State Senator Tony Avella Awards Civic Leaders With the Senate Liberty Medal

Queens, NY   -    Today, State Senator Tony Avella held his second annual ceremony presenting New York State Senate Liberty Medals to civic leaders who have spent years serving and bettering their communities.

Liberty Medals are one of the highest civilian honors that can be bestowed by a member of the New York State Senate upon a New York State resident. The medal acknowledges years of achievements and community involvement. All five of this year’s recipients are model community leaders whose activism has earned them the prestigious award.

Jerry Wind has been a resident of Bellerose since 1977 and became a part of the Bellerose Hillside Civic Association almost as soon as he arrived. He was quickly promoted to Corresponding Secretary and became the President in 2000, a title which he still holds. In 2007, Mr. Wind was appointed to Community Board 13 and, a few years later, was elected to his current office of Executive Secretary. Mr. Wind is also Co-Chair of the Seniors and Special needs Committee and a member of the Land Use and Public Safety Committees of Community Board 13. Jerry serves as a Board Member of the Health Care Choices organization which runs two clinics and a veteran’s shelter.

Beverly McDermott has been a life-long active member of her community, with a family lineage dating back to the first English settlers in modern day Flushing. She volunteered as an EMT with the Flushing Volunteer Ambulance Corps for over nine years, is a current volunteer at a charity thrift shop called Worthy Pause in Bayside and has served with the Kissena Park Civic Association for over 20 years. Ms. McDermott is also the Director of the Friends of Kissena Park which maintains a garden she designed years ago alongside the other members.

Joe Amoroso originally studied Aeronautics and worked as a Structural Aircraft Design Engineer. Mr. Amoroso eventually moved to Flushing in 1968 and became involved in the Kissena Park Civic Association. He became involved in zoning and zoning enforcement after seeing how much of an impact zoning can have on the quality of life of a neighborhood. He became active on the issue, and assisted in the zoning proposal submitted to the Director of City Planning for Queens, which subsequently came before the City Council for review and a vote.

Mr. Amoroso was recognized by the Queens Civic Congress for his efforts rezoning parts of Queens. He has served the Kissena Park Civic Association for four and a half decades as Committee Chairs, Sergeant at Arms, Vice-President, President and presently as a Board Member and Chair of the Zoning Committee.

Angela Augugliaro has been a resident of Bellerose since she moved there with her husband in 1977, and not long afterwards became involved in the Queens Colony Civic Association. Quality of life issues inspired her to take a more active role in the civic. Whereas she started out on the refreshment committee as a corresponding secretary, she rose to co-president for the first time in 1984. She has been president of Queens Colony Civic Association since 1986, sans 2 years. She worked to prevent over-development and co-authored a new zoning designation called R2N for single family homes with narrow lots. Although the City never appropriated the designation, the NYC Planning Department changed her civic area, including several other nearby neighborhoods, to R2A.

In 1999, she was appointed to Community Board 13 and currently holds the position of First Vice Chair. In 1995, she was one of the founding members of the Joint Bellerose Business District Development Corporation, a non-profit organization formed to improve the activity and look of the “Jamaica Avenue/Jamaica” Turnpike business strip and was successful in eliminating that double name which had confused non-Bellerose residents and emergency responders. In 2012, Ms. Augugliaro was honored with the 2012 Woman of the Year Award by Senator Avella.

Michael Augugliaro, Ms. Augugliaro’s husband, also received the Liberty Medal Award. Having worked for the NYC Department of Sanitation for 24 years, Mr. Augugliaro recounts clearing roads of snow as a particular fulfilling part of his former job. He has been an executive Board Member of Queens Colony Civic Association for over 25 years and, like his wife, was inspired to work on issues affecting quality of life in his community. He worked with his wife in rezoning Bellerose to single-family homes and has served as a member of the Joint Bellerose Business Development Corporations since its inception. The organization improves the Bellerose business strip and promotes commerce in the area. Mr. Augugliaro has always been involved in graffiti removal and was instrumental in saving 17 trees when Jericho Turnpike was reconstructed.

“All five of this year’s honorees exemplify what active community involvement entails. They have dedicated themselves to improving their neighborhood and the neighborhoods around them. Jerry Wind, Beverly McDermott, Joe Amoroso, Angela and Michael Augugliaro – These aren’t weekend warriors. From improving the quality of life in Queens, to stopping overdevelopment, today’s Liberty Medal recipients work day-in day-out on issues both large and small. That’s what it means to be a good neighbor, and a model citizen,” 

Queens, NY   -    Today, State Senator Tony Avella held his second annual ceremony presenting New York State Senate Liberty Medals to civic leaders who have spent years serving and bettering their communities.

Liberty Medals are one of the highest civilian honors that can be bestowed by a member of the New York State Senate upon a New York State resident. The medal acknowledges years of achievements and community involvement. All five of this year’s recipients are model community leaders whose activism has earned them the prestigious award.

Jerry Wind has been a resident of Bellerose since 1977 and became a part of the Bellerose Hillside Civic Association almost as soon as he arrived. He was quickly promoted to Corresponding Secretary and became the President in 2000, a title which he still holds. In 2007, Mr. Wind was appointed to Community Board 13 and, a few years later, was elected to his current office of Executive Secretary. Mr. Wind is also Co-Chair of the Seniors and Special needs Committee and a member of the Land Use and Public Safety Committees of Community Board 13. Jerry serves as a Board Member of the Health Care Choices organization which runs two clinics and a veteran’s shelter.

Beverly McDermott has been a life-long active member of her community, with a family lineage dating back to the first English settlers in modern day Flushing. She volunteered as an EMT with the Flushing Volunteer Ambulance Corps for over nine years, is a current volunteer at a charity thrift shop called Worthy Pause in Bayside and has served with the Kissena Park Civic Association for over 20 years. Ms. McDermott is also the Director of the Friends of Kissena Park which maintains a garden she designed years ago alongside the other members.

Joe Amoroso originally studied Aeronautics and worked as a Structural Aircraft Design Engineer. Mr. Amoroso eventually moved to Flushing in 1968 and became involved in the Kissena Park Civic Association. He became involved in zoning and zoning enforcement after seeing how much of an impact zoning can have on the quality of life of a neighborhood. He became active on the issue, and assisted in the zoning proposal submitted to the Director of City Planning for Queens, which subsequently came before the City Council for review and a vote.

Mr. Amoroso was recognized by the Queens Civic Congress for his efforts rezoning parts of Queens. He has served the Kissena Park Civic Association for four and a half decades as Committee Chairs, Sergeant at Arms, Vice-President, President and presently as a Board Member and Chair of the Zoning Committee.

Angela Augugliaro has been a resident of Bellerose since she moved there with her husband in 1977, and not long afterwards became involved in the Queens Colony Civic Association. Quality of life issues inspired her to take a more active role in the civic. Whereas she started out on the refreshment committee as a corresponding secretary, she rose to co-president for the first time in 1984. She has been president of Queens Colony Civic Association since 1986, sans 2 years. She worked to prevent over-development and co-authored a new zoning designation called R2N for single family homes with narrow lots. Although the City never appropriated the designation, the NYC Planning Department changed her civic area, including several other nearby neighborhoods, to R2A.

In 1999, she was appointed to Community Board 13 and currently holds the position of First Vice Chair. In 1995, she was one of the founding members of the Joint Bellerose Business District Development Corporation, a non-profit organization formed to improve the activity and look of the “Jamaica Avenue/Jamaica” Turnpike business strip and was successful in eliminating that double name which had confused non-Bellerose residents and emergency responders. In 2012, Ms. Augugliaro was honored with the 2012 Woman of the Year Award by Senator Avella.

Michael Augugliaro, Ms. Augugliaro’s husband, also received the Liberty Medal Award. Having worked for the NYC Department of Sanitation for 24 years, Mr. Augugliaro recounts clearing roads of snow as a particular fulfilling part of his former job. He has been an executive Board Member of Queens Colony Civic Association for over 25 years and, like his wife, was inspired to work on issues affecting quality of life in his community. He worked with his wife in rezoning Bellerose to single-family homes and has served as a member of the Joint Bellerose Business Development Corporations since its inception. The organization improves the Bellerose business strip and promotes commerce in the area. Mr. Augugliaro has always been involved in graffiti removal and was instrumental in saving 17 trees when Jericho Turnpike was reconstructed.

“All five of this year’s honorees exemplify what active community involvement entails. They have dedicated themselves to improving their neighborhood and the neighborhoods around them. Jerry Wind, Beverly McDermott, Joe Amoroso, Angela and Michael Augugliaro – These aren’t weekend warriors. From improving the quality of life in Queens, to stopping overdevelopment, today’s Liberty Medal recipients work day-in day-out on issues both large and small. That’s what it means to be a good neighbor, and a model citizen,” said State Senator Tony Avella.