Vanderhoef Names New Budget and Finance Commissioner

Stephen F. DeGroat of South Nyack, a certified public accountant who was senior vice president of public finance at Dexia Credit Local, was today named Rockland County’s acting commissioner for Budget and Finance.
County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef said DeGroat has many years of experience
taking innovative approaches to the complicated financial needs of state and local governments, nonprofits and quasi-governmental operations.
“Stephen DeGroat has the financial acumen and business savvy that
Rockland County needs in a Commissioner of Finance,” Vanderhoef said. “He has a proven record of custom designing solutions to meet changing financial and
budgetary needs. His expertise will be invaluable with respect to the planning of future fiscal and budgetary policies.”
DeGroat, 56, fills the vacancy created by the retirement in December of H. Chris Kopf, who was hailed by Vanderhoef last week in his State of the County message to the County Legislature for his work managing the county’s budget and financial operations.
In addition to his work in the private sector, DeGroat also served as a senior examiner of Municipal Affairs with the New York State Comptroller’s Office.
Ron Levine, a spokesman for Vanderhoef, said the county executive has six months to recommend DeGroat to the County Legislature for permanent appointment to the post. Levine said that with the importance of the position, Vanderhoef decided to make the appointment on an acting basis, although DeGroat will have full authority over budget and finance matters
DeGroat is a life-long Rockland resident and graduate of Nyack High School. He has a bachelor of science degree in Business Administration from St.
Thomas Aquinas Collage in Sparkill and an MBA in Finance from Iona College of New Rochelle.