12. Stuart Rabinowitz

Prior to being appointed president of the Hempstead-based university in December 2000, Rabinowitz served as dean of its law school for more than a decade. Rabinowitz, a distinguished professor of law, holds positions with a number of important government and community organizations on LI, including the Nassau County Health and Welfare Council and Long Island Technology Network, and is the former chair of the Nassau County Local Advisory Board and a former member of the Long Island Association board of directors. As a member of the Nassau County Commission on Government Revision, he helped draft a new charter and form of county government. Rabinowitz is also the recipient of the Martin Luther King Living the Dream Award and the Bar Association of Nassau County Proclamation for Outstanding Service to the legal profession and the community. And doing his homework paid off: Hofstra’s application proved to be the winning one, with the school beating out 19 other facilities that vied to host the third Presidential Debate this October.