Despite being a part of the Great Neck Rotary Club for only two years, longtime Great Neck resident Leonard Katz will take the reins as president of the club on July 1.
“It’s going to be the start of, hopefully a banner year for the club,” Katz said. “And hopefully for the community as well.”
Katz, an investment advisor and resident of Great Neck since 1971, said he was named president of the club because many of the existing members have already held leadership positions.
“It’s a policy of the Rotary Club that everyone be able to hold leadership positions,” he said.
Katz said he’s making sure that he will not be the only one to hold a new position in the administration of the club.
“As president-elect, I’ve been able to take a few of the newer members and also give them positions in the administration,” Katz said. “I think it’s important that people get involved and be engaged in some way.”
Lidia Epel, the current president of the Rotary Club, called Katz “an excellent choice.”
“He will bring new ideas to the club and he is very committed to the organization,” Epel said. “It is wonderful to have him.”
Katz will be installed as president of the club at Colbeh Mediterranean Grill, located at 75 N Station Plaza, on June 26.
Katz said he has a surprise entertainer planned for the evening.
“I’m looking to have a more entertaining program than your typical chicken dinner,” Katz said.
He said his main goal during his tenure as president is to conduct food drives throughout the year, in addition to the club’s annual Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner Food Drive.
“I’d like to see more of that happen during the year,” Katz said.”It’s needed. Times are very tight right now and I think those of us who are more fortunate have a responsibility and an obligation to help those in need.”
His position as president will become effective on July 1 and will run to June 30, 2015.
Katz said he is also looking to send food and other goods to poor neighborhoods in Ecuador through a partnership with Great Neck North High School.
Katz was born in Brooklyn and moved to Great Neck in 1971.
He said he made the move after hearing many positive things about the town.
“I heard about how pretty it was, the parks and the schools had a great reputation,” Katz said. “Since I had a little child, I wanted to give her the best.”
Katz said he’s held several leadership positions in the Great Neck community, including service as treasurer of the Great Neck United Parent Teacher Council and service as the treasurer and president of the Men’s Club at Temple Israel of Great Neck.
He is currently also member of the Kiwanis Club of Great Neck and the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce.
He said his involvement with community affairs was influenced by his parents.
“My parents were very involved with community affairs,” Katz said.
Katz has an associate’s degree in business administration and management from Nassau Community College, a bachelor’s in general studies and humanities from Adelphi University and in 2002 completed a financial planner program at C.W. Post.
He now works at S K Management Consultants Inc. as a registered investment advisor and certified retirement advisor.
“I help people to make sure they can retire comfortably and put enough money away to pay for their children’s college,” Katz said.
Katz previously worked in Melville but now works at 1010 Northern Boulevard, a five minute trip away from his Great Neck home.
“I can walk during the summertime, which I sometimes do,” he said.
His work with the Rotary Club of Great Neck started after he was invited to a meeting by a member of the club.
“I was at a chamber of commerce meeting and someone said that I should come to one of their meetings,” Katz said.
Katz said he knew right away that the Rotary Club was something he wanted to get involved with.
“I was very impressed with the openness and warmth that the members showed to me,” he said. “It appealed to me what they were doing and I thought I’d enjoy being a part of that.”
Katz has two daughters, a son and four stepchildren as well as nine grandchildren.
For more information on the Great Neck Rotary Club, visit rotaryclubofgreatneck.org
