Henry Robin is the current president of Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association (FIPPOA) and has been a board member for more than a decade. He is using that experience to bring a new agenda to the association, one that addresses critical issues he believes the Pines will be facing over the next 10 years.
Fire Island News (FIN): I understand you are the newly elected president of FIPPOA. Can you tell me what led you to this position?
Henry Robin, President of the Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association.
Henry Robin (HR): I was elected to the board 12 years ago and had served as treasurer for the past six. When Jay Pagano decided not to seek another term after 10 years of amazing service, there was an opportunity for new leadership. With my experience as board of directors chair and member of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the U.S.’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization (based in Washington, D.C.), I felt that I could bring new energy and ideas to this important role.
FIN: What does the position entail?
HR: The position is akin to being the mayor of a small town. A typical day includes everything from addressing garbage removal to coming up with innovative strategies to address the Pines’ infrastructure. The infrastructure was originally put in place nearly 70 years ago and did not envision the scale to which the community has grown. It’s really a full-time job, and then more.
FIN: Were you involved in the organization in other capacities before this new role? If yes, in what way.
HR: When I joined the board, the first thing I did was to leverage my interest in politics from HRC by revitalizing FIPPOA’s Political Action Committee. I then co-chaired our 60th Anniversary Celebration, after which I was elected treasurer.
FIN: What qualities do you think you bring to the position?
HR: When I ran for president, the foundation of my platform was to bring the community together and to build bridges. We are a community of many talented residents. When we come together, we can accomplish amazing results. Within two weeks after the election, I formed five new Task Forces to address the primary concerns shared with me while campaigning all summer. For example, the Internet Task Force consisted of six professional community members, each of which brought specific talents and strengths to the table. After a firm ‘No’ from Verizon, we regrouped, obtained data from the community, and then presented our case. Viola, ‘No’ became ‘Yes’ and FIPPOA was able to single-handedly deliver arguably the most important technological improvement ever. All and only because these six individuals came together and worked to accomplish a common goal.
FIN: For those who may not know, what is FIPPOA?*
HR: It’s the Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association. Membership is open to all homeowners, co-op shareholders, commercial property owners, renters, really anyone with an interest in and commitment to the Pines.
FIN: Talk about the Long-Term Community Project you began last fall.
HR: I believe that as a community, we are good at reacting to the immediate and pressing community concerns. However, we have never taken a step back to consider what issues may become urgent in the future so that we can develop a plan to address them before their urgency becomes apparent. To do this, I hired a D.C.-based consultant that I have worked with in my HRC leadership roles to conduct 10 community focus groups followed by a community-wide survey. This enabled us to determine what are the most critical issues that need to be addressed over the next five to 10 years.
FIN: Why is it important?
HR: The three issues we will now begin to address, broadly speaking are: community infrastructure and services; the affects of climate change and rising water levels; and environmental stewardship of the Pines. I think the importance of determining how these issues will impact the community over the next 10 years and beginning to consider what is in our control and influence to address them speaks for itself.
FIN: What are some of the challenges you see?
HR: It’s important to limit our focus on outcomes over which FIPPOA has either control or substantial influence. If we focus on solutions for which we have no authority – as tempting as some of those solutions might be – we will be misdirecting productive efforts. For example, while many think of FIPPOA as a government entity where we can enforce our own rules and standards, we are actually a property owners association with direct authority on many important issues, but certainly not all.
FIN: How long have you been a resident of Fire Island?
HR: I first came to the Pines as a recently out, divorced gay man who had relocated to New York City from Chicago for a Wall Street job. I knew very few LGBTQ+ people, and only one in NYC. I was focused on meeting others and learning more about myself. When I met the house “mother” at a fabulous rental, and he invited me to what I came to realize was a rush party with his housemates, I was thrilled to make the cut. These roughly 20 housemates became cherished friends, and I had the time of my life. That was 22 years ago!
FIN: Tell us a what you love about Fire Island.
HR: I love that the Pines is a majority LGBTQ+ community. It is really the only place in the world I have been where I can check any concerns about safety and societal judgment at the ferry door, and when walking on the boardwalks, I can feel 100 percent comfortable showing my husband or a group of friends public displays of affection. And I love that we are always striving to make everyone feel welcomed in the Pines.
FIN: Is there anything else you would like to add?
HR: I met my husband, Bob McGarity, at high tea at the Pavilion. That was 20 years ago, and we were married at the beach off of Coast Guard Walk with a reception at Whyte Hall 10 years ago. This was one year after marriage equality came to New York, giving us time to plan the wedding.
Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association (FIPPOA) has become the recognized local government representing the interests of Fire Island Pines with federal, state, Suffolk County and Town of Brookhaven officials and agencies. Volunteer-led by elected officers and a board of directors, its responsibilities include beach erosion protection, harbor maintenance and beautification, safety and lighting and operation of the post office. The association coordinates with other local government agencies for boardwalk maintenance, waste collection and mosquito control as well as negotiating contracts for passenger ferry and freight services. In addition, FIPPOA serves as liaison with electric, telecommunications and water utilities and the Suffolk County Police.
*The question I asked was too vague, so a visit to the website gave me some additional information: Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association (FIPPOA) has become the recognized local government representing the interests of Fire Island Pines with federal, state, Suffolk County and Town of Brookhaven officials and agencies. Volunteer-led by elected officers and a board of directors, its responsibilities include beach erosion protection, harbor maintenance and beautification, safety and lighting and operation of the post office. The association coordinates with other local government agencies for boardwalk maintenance, waste collection and mosquito control as well as negotiating contracts for passenger ferry and freight services. In addition, FIPPOA serves as liaison with electric, telecommunications and water utilities and the Suffolk County Police.
