Hastings Democratic Committee
VOTE DEMOCRATIC
Trustee Morgen Fleisig grew up in upstate New York and moved to Hastings with his wife, Margie, in 2014. Morgen has practiced architecture for more than 30 years, designing homes, office towers, hospitals and museums. He enjoys collaborating with experts and craftsmen from all fields, including for an ambitious project with a large multidisciplinary team at WarnerMedia’s headquarters as part of the extensive Hudson Yards revitalization project.
Morgen earned his bachelor’s degree from Columbia College, and master’s degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and New York University.
Morgen is passionate about the waterfront and its potential. He served on the Waterfront Rezoning Committee and helped craft the plan to achieve village consensus in this on-going effort.
Morgen approaches each issue with the core principle that we should leave it better than we found it, whether it be ensuring the new Ravensdale Bridge will be a fitting village gateway, finding ways to maintain our village character and manage traffic while still supporting growth, or making certain the Police and Fire Departments and all our other government services have the tools and support they need to succeed.
Running for a first term as Village Trustee, Samantha Merton, has been involved in community service and local governance in Hastings since she moved here in 2001. She served on the Parks and Recreation Commission for 13 years and the Hastings Education Foundation board for eight years, including two years as President. Samantha has been part of the Comprehensive Plan/Local Waterfront Revitalization Program Committee for the last two years, which has given her deeper insights into the pressing issues facing the Village, including housing, economic vitality, and connectivity.
In her professional life, Samantha works as a Graduate Admissions Counselor and as a Sensory Panelist (a professional taster). She continues to contribute her time to volunteer activities, focusing primarily on scholarship assessments and reviews for various organizations.
Though she grew up in Massachusetts, Samantha’s family is from Hastings: her father Robert Merton and his sisters Vanessa Merton and Stephanie Tombrello all grew up on Pinecrest Drive. Samantha and her husband, Brett Humphreys, have enjoyed raising their three daughters, Gweneth, Ellie, and Tess, here in Hastings.
Her gratitude for the role the Village has played in her family’s life led Samantha to run for Trustee in 2024. She is deeply appreciative of her endorsements from the Hastings Democratic Committee and Eleanor’s Legacy.
Samantha holds an AB in Economics from Harvard University, as well as an MBA and an MA in Statistics, both from Columbia University.
Village Justice Peter Kolbert has served as Village Justice since July 2023, following the passing of Judge Joseph DiSalvo; prior to that, he was Associate Village Justice (2020-23). Peter and his wife, Veronica, have lived in Hastings since 1992, raising three sons who all graduated from our public schools. Peter has been actively involved in village life, having volunteered for the Hastings Coop Nursery school, the Hastings Education Foundation, and as Ethics Officer for the Village.
Peter practiced law initially in public service, as an Assistant Corporation Counsel representing The City of New York, as well as many New York City entities, divisions, and departments. In private practice for more than 20 years, he represented some of New York’s premier hospitals, hospital systems, and medical professionals. For the last 15 years, as Senior Vice President of Healthcare Risk Advisors, he has worked with many New York hospital systems, advising them on insurance, risk and litigation management issues.
As an attorney, Peter has appeared in Village, State, and Federal court, trying more than 200 cases involving numerous areas of the law. Peter has extensive experience in civil, criminal, landlord-tenant, Municipal, and insurance law.
In his role as Village Justice, Judge Kolbert understands that our Village Court must reflect our values as a community, be well run, and be accessible to all. Judge Kolbert is devoted to using the law as a tool to ensure that all individuals are treated fairly, ethically, and in accordance with the law. To achieve this, he strives to ensure that the Village Court encompasses a thoughtful and complete understanding of the facts in dispute in each matter. Moreover, Judge Kolbert is committed to treating all adolescents who appear in Village Court with sensitivity to promote the proper outcome.
Peter is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Brooklyn Law School. He is admitted to practice before the New York State Bar.