Garin Jr., who is disabled, lives with Denise and her family in Lynbrook, along with her father, Oscar. Her mother died a few years ago. She met Tom Rogers in the early ’90s, and they were married in 1998. They moved to Lynbrook 12 years ago, where they are raising their three children, Thomas, 12, Christopher, 10, and Adela, 7. “Denise is a good mother, and very dedicated to her family,” said chamber President Bill Gaylor, proprietor of Lyn Gift Shop, who has known Rogers for four years. “What I like about Denise is that she is a very professional administrator. That’s the type of thing I look for in making the chamber as successful as possible.” Rogers was the organization’s vice president of membership before she became executive V.P., a position at which she excels, Gaylor said. “She is a capable person, and an easy person to work with,” he said. Rogers has served as chairwoman of the chamber’s annual art auction, now in its second year, and the Taste of Lynbrook event, a popular fundraiser during which local restaurants and food services offer samples of their dishes. She has also worked with the Wounded Warriors Project, Patriots Weekend in Greis Park and the chamber’s Theater in the Park event. Last year, Gaylor said, Rogers was determined to follow through on a planned craft fair in Astoria Federal’s parking lot despite heavy rain. “She was shaking, but refused to give up and stayed until the last minute,” he recalled. “Some people still came to shop. We sat” — under a makeshift tent — “like wet pets, but I found that spirit of dedication very interesting.” Rogers works equally hard at the bank and with the chamber, said Steve Wangel, the chamber’s vice president of membership and owner of the Kitchen Loft. “Denise’s dedication to customer service is second to none,” Wangel said. “If I had any issues with my personal or business banking, she always came through with a great solution. Denise By MARY MALLOY and CLARISSA HAMLIN has no qualms about rolling up her sleeves mmalloy@liherald.com and getting down to work.” And, he added, “I can’t remember a function that the chamnspiring,” “giving” and “hardworking” are just a few ber held recently that Denise wasn’t involved words family and friends use to describe local businessin.” woman and humanitarian Denise Rogers, 39, the branch Her humility, Wangel said, is “heroic.” “The big picture is just staggering — mom, manager of Astoria Federal Savings in Lynbrook and the sister, wife, and career woman would be executive vice president of the Lynbrook Chamber of enough,” he said. “But throw everything else Commerce. Her dedication to her family, her career, worthwhile she does on the pile. Denise already has an armful of awards and accolades this year. causes and her community made her the Herald’s choice for Her reaction is almost as though she [thinks 2011 Person of the Year. she] doesn’t deserve any of it. She’s getting “She’s very social,” said Denise’s husband, Tom Rogers. “She’s the job done just because it’s the right thing to do. That’s probably the always getting involved in something, and she’s very energetic. She also most admirable thing about her.” gets the whole family involved.” When Rogers was chosen as Lynbrook’s Humanitarian of the Year Denise Garin grew up in Rockville Centre, the second of three children. Her older sister lives in Arizona, and her younger brother, Oscar See HERALD’S, page 11
PERSON 2 0 11
OF THE YEAR
Lynbrook/East Rockaway
HERALD December 29, 2011 - January 4, 2012
$1.00
YEAR IN REVIEW
Aidan Pearsall was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. His mother, Shannon Pearsall, co-founded the Long Island Chapter of Mended Little Hearts, a support group for parents of children with heart defects. Page 3
s r e g o R Denise
Rolling up her sleeves at the Chamber of Commerce
“I A fire tore through Lynbrook Bicycle on Merrick Road on the morning of Aug. 23, destroying the popular store that had sold bikes for more than 25 years. Page 16
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