Ray Nargizian is the Man for Monticello

by: Bill Liblick

Village of Monticello elected officials deserve a standing ovation for the selection of Ray Nargizian as their new manager.

Finally - politics have been put aside, and doing what is right for the people has won out.

I am often critical of the conduct of elected officials, but not this time.

Politics in the Village of Monticello has always been like a soap opera with its many exciting twists and turns.

Democratic Mayor Jim Barnicle was recently attacked for giving himself $2,000 a month for taking over the duties of the village manager until a replacement for Richard Sush was found.

Republican Village Trustees Scott Shoemaker and Gordon Jenkins were prepared to serve him with court papers stating that he illegally gave himself a pay raise. Barnicle then decided to immediately stop the payments.

The search to find a manager became intensified.

After sorting through all of the candidates applying for the position, it was determined that Ray Nargizian was the right choice for the job.

Never has there been a person who has the ability, fortitude, resources and broad spectrum of qualifications to properly manage the Village of Monticello as Ray Nargizian does.

He will be a unifying and comforting voice for all the residents of the Village of Monticello. His scope of understanding how government is run, along with his vision will complement one another. 

Nargizian is no stranger to Sullivan County.

Many people know him from his successful Oriental rug shop at the Concord Hotel. People from all over the country would come to the famed Kiamesha resort for their rug purchases, because he offered paramount quality and value.

But, Nargizian did not stop there, he rose to the top of the imported rug industry, buying into international companies and expanding his business.

He became one of the largest importers of Oriental Rugs in the United States. His company which was based in Secaucus, New Jersey quickly gained worldwide attention, as he became the exclusive distributor of the famed Hearst Castle Oriental Collection.

When he retired, Nargizian set up shop in Monticello with a goal to revitalize the Village. He often found himself in combat with elected officials, and quickly became the voice for both residents and the business community.

Nargizian is a man with vast knowledge, dedication and conviction. In his new position, he will reach out and work with everyone with one main goal, and that is to do what is right for the residents of Monticello.

Most importantly - Nargizian has the business experience to properly manage, and the heart to understand the needs of the people he will represent.

As you can tell by now, I personally know Ray Nargizian. Not only do I consider him a friend, but I have nothing but enormous respect for him.

I know he will conduct business above board, and utilize all the resources available to him to turn things in the Village of Monticello around.

People like Ray Nargizian are a very rare find, and I am thrilled to see that those in power in Monticello have embraced him.

I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I am with him as a person. He is not only smart, but has the common sense to think out of the box. He will rationalize each issue that he will confront.

Past Monticello managers are known for their turbulent combative times with elected Village officials. But, the selection of Ray Nargizian will change all that. He will quickly garner the respect from people of all political affiliations.

He will do what is right for the Village of Monticello because he truly cares. That is why he applied for the position in the first place, not because he needs the job, but because he wants to make positive change.

We need more people like Ray Nargizian to get active in Sullivan County government. The talent is certainly here, we just need to embrace people like him to get involved.

Ray Nargizian’s appointment as the Village of Monticello’s Manager will have far reaching positive results for Sullivan County for many years to come.

Once again to those elected officials who voted to hire Ray Nargizian - Bravo for a job well done!

Email Bill