Gerard Kassar

{{Short description|American political operative and journalist}}

{{Infobox politician

| name = Gerard Kassar

| image = Vito Fossella and Jerry Kassar (cropped).jpg

| office = Chair of the New York Conservative Party

| term_start = 23 February 2019

| term_end =

| predecessor = Michael R. Long

| successor =

| birth_date =

| birth_place = New York City

| death_date =

| death_place =

| resting_place =

| party = Conservative

}}

Gerard Kassar, also known as Jerry Kassar, is an American political operative and former government official. He is currently the chairman of the Conservative Party of New York, a role he has served in since February 2019. Jerry succeeded longtime chairman Michael Long.

Kassar began his political working on campaigns for public office and holding official titles in the Conservative Party.

In January of 1989, he was elected the Brooklyn Conservative Party chairman and in 1992 he was elected New York State Conservative Party vice chairman.{{Cite web |date=2020-04-21 |title="Dream Come True": Gerard Kassar Becomes NYS Conservative Party Chair – Shorefront News |url=https://shorefrontnews.com/2019/02/24/dream-come-true-gerard-kassar-becomes-nys-conservative-party-chair/ |access-date=2022-03-19 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421232444/https://shorefrontnews.com/2019/02/24/dream-come-true-gerard-kassar-becomes-nys-conservative-party-chair/ |archive-date=21 April 2020 |url-status=dead}}

In 1981 he was elected to be the national director of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) at 22, a conservative youth group. He served as director through 1983.{{cite web |title=National Directors of Young Americans for Freedom with Years on Board of Directors |url=https://www.yaf.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/National-Directors-Final-List.pdf |website=Young America's Foundation |date=2010-07-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126180822/https://www.yaf.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/National-Directors-Final-List.pdf |archive-date=2023-01-26 |url-status=live}}https://files.constantcontact.com/8d1b50c7001/9bb9a054-26bb-4856-b846-e1375c36d71c.pdf

Kassar held senior staff roles in the state assembly minority and as chief of staff to state senator Marty Golden. He was appointed by Governor Pataki and confirmed by the NYS Senate to be a commissioner of the interstate environmental commission in 1995.

He also served as the president of the Dyker Heights civic association in Brooklyn NY and on the board of trustees of the former Victory Memorial Hospital.

Additionally, he writes a weekly column for the publication The Brooklyn Reporter.{{Cite web |title=JERRY KASSAR, Author at The Brooklyn Home Reporter |url=https://brooklynreporter.com/author/jerrykessar/ |access-date=2022-03-19 |website=The Brooklyn Home Reporter |language=en-US}}

Kassar is a lifelong resident of Brooklyn, New York{{Cite web |last=Tan |first=Sandra |title=Ralph Lorigo misses flight — and his bid — to become state Conservative Party chair |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/local/ralph-lorigo-misses-flight-and-his-bid-to-become-state-conservative-party-chair/article_a0762c77-6b1e-5495-9d43-95572086c9ff.html |access-date=2022-03-19 |website=Buffalo News |language=en}} where he resides in the Dyker Heights community with his wife, Janet.