Who was chosen as the West Hempstead Person of the Year?

West Hempstead and Lakeview are both tight knit communities, where all members are encouraged to speak freely amongst themselves and make important decisions together. This pattern remains true as they continue to have community support association meetings, which are open to the public.

At the most recent meeting on Sept, 24, the communities voted on who should be awarded Person of the Year. This award ceremony was held at the American Legion Hall in West Hempstead. Roughly 85 people showed up in support of retired NYPD sergeant Mike Joyce, the man they voted for this year.

Prior to the meeting’s start, attendees were asked to sign in and provide their email addresses. Community members chatted gregariously as they filled the seats before opening speeches began, led by resident Maureen Mahoney. Maureen spoke briefly, introducing board members and invited guests before presenting Mike with the award personally.

After that, members of the community gathered for cake as the Lakeview Fire Department returned to duty, Then the night turned into a bustling Q&A, where community members got to ask Lakeview police officers and government officials about safety and other concerns.

Maureen passionately advocated for her faith in Mike and the choice to honor him on this night. “Mike has been a volunteer firefighter since he was 18. He rose through the ranks and is a former chief of the Lakeview Fire Department. Every day, Mike responds to calls when our community needs assistance … Mike has always been our go to guy when we need assistance in getting help for our events. Regardless of what we ask Mike - the answer is always YES,” she said.

Mike showed a lot of humility while giving his acceptance speech, shouting out those who he felt helped him get to this point. “I’d like to thank the civic association for recognizing the Fire Department in this town. I hope they continue doing the wide range of events that they do, it keeps this town alive,” he stated.

Mike also credits the law enforcement groups of Lakeview for being so proactive about protecting their people. “The civic association stopped a potentially dangerous situation. I got a call that someone was storing illegal propane tanks on their property. The very next day the association went down to the location and had it removed. Without them, it could have been way worse,” he said.

The process of choosing Person of the Year is a long one. It starts with the board choosing a list of people that have helped the community and the community voting to choose one. Councilman Thomas Muscarella affirmed this choice, noting that the town ‘picked a winner this year.’ He described Mike as angelic, and honored him with a separate certificate of recognition.

Assemblyman Ed then awarded Maureen Mahoney the annual Woman of Distinction award, for her efforts at this event and more. After all the awards had been given out, residents asked a variety of questions before heading home. The panel didn’t end until everyone was heard.