Bellmore Herald Life Person of the Year: Wendy Tepfer

Wendy Tepfer is such an obvious choice for the Herald Life’s Person of the Year, we wondered why we had not selected her before.

Then it occurred to us: Tepfer, 63, is among the most selfless, humble people we know. But make no mistake about it: As executive director of the Bellmore-Merrick Community Parent Center, and as a PTA leader and a dedicated sports mom before that, she has been an advocate for the community for three decades.

Tepfer is so much more than that, though. As head of the nonprofit parent center, Tepfer, who grew up in Long Beach and now makes her home in Bellmore, has taken a leading role in driver education among teenagers across Nassau County. Specifically, she has worked to drive home a basic, but too often forgotten message –– don’t drink and drive.

Working with the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, Tepfer has written countless grants to fund special programs that help elucidate the dangers of drunken, drugged and distracted driving. And she has taken her show on the road, conducting workshops at school districts around the county, which are often funded by the Allstate Foundation.

“Wendy is one of the smartest, hardest-working people I know,” said Saul Lerner, the Central High School District’s director of health, physical education, athletics and driver’s education. “Wendy has really dedicated herself to improving the lives of students and families in the Bellmore-Merrick community. She works tirelessly to bring programs here that are going to make our students safer. And she is one of the foremost experts in the state on driver safety.”

For all of her good work on behalf of Bellmore-Merrick’s teenagers, the Herald Life proudly names Wendy Tepfer its 2013 Person of the Year.