Island Park woman improves town on many fronts
By JOSEPH KELLARD
A past Girl Scout leader who ran two troops at once, Rubin is president of Island Park¹s Kiwanis Club and Chamber of Commerce, a civic activist and fund-raiser, and a co-owner of two consulting firms. Thanks to her overlapping abilities, Island Park is more prosperous, secure, attractive and culturally diverse ‹ downright better.
For her efforts, the Herald proudly names her Person of the Year for 2006.
This year, Rubin began her second two-year stint as Kiwanis president and spearheaded several programs to benefit children, the organization¹s target group. Each summer the local club sends poorer children to Kamp Kiwanis upstate, and Rubin searches out these youngsters in the community. She also leads fund-raisers to provide Island Park Fire Department ambulances with pediatric equipment.
In concert with Island Park¹s library and school district, Rubin and fellow Kiwanians created a book program in which members read volumes of a particular theme to elementary school kids. Kiwanis also helps the school district feed needy families on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the club developed and supports its student arms, the Builders Club at Lincoln Orens Middle School and the Key Club at West Hempstead High.
"I think Barbra is a very capable individual who sees not only the immediate needs, but also the future needs for the continued growth of the community," said David Rothman, Kiwanis¹s past governor of the state district and a board member of the local club.
In addition to all these activities, Rubin has been Chamber of Commerce president since 2000. She has created new ways to promote, support and give voice to more than 400 local businesses ‹ like the chamber¹s monthly beautification award, which recognizes businesses new and old that help make the village more attractive through such projects as store front refacing.
Under Rubin¹s business-friendly leadership, a host of national and regional retail and restaurant chains have set up shop in town, including Outback, Starbucks, Ace Hardware, Ruby Tuesday, Bennigan¹s and Advance Auto Parts.
"She¹s certainly a doer, and when she says she¹s going to do something, she does it," said past chamber
President Mickey Hastava. "She¹s not just someone spouting forth things and then forgetting about them."
Rubin undertakes other civic activities, either on her own or when others approach her ‹ correcting traffic problems, meeting with developers to discuss their plans, or lending her voice at hearings on prospective developments. "People ask Barbra her opinion on many things, and try to get her involved in many projects going on because they know she¹s a community leader," said Robert Perry, Rubin¹s husband of 17 years.
Having long ago concluded that Austin Boulevard could become a second Queens Boulevard, Rubin took local officials on a tour of that heavily traveled road in an effort to persuade them to alter the timing of traffic lights to allow pedestrians crossing Austin Boulevard more time. She made similar requests for areas on Long Beach Road.
Rubin and fellow Island Parkers also met with 4th Precinct Commander Richard McCarrick to request that police increase patrols in areas where crime is more likely.
When she¹s not addressing business, traffic and policing issues, Rubin somehow finds time to focus on village culture. She is helping to find acts for next summer¹s beach concerts, and she sits on the Island Park Theatre Group¹s board of directors, working primarily as a fund-raiser. She is currently organizing a doo-wop performance to raise money for the group¹s other productions.
"Barbra has been an asset in holding the group together and a good reinforcement of the group," said Theatre Group President John Cestaro, noting that Rubin also assists in back-office operations, whether coordinating shows or finding ways to outfit the casts.
On top of everything else, Rubin is president of a computer sales and consulting firm, Comp-U-Sultants, and is a consultant for Big Sticks Broadcasting, a firm that creates formats for radio stations ‹both home-based businesses that she co-owns with
her husband. And even in these endeavors she finds ways to help others. Her latest project involves the
donation of a computer to a SUNY-Stony Brook
student struggling through some hard times.
"When Barbra takes on a cause that she thinks she can make better, she attacks it with a lot of vigor and passion," her husband said. "If there¹s something to be said or done in town, she seems to always have been there. And even if it¹s something that she herself has not decided to become the catalyst for, people turn to her because they know she can get the job done."
Comments about this story? JKellard@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
