School treasurer cherishes role

When Deborah Vecchio retired as treasurer of the Shelter Island School District last June after 25 years, she knew she was leaving the business office in good hands. She had trained her successor, Maryann Impastato.

For Ms. Impastato, who knew nothing about Shelter Island when she received an invitation from Ms. Vecchio to be interviewed for a job in the school business office, the Island had not been on her radar. 

“I had no idea how to drive to Shelter Island, much less take the ferry,” which brought her and her family from their home in Center Moriches to the school. That was in June 2012, when Ms. Impastato and her family had just moved back to Long Island following a 15-month stay in Granite Falls, N.C.

The couple moved to North Carolina as Ms. Impastato’s husband Rich had yearned to live in a climate that would be more mild than New York , she said, and North Carolina was more affordable. They returned because “There is no place like home [and] we are both home grown Long Islanders.”

She had gained much experience in other jobs, and along with her education, Ms. Vecchio recognized Ms. Impastato as the right person for the job, a valuable asset for the district, who had passed the Civil Service Exam with flying colors to put her on the list from which Ms. Vecchio would be choosing. 

“My family thought I was crazy to take the interview, but I viewed the opportunity as either getting a foot in the door or perhaps getting interview practice at the very least,” Ms. Impastato said. “Striving for advancement was on my list at the time, but I never imagined the opportunity to interview for district treasurer.” 

Studying at SUNY Farmingdale, Ms. Impastato had earned a degree in business administration with a minor in accounting. Then she spent a year at Dowling College, focused only on accounting. By the time she interviewed for the Shelter Island Business Department job, she had a lot of experience. 

After she and her family had returned to Long Island from North Carolina, a friend told her about a part-time job at the Streetlighting Department in Babylon and she became an account clerk analyzing grid maps and internal software to dispatch lighting crews to problem areas. In addition, she served as liaison between the Streetlighting Department and Long Island Power Authority and Verizon.

She also worked with a bowling, golf and recreation company serving customers in New York and Florida as payroll supervisor, staff accountant and 401K administrator. 

For 10 years, she was office manager for her husband Rich’s business, installing kitchens and bathrooms and, over time, building houses. The couple has been married for 38 years and besides spending relaxed time at home together, she enjoys special dinners with their four adult children and four grandchildren. Their children range in age from 27 to 37. All enjoy planning, cooking and enjoying their special times together. 

Family is top of the list, but Ms. Impastato also enjoys a lot of outdoor activities, whether it’s walking, or in the past, feeding, grooming and riding horses the family has owned. She also enjoys traveling, and in addition to New York and North Carolina, where they’ve lived, she has visited California, Las Vegas, Florida and Bermuda. While she contemplates weekend getaways, she also yearns to travel to Europe.

But for the moment, her new role as district treasurer is consuming much of her attention. And just as she developed her skills to tackle the top position in the Business Office, thanks to Ms. Vecchio helping her develop from senior account clerk to treasurer, she’s been aided in her new job by account clerk Mallory Clark.

“Shelter Island has been a place like no other,” Ms. Impastato said. “I”m amazed by the self-sufficiency of the people that live here and all of the talents that each one possesses.”

Having worked on the Island for 13 years, she appreciates how special the outpouring of love and concern is when someone needs help, calling it “unparalleled. People are always there to lend a hand and lift you up. I am thrilled each day to be here with such a wonderful support staff, faculty and administrators.”