Thursday, October 1, 2026
For Kimberly Neri, volunteering has never felt particularly extraordinary. It’s simply what she grew up believing people should do.
So when Neri received a phone call telling her that Assemblywoman Judy Griffin had selected her as Lynbrook’s 2026 Woman of Distinction, her first thought was, Why me?
“I’m just doing normal, regular things that I feel like anybody would do,” Neri recalled telling Griffin’s office. “You’re just doing things you’d normally do, and don’t expect recognition.”
Neri was one of 18 women recognized for leadership and service to their communities at Griffin’s annual Women of Distinction ceremony at Molloy University on July 29.
A lifelong Lynbrook resident, Neri was one of four siblings who attended Lynbrook schools. She and her husband, Dan, later raised their own three children in the village.
“I grew up there and stayed because I love the community and everything about it,” Neri said.
Music has been a constant in her life. Neri has been an orchestra teacher in Syosset for 28 years, and two of her children are pursuing careers in music education. Her oldest son, Danny, 25, is a music teacher in Long Beach, and her youngest, Tim, 18, is studying music education at SUNY Potsdam. Her daughter, Stephanie, 20, is a junior at Binghamton University.
In Lynbrook, Neri has worked with Friends of Lynbrook Music and is a member of the Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. She was the auxiliary’s president from 2022 to this year, and is now serves its vice president. The auxiliary helps the Fire Department at community events, marches in parades and provides refreshments when needed during fires. Members also support events including the Wounded Warriors car show.
Neri also volunteers at the thrift shop at Grace United Methodist Church in Valley Stream, where she also sings in the choir. She performs with the South Shore Symphony and the Nassau Pops Symphony Orchestra, and volunteers with music programs for young performers.
Neri said that some of the service she is proudest of take place at Berry Hill Elementary School in Syosset, where she the student council adviser. Students organize food and toy drives and collections for people affected by disasters, and Neri helps make sure that donations reach the appropriate organizations.
“That’s where my work is the most useful,” she said. “That’s the work I’m the most proud of.”
At the Women of Distinction ceremony, Neri was joined by her mother, her husband and two of her children, as well as Lynbrook village Trustee Ann Marie Reardon. “I didn’t expect anyone to be there,” Neri said of Reardon. “She said, ‘I came here for you.’”
The recognition left Neri with what she described as a strong sense of pride — but it has not changed how she views volunteering. Much of her motivation, she said, comes from people who volunteered to create opportunities for her when she was young, particularly in music.
“I wanted to give back as how I was brought up as a child,” Neri said. “Hopefully the kids I help will want to give back.”
