The John S. DaVanzo Wall of Honor Award, established in 2015, is presented annually to a member of the Mineola Community who has dedicated themselves to helping make the Village of Mineola a better place, to someone who has steadfastly given of themselves for the betterment of our Village.
John S. DaVanzo, a pillar in the Mineola community, always put others before himself. A 1938 Mineola High School graduate, he was a stellar football, basketball, baseball player and track star. He married his high school sweetheart, Pauline, and attended Hofstra University.
A D-Day survivor, John served on the USS Glennon from 1943 to 1946.
In 1947, he joined the Mineola Vol. Fire Dept., serving as Captain of Engine Co. 1 from 1953 – 1955. He was named Honorary Chief in 1997. In 2004, he received the National Volunteer Firefighter of the Year award.
John served as Village Trustee from 1955 to 1965 and 2005 to 2007 and was Deputy Mayor from 1955- 1960, North Hempstead Town Councilman from 1965-1974 and Town Clerk from 1974–1991. In 1986, he was named NYS Clerk of the Year.
He was instrumental in the opening of the Mineola Pool in 1961, which was named after him in 2007. He served on the Library Board for 17 years. John served as co-chair for both of Mineola’s 75th Jubilee and Centennial celebrations.
Volunteering for many organizations he was honored as MAN OF THE YEAR by the Italian American Club, the Kiwanis Club, and the Rotary Club. John volunteered thousands of hours at St Francis Hospital.
For all of his dedication, John was affectionately nicknamed “Mr. Mineola”. This award is given in John’s honor and in his memory.
JOHN S. DAVANZO WALL OF HONOR AWARD
The recipient of the award will be decided by a committee of five members. Each committee member with the exception of the community leader will serve a term of not more than three years. The recipient does not have to be a Mineola resident and does not have to be a member of the Chamber of Commerce. The Wall of Honor Committee shall consist of the following persons:
· Two members of the Board of Trustees, appointed by the Mayor of Mineola
· Two members of the Chamber of Commerce, appointed by the President of the Chamber
· One community leader appointed each year in collaboration with the Mayor and the President of the Chamber.
Applications will be accepted by the Chamber of Commerce only between September and June. All applications shall be turned over to the committee for review at the committee meeting.
The committee will meet to decide on one recipient of the award. The recipient will be decided by the committee and a biography will be drafted by the Chamber of Commerce and presented to the Village for approval and/or editing.
Family members of the recipient will be notified by the committee ahead of time and the award will be presented and unveiled at Village Hall by the President of the Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor of the Village of Mineola or their designees immediately prior to the regularly scheduled October chamber dinner meeting. There is no monetary attachment to this award.
The cost of the plaque shall be covered by the Chamber of Commerce and shall be of the same size and quality as prior years.
This award is available due to the generosity of the Village Board, Chamber of Commerce and private donations.
If there are no applications presented or the committee decides that there are not sufficient applications for the year, the prior years’ applications many be used. In no event will applications more than one year old be considered. The committee will ensure that applications be maintained for one year.
Committee members may recommend amendments to the above. Any changes must be presented to the Chamber President and Mayor for approval. Approved changes will take effect the following year.