East Meadow's Person of the Year 2011: Brian O'Flaherty

Many residents get involved in their communities, but one man in particular, who grew up in East Meadow, gives back while looking for nothing in return: Brian O’Flaherty, the Herald’s 2011 Person of the Year.

O’Flaherty, 48, was raised in the hamlet with five siblings, and graduated from East Meadow High School in 1981. He had a knack for numbers and calculations, and graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in accounting. He now manages an office building in Manhattan for Jones Lang LaSalle, a financial firm that specializes in real estate.

After briefly living in Bayside, O’Flaherty returned to East Meadow and applied to be a member of the school district’s financial advisory committee, having seen an advertisement in Steps to Learning, the school magazine. He has been a valuable fixture on the school board for nine years, and served two terms as its president. He is also the treasurer of the East Meadow Kiwanis and a member of the Chamber of Commerce.

“Brian is a fantastic person to choose as an honoree. He’s involved in everything,” said Harry Demiris, immediate past president of East Meadow Kiwanis. “He’s just a really positive person, and he gives back to the community in every way.”

"I've had the pleasure to know and work with Brian for the past five years serving the needs of East Meadow children and their families," said Mitchell K. Allen, president of the Kiwanis Club of East Meadow. "Now treasurer, he's been a dedicated force in our club, and is proud to be one of our executive officers. Brian's commitment to community is evident in every task he undertakes -- and he takes on a lot.It's a privilege working closely with him. He puts his heart into everything he does, and East Meadow is a better community for his leadership, altruism and dedication."

Everyone who knows O’Flaherty, who is single, describes him as the silent one in the background who would do anything to help a friend and his community. “He does so much for the community that people aren’t even aware of,” said Liz Fries, another past president of Kiwanis. “He’s the type of guy that if you need help, he’s the first one to volunteer.”

O’Flaherty can be found at every school board and Kiwanis meeting, and every event held by those organizations. Since joining Kiwanis two summers ago, he has volunteered at its pancake breakfast, Thanksgiving food drives, Christmas and Easter dinners, fundraisers to send local kids to camp and the Thanksgiving senior dinner. He learned how to carve a turkey, he said, at the most recent senior dinner.

“I grew up in East Meadow, and I went through the East Meadow School District,” he said. “That’s why I decided to give back. They gave me a good start in my life, and so I wanted to pay it back a little.”

Board of Education Trustee Marcee Rubinstein said she met O’Flaherty on the financial advisory committee. “He has tremendous leadership qualities,” she said. “He’s a very dedicated, very focused, very community-minded guy. His heart is in the East Meadow community.”

“He is extremely knowledgeable in school district matters, and his strong management background has earned him the respect of his colleagues,” added Louis DeAngelo, superintendent of schools. “Our East Meadow School District and our community at large are indeed fortunate to have been touched by a man of such integrity and dedication.”

O’Flaherty prefers to be a low-profile, under-the-radar volunteer, but those who work with him say he is a significant asset to the community. “He’s just a wonderful, wonderful person,” said Kiwanis President-elect Debbie Kirsh. “He spends all his free time doing community service.”

While he devotes countless hours to giving back to his community, he says he also enjoys staying physically active, and regularly cycles around East Meadow parks. “No matter how hot it is outside — 100 degrees — I’m out there,” he said.

When O’Flaherty joined the financial advisory committee, he did not expect to become so active in the community. “It just snowballed,” he said. But he now enjoys keeping busy with all the volunteer work.

He has also made many close friends. “They’re all there for the right reasons,” he said of his fellow Kiwanians and his school board comrades. “They’re great people. It’s nice to have these people in your life.”

“I’m proud to call him my friend and an associate on the board,” said Board of Education President Joseph Parisi. “Brian cares an awful lot about the education our children receive. He gives a lot of time to the community, and he does it in a quiet way.”

“He was always there, then we got to know him [and] he became a friend,” said Helen Meittinis, president of the Community Association of Stewart Avenue and a Kiwanian. “He contributes to the school board more than anyone knows. You see him everywhere. He’s rolling up his sleeves. Everything is for the kids.” Meittinis added that O’Flaherty never misses an event even though he commutes to Manhattan to work.

Though he has been a Kiwanian for less than two years, fellow member Alan Hodish said, “Brian is always there for whatever is needed, and he does it in an understated way. He certainly more than qualifies for Person of the Year.”

We agree.