45. Jack Schnirman

Jack Schnirman has had to weather a lot since he became Long Beach City manager in 2012. From a fiscal crisis to an environmental catastrophe, he’s confronted serious problems that would tax the most seasoned municipal veteran. Through his efforts, he’s helped this seaside community rebuild “stronger, smarter and safer,” with a redesigned boardwalk and a revitalized downtown. He cut his teeth in the public sector as the former chief deputy supervisor of Brookhaven Town, the largest township on the Island. Before that, he was a deputy press secretary to then-U.S. Sen. John Kerry. Maybe they do teach something useful at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, where Schnirman got his master’s degree in public policy. Now he runs one of LI’s two cities and still looks like he’s barely out of high school. If we were in charge, we’d be pulling our hair out. Long Beach was on the brink of bankruptcy before Sandy slammed into it. On his watch, Schnirman has erased a nearly $15 million deficit and turned the budget into its first surplus in years. If the Island ever secedes, maybe he should become governor.