Kara Hahn, Suffolk County Legislator, Fifth District

Most people learn their first civics lesson while sitting in a classroom, but Kara Hahn first remembers serving the public while riding in the back of pickup truck with her dad after Hurricane Gloria ravaged Long Island back in 1985. A volunteer firefighter, Ron Gerry showed 14-year old Kara and her brother Kevin and sister Kristin what it means to make a difference in people’s lives. For days, they worked side-by-side with other community members to clear downed trees from the roadways.

Today, as she drives those same roadways with her daughters Karina and Hope, Kara continues to be inspired by those early lessons and seeks to instill that same sense of civic responsibility in her children.

Born in Port Jefferson, raised in Stony Brook and now raising her family in Setauket, Kara cares deeply about our community. Immediate past President of the Civic Association of the Setaukets and Stony Brook, she has dedicated herself to making a difference in this area. In fact, the Village Times Herald recognized that dedication by naming her “Civic Woman of the Year.”

Prior to her election, Kara served the Suffolk County Legislature; first as Press Secretary for the late Presiding Officer Maxine S. Postal, then as Chief of Staff to Former Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher, and most recently as Director of Communications for Presiding Officer William Lindsay.

Kara, a Social Worker, entered government with the intention of making a difference in people's lives. She spent several years as the Public Policy Coordinator for a Child Care Advocacy organization in the City of Philadelphia where she witnesses first hand the power to make change that exists in different levels of government. Kara’s priorities include helping businesses to create jobs, improving the environment, protecting children and families, promoting affordable workforce housing, improving accessibility to elected officials, promoting public transportation, improving public safety and managing county finances in a fiscally responsible manner.

Hahn earned a Masters degree in Social Work Policy from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelors degree with distinction from the University of Delaware. A native of Long Island 's Three Villages, Kara graduated from Ward Melville High School and currently resides in Setauket with her husband Christopher and daughters Karina Gerry and Hope Hahn.