Brian T. Culhane of Sayville Takes New Post as Suffolk County’s Commissioner of Energy and Environment.

Senator Owen H. Johnson congratulates long time staffer Brian T. Culhane of Sayville as he takes his new post as Suffolk County’s Commissioner of Energy and Environment.  

“Brian has been a an integral member of my staff for 16 years, working diligently on issues regarding Long Island’s Marine District.  He is well-prepared to serve in Suffolk County’s top environmental post and I wish him great success in his new position as Commissioner of Energy and Environment,” Senator Johnson said.

Since 1995, Culhane has served on Senator Johnson’s staff as Director of the Senate Subcommittee on Long Island’s Marine District.  Prior to that time, he served as Executive Director of the Senate’s Commission on Water Resources Needs for Long Island.  In those capacities, he has overseen all marine district legislation, and managed two interstate legislative committees; the New York/New Jersey Coast Committee and the New York/Connecticut Bi-State Long Island Sound Committee.  

Culhane has also represented the New York Senate at all meetings of the federal Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and worked with legislators, academics, farmers, fishermen, environmentalists, and constituents on some of New York’s most critical environmental legislation including passage of legislation to integrate Ecosystem Based Management for our coastal resources.

“I am extremely grateful to Senator Johnson for the experience I gained over the last 16 years.  It has prepared me for the very challenging position I am about to assume,” Culhane said.    “Representing Senator Johnson at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has given me the opportunity to work with a diverse group of people from all of the Atlantic coastal states.  I am especially going to miss the many fishermen I have grown to know and respect for their knowledge and their hard work.  I look forward to working with the county administration and the county legislature on the critical issues of energy and the environment.”

Culhane holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Agricultural Engineering Technology from Cornell University, an Associate’s Degree in Agronomy from the State University of New York at Farmingdale and a graduate certificate in Waste Management from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.