Friday, March 28, 2025
Angela Romano was inaugurated during an installation ceremony last night at VFW Post 2718 as the new president of Garden City South Community League, a civic association that serves Franklin Square,
She was vice president of the league for the past two years under the leadership of Marge Kelly, who served as president from 2018 until Romano’s induction last night.
Romano, 70, grew up in Queens, but moved to Franklin Square 47 years ago shortly after getting married to her husband, Don Romano. As a longtime resident of the town, she has been heavily involved in the community, serving as president of the Garden City Kiwanis and former treasurer of the Franklin Square Chamber of Commerce.
When she stepped down from the chamber in 2021, she was determined to stay involved in the town.
She recalled receiving newsletters about Garden City South Community League, which were organized and sent under the league’s late president, Pat Friedman. She led the league for nearly 40 years before Kelly stepped into the role.
Later in 2021, Romano decided to approach Kelly and ask if she could serve on the board. Kelly quickly agreed, she said, and immediately appointed her to the board. Romano served as secretary of the league until she was appointed to treasurer in 2022.
As a result of her experience balancing books for the chamber, Romano quickly got to work improving the league’s record-keeping methods. She introduced a computerized system for maintaining and recording financial expenditures, which helped streamline the league’s process of reporting finances to their accountant.
Eventually, in 2023, Romano was appointed to serve as vice president, alongside her role as treasurer, and worked both positions concurrently for almost two years.
That is, until Kelly announced that she’d be stepping down in 2024 and named Romano as her successor. During their 2024 tree lighting, Kelly explained that she had been president for a while, and she thought it was time for some new ideas and views. She added that the league would be in good hands after she passed the torch to Romano.
“I’m kind of nervous, you know,” Romano laughed. “I’ve been president of organizations before, but this is different.”
What is different about this position, she explained, is the increased level of contact she must maintain with the town to fulfill her duties as president. In order to hold events in public spaces, she continued, she must file permits with the correct departments to ensure the space is reserved for the league’s use.
But, Romano said she has help from her two vice presidents, Ellen Andrasick and Yossi Oren. She said Andrasick knows the town well and can help her file for permits and maintain whatever other communications they might need.
Andrasick reiterated the importance of the league working together as a team to better serve Franklin Square, regardless of what positions they hold. “Whether you’re president, vice president, treasurer or secretary, we all work together to make the community better,” she said.
In addition to her responsibilities to the league and Kiwanis, and former responsibilities to the FSCC, Romano said she has always balanced her role serving the community with her commitment to her career.
When Romano moved to Franklin Square, she was a medical lab supervisor in Brooklyn. When the commute became too much of a burden, she pivoted to the real estate industry. She has been a realtor for 25 years, spending the past five years working for Signature Premier Properties.
As president of the league, Romano will also be directing her board to function as a liaison between the community and town entities, such as the police and fire departments, by communicating concerns brought up by citizens during their monthly general meetings. Residents often report suspicious business activity, abandoned buildings and traffic safety concerns to the board, she said.
In response, she continued, the community league informs the proper town officials or entities, whom they work with to resolve the problem.
Romano said her goal as president is to collaborate with other groups and associations to unite the community. She said she would like to get all the civic organizations to have events together, rather than each group operating on their own. She also expressed interest in collaborating with the Franklin Square Historical Society and the Franklin Square Public Library.
“It’s time to do things together,” she asserted. “When you bring the community together, you get more people, more force, and better results. It’s better to be united together.”
Doreen Cantalino, the league’s treasurer, said she is excited for Romano’s term as president, and hopes to continue their work fundraising for the community and hosting events around Franklin Square. “I like working with Angela,” she said. “I think she’s going to do great.”
Angela said the league’s next event will be a Memorial Day parade, in collaboration with VFW Post 2718. The league will be responsible for contacting politicians for appearances, recruiting performers for entertainment, and finding local caterers for food and refreshments.
“My goal is really to unite the community so that we can be stronger and make the community a better place to live,” she concluded.
