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HERALD
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DECEMBER 28, 2023 - JANUARY 3, 2024
What’s What’s
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Vol. 72 No. 1
HERALD PERSON oF THE YEAR GeorGe Brennan
Showing limitless compassion, and a Lion's heart By Charles Shaw
Hitting the stage for a magical performance Page 8
George Brennan knows what it means to give back, because he’s been doing it his whole life. He may be the president of the Seaford Lions Club for the past three years, yet Brennan goes far beyond that when he shows just why the Lions’ motto is “we serve.” The Seaford club has long helped organize blood drives, grow other service-oriented clubs, donate money to outreach centers, and other seemingly countless acts of kindness. Yet, all of that is in a day’s work for George Brennan. And it’s why he is this year’s Seaford Herald Person of the Year. “If you do it often enough, it becomes second nature to you,” he said. Growing up on Staten Island, Brenf you do nan learned the importance of taking on responsibilities after becoming an it often altar boy at his local church. He rememenough, it bers the obligation of getting ready for becomes morning Mass, not wanting to disappoint in his key role during worship second nature services. to you. That responsibility translated to his time working as a paper boy, delivering GeorGe Brennan to some 230 customers. Brennan would president, spend many days folding newspapers, Seaford Lions Club dropping them off to customers, and knocking on doors to get new subscribers and bolster his route. Then, he became a caddy, making money off tips from carrying golfers’ bags. Brennan remembers coming home only to hand over his caddy fees to his father so he could have money available during snowy and rainy days when he wasn’t working. Yet, his father let Brennan keep his tips. And because of that, the young up-and-comer worked harder to become a better caddy just so he could get better tips. And once he did start doing that, he learned to be responsible with money, knowing that hard work pays off. “It's something I've taught my kids,” Brennan said. “Become better at your job and what you're doing, you'll reap the rewards.” Being a paper boy and caddy helped Brennan learn the basics of business, and prepared him for a future in entrepreneurship. He is now the president of Leaner Meaner Greener Inc., a resource management consulting firm, as well as Telesis Communication Services Inc., a telecom management firm he co-founded in 1998. Brennan moved from Staten Island to Seaford in 1997, joining Rotary and helped start the Seaford Kiwanis club. A decade later, he was invited to a Seaford Lions Club meeting, and he’s
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A beautiful first day of a new chapter Page 17
A lovely treat at the fall festival Page 18
For BrEAKING NEWS go to liherald.com
been a member since. Brennan now resides in Amityville, but he remains close with the Seaford community through the Lions, describing the club as like-minded individuals coming together to benefit his community — and the greater world. “Our reach is international as well as local,” he said. The Lions Club is an international service organization with 1.4 million members a part of 40,000 clubs throughout the world. In Seaford, the Lions financially back food pantries, give out scholarships, organize fundraisers, support youth organizations, and transport corneas through the Lions Eye Bank of Long Island. Charles Wroblewski understands what it’s like to be in Brennan’s role, because he was — he was president of the Seaford Lions for five years. “Being active in organizations and helping others, it’s good for your health,” Wroblewski said. One of the most important activities Brennan’s proud of is the club’s annual blood drive each February because it saves lives.
Continued on page 2 Charles Shaw/Herald
Seaford Lions president George Brennan, right, joined Lions Clubs International past president Douglas Alexander at a summer barbecue in Seaford. Brennan is the Herald's 2023 Person of the Year.