2016, succeeding longtime president Raymond Pickersgill. 

“It is with mixed emotions that I write to inform you of my plans to step down from the BIDMA board in the spring of 2024,” Shauger wrote in an email to the BIDMA board, a copy of which he shared with RiverheadLOCAL. “I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of this incredible team and contributing to the positive transformation of Downtown Riverhead.”

“Please know that my decision is not made lightly. I have found myself at a point in my life where I need to adjust my priorities to better focus on my family and career,” Shauger continued. “Volunteering and giving back to my community have played a big role in making me who I am, and these past 10 years serving on the BIDMA has been an extraordinary chapter in my life filled with not only learning and growth, but has also given me the ability to make meaningful connections.”

Shauger said that Verity has not officially given her notice to resign and that the BIDMA is “working through administrative and board details to gauge the direction of the BIDMA and its employees.”

Verity, who Shauger said is currently traveling, did not return a phone call requesting comment.

The last few years have been transformational for downtown Riverhead’s business corridor, all of which is within the Business Improvement District, a taxing entity that allows local property owners and businesses in its bounds to finance supplemental services and programs. Large mixed-use buildings have been erected throughout the corridor, with more on the way, and town officials have ambitious plans to transform the downtown area even further with the development of the town square and surrounding properties.  

Shauger and Verity have been at the helm of the BIDMA, the non-profit entity that manages the BID’s affairs on the Town Board’s behalf, throughout most of that transformation, as well throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw the turnover of several businesses in the downtown area. The BIDMA’s most high-profile activity is putting on events like Alive on 25, annual cardboard boat races, Halloween Fest and Oktoberfest, which attract thousands to Riverhead’s downtown. The BIDMA also employs two staff members in addition to Verity, its executive director.

Both Kern and Hubbard said losing Shauger and Verity is a “huge hit” to the BID. 

“That’s like getting punched when you’re on the ground and somebody kicks you — for the BID,” Kern said.

Both Kern and Hubbard said they have already been engaged in conversations about finding successors.

BIDMA director Larry Oxman said in an interview Thursday that members of the board were discussing Shauger’s transition away from leading the organization at its meeting last Wednesday. But he did not know of Verity’s departure until Thursday morning’s work session, calling it a “shocker.” 

Verity started as the BIDMA executive director in July 2019 with prior experience in marketing, public relations and event planning. The executive director runs the day-to-day operations of the BIDMA, according to the organization’s bylaws.

While both might be leaving the BIDMA, Shauger and Verity are likely to still remain active in Riverhead’s revitalization through their careers. Shauger works for Joe Petrocelli, the master developer of the Riverhead town square and the boutique hotel planned for its eastern side. He also serves on various advisory boards, including Riverhead’s Business Advisory Committee. Verity, who operates the marketing company Vee Media, has worked for the Preston House and Hotel, which is managed by Shauger and was developed by Petrocelli, and for the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce.