Mary Ann Holzkamp, Glen Cove’s first woman mayor, recently began her second year as the first woman Mayor of the City of Glen Cove, Long Island, New York.
After she graduated from Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset, Mary Ann Holzkamp-or Mary Ann Kelly, as she was known then-wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do with her life. The Hicksville native had thought about becoming an actress or going into nursing, among other things, but had no definite goal. Such was her mindset when she became a student at Nassau Community College in the mid-60’s. Little did she realize then that one day she would become the first woman mayor of the City of Glen Cove.”
After graduating from Nassau with a liberal arts degree and while raising her family, Holzkamp went to Wall Street, and became a stockbroker. She then went to work with her husband George in the family business-Neger Gilder Flowers of Glen Cove. Her activities in the business community led her to participate in Glen Cove politics, and she eventually ran for city council, where she served four consecutive terms before being elected mayor. During those eight years, she was involved in every phase of charting the City’s future. Ensuring the safety and quality of life of Glen Cove residents; economic development, especially the environmental remediation and reuse of abandoned and under-utilized properties; tougher housing and zoning legislation and protecting the city’s natural resources continue to be among the top priorities of Mayor Holzkamp’s administration.
Countless accomplishments highlight Mayor Holzkamp’s administration, most notably the revitalization of downtown Glen Cove with the introduction of luxury housing there and the continued cleanup of the Glen Cove waterfront. The first phase in the construction of an esplanade along Glen Cove Creek has been completed. A new roadway that will provide safe, direct access to a remediated, redeveloped waterfront has the approval of the New York State Department of Transportation. As a direct result of her administration’s in depth efforts in safety planning and delivery, Mayor Holzkamp received the Governor’s Recognition Award for Notable Contributions in Traffic Safety. Those efforts contributed to Glen Cove’s receipt of two New York State Department of Transportation Local Safe Streets and Traffic Calming grants that will be used to alleviate dangerous traffic conditions in two residential neighborhoods.
Mayor Holzkamp’s foresight and planning enabled the City of Glen Cove to garner several state and federal grants and to create numerous innovative programs. The highlights of her accomplishments include:
- the East Island Bridge rehabilitation
- the Leech Circle Park renovation
- rehabilitation of the Prybil Beach sluiceway
- the designation of a computer site at the Glen Cove Senior Center in partnership with the Glen Cove Youth Board.
- an active, aggressive city Beautification Commission
- Phase II of the waterfront esplanade construction
- an active facade program in the central business districts
- new streetlight fixtures in the downtown business district
- increased police presence
- strict enforcement of city-wide parking regulation
During Mayor Holzkamp’s tenure as a City Councilwoman, she was the Vice Chairperson of the Glen Cove Community Development Agency and Secretary for the Industrial Development Agency. In those capacities, Mrs. Holzkamp worked diligently to implement commercial and residential rehabilitation programs. Her efforts to research and ultimately secure a grant from the New York State Urban Development Corporation led to the creation of a Business Improvement District, (BID), for Glen Cove’s historic downtown shopping district. More than $20 million in private investment bolstered the revitalization of the city’s business area. As Mayor, Mrs. Holzkamp continues to bring new business ventures to Glen Cove.
As a member of the Glen Cove City Council, Mrs. Holzkamp was a member of a team that secured over $10 million in grants, loans and federal services to rehabilitate Glen Cove’s one-mile waterfront property. The permanent closure of a dangerous incinerator, the dredging of Glen Cove Creek by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the demolition of two smoke stacks that once carried pollutants into the air of Glen Cove, along with the development of a new waterside restaurant are all a visual testament to this crucial team effort.
As an elected official, Mrs. Holzkamp voted for new tough laws that significantly increased the fines for violations to the Glen Cove Housing and Zoning Codes. She facilitated the hiring of additional uniformed code enforcement officers and voted for mandatory safety inspections of all multiple dwellings in Glen Cove. Mrs. Holzkamp supported the hiring of additional, experienced prosecutors that resulted in the securing of record fines against repeat offender absentee landlords. These actions have prompted an increase in real estate values and enhance the quality of life in Glen Cove.
Mayor Holzkamp and her husband, George, are the proprietors of Neger Gilder Flowers in Glen Cove. They are the parents of three children and have three grandchildren. Mrs. Holzkamp is a member of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, the North Shore Lions Club and the Kiwanis Club of Glen Cove.
