Vanessa Tamari is running for Great Neck Park District commissioner and is the best candidate for the job. Vanessa is the real deal. She has earned the distinction of “The best mom in the world.” (To me that’s the highest compliment one can give and it doesn’t have to be reserved for one person) She’s also the best type of friend you could ever hope to have. Throughout the more than seven years that I’ve had the honor of knowing Vanessa and her family, she’s spent three or four hours of each day working to make our community better, often in ways that aren’t part of any formal position or leadership role (though she’s held many of those as well). She is a tireless advocate for kids—not just her own, but for all of the kids in our community.
The role of a Park District commissioner is to serve as a steward of our shared treasure – Great Neck’s unparalleled parks and facilities, activities, and programming – and to always strive to better use the district’s resources to meet the needs and wants of as many of our residents as possible. Over the past few years, I’ve had a front-row seat to watch her decision-making process on matters affecting her kids, my kids, and many of our kids in the many PTO leadership positions she has so selflessly taken on. In her PTO roles, her decisions and actions on any particular issue are not swayed by the individual or specific needs of her sons, but by what she believes will best serve the entire student population. Vanessa takes a common sense, facts-first, rational, and kindhearted approach to every interaction she has in person or online—assets that will serve our community well.
And here’s the kicker – when it comes to politics, our views probably couldn’t be further apart. And in this sadly divided world/country/state/county/town that we live in, our political views have never ONCE been the subject of any type of argument, debate, conflict, or from what I recall, ever been the topic of conversation. I bring this up because Vanessa is driven not by political ideology, but by a passion for making her community better. And it’s critical to keep in mind that the Park District commissioner is not a political position.
I encourage you to support the Vanessa Tamari for Great Neck Park District Commissioner campaign and vote for her on Dec. 14!
Matthew Ruzz
Great Neck
