Rockville Centre resident is a star for students

Rockville Centre resident Joseph A. Ferrara is one of three who will be honored at the Tomorrow’s Hope Foundation “Stars for Students” gala — the group’s primary fundraiser — on May 21 at the RXR Plaza in Uniondale.

Ferrara is chairman and C.E.O. of Ferrara Bros. Building Materials Corp., one of New York City’s oldest and largest suppliers of ready-mixed concrete and other building materials to the construction industry.

He is the chairman emeritus of the South Queens Boys & Girls Club, with over 40 years of service. Under his leadership, fundraising and recruiting efforts, the Boys & Girls Club has grown tremendously and now serves over 1,500 children. Ferrara also served as trustee of the Joseph Licitra Memorial Scholarship Fund, which has distributed over $200,000 for college tuition for disadvantaged students. And he serves as a management trustee on the Teamsters Local 282 Pension and Welfare funds.

Since 1999, Ferrara has volunteered as a member of the Board of Trustees of Jamaica Hospital. Ferrara also is a past president of the Garden City Country Club and chaired its Long Term Planning Committee that oversaw a $10 million renovation project.

Ferrara has been honored and received awards from numerous philanthropic and industry organizations including: National Boys & Girls Club of America; Helen Keller Services for the Blind; United Hospital; Adults and Children with Learning Disabilities (ACLD); American ORT and the Concrete Industry Board.

Ferrara said his business success would not have been possible without the love and support of his family. He was married to Joan, his childhood sweetheart, for nearly 53 years until her untimely passing in March 2009. Together, they raised three sons. Now Ferrara is the proud grandparent of eight grandchildren.

Bernadette Casey-Smith of Roslyn Harbor and Ralph A. Nappi of Albertson are also being honored by the organization.

Tomorrow’s Hope Foundation was founded in 2005 by the Most Reverend William Murphy, Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre. It is a not-for-profit organization that works to ensure the excellence and the continuance of Catholic elementary schools on Long Island.Last year, the foundation distributed over $1.75 million in scholarships to over 1,500 students. There are 57 Catholic elementary and 11 Catholic high schools with over 32,000 students in the Rockville Centre diocese, which encompasses Nassau and Suffolk counties.