The Hicksville High School Hall of Fame was established at the high school on Division Avenue thru the efforts of certain people within the school administration. Students from all years who have distinguished themselves in the community, who have made an impact nationally and internationally were considered for inclusion.

The criteria for admittance is high and the goal is to induct those who were recommended by their peers. A board at the high school reviewed those under consideration, then a selection was made and announced.

The Hicksville Newsletter is trying to coordinate the list so that those selected by the committee for induction into the Hall of Fame can become part of our website. This will be accomplished in the future. Please watch for subsequent issues that will begin this process.

This Month's Hall of Fame Inductee: Roslyn D. Goldmacher, Class of 1971

Roslyn D. Goldmacher is a member of the prestigious Hicksville High School Hall of Fame. Her many achievements over the years is the reason she was considered as a candidate for admission to that fraternity of fame years ago. There isn't one area that is considered the catalyst that earned her a spot on the fame wall. Her attention to a wide range of agenda signaled the reason for her admittance.

Roz is a founding board member of the Long Island Women's Agenda, a coalition of women's organizations on Long Island. Roz and Christie Brinkley were honored for their advocacy several years ago. Christie on behalf of the environment, due to her anti nuclear, stance and Roz for small business advocacy due to her work with numerous island businesses.

Roz is President, CEO and co founder of the Long Island Development Corporation - a regional not for profit economic development organization which makes loans to LI small businesses and helps them obtain government and other contracts (www.lidc.org). Roz commented, "I founded it 24 years ago while I still had my law practice."

LIDC has made over $600 million in direct loans to start up and existing businesses on Long Island to help them grow, create and retain jobs and beneficially impact the community. Roz said, "Our loans are made under various government programs with the major one being a long term, low fixed interest rate, second mortgage loan to help small businesses buy and construct buildings with low down payments and affordable terms."

Roz added, "we have several financing programs, including a mini micro loan program for women entrepreneurs, tied to free technical assistance and seminars. In addition to the direct loans of $600 million, our lending has leveraged additional conventional financing to be invested in capital and other projects on LI. The total capital investment from our activities is over $1.5 billion. Some 35,000 jobs have been retained and/or created due to our loans."

"We also run," Roz said, "a procurement technical assistance center which provides free counseling to help entrepreneurs obtain and perform on government and private sector contracts to expand their businesses - we have obtained over $900 million in government contracts to date."

"We started the first (and still the only) Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certified by the US Treasury in the nation," Roz said. "The idea was to lend to and work with female entrepreneurs," she added. "The fund was started to help defense dependent manufacturers on LI diversify and to help commercial fishermen negatively impacted by pollution or regulation." You can read about some of our borrowers/clients at www.lidc.org.

Roz is on the national board of SCORE (Service Corps. of Retired Executives). This organization consists of some 11,000 volunteer executives who provide free counseling to entrepreneurs. Roz also is chairperson of the LI Advisory Board. "I currently Chair the LI Fund for Sustainable Development and am Treasurer of its affiliates -Sustainable LI and LI Redevelopment Institute," Roz said. "These organizations promote economic development which is environmentally sound and promotes social equity. Our work includes visioning in blighted communities and then helping those communities to move forward with revitalization efforts."

Roz is VP of the LI Business Development Council, LI's oldest networking group for economic developers and founded and chair the LIBDC Scholarship Fund at Hofstra University's Business Development Center. She founded and was past President of WEDLI (Women Economic Developers of LI) - a group of high level women in economic development on LI. Roz provides a scholarship through WEDLI for female entrepreneurs or women involved in economic development who want to advance their training.

"In the past," Roz said, "I helped found and served on boards of organizations such as National Association of Women Business Owners LI Chapter (I still chair NAWBO's LI Investment Club- the first in the nation)... I have served as appointee of several successive NYS Governors on the executive committee of the NYS Regional Economic Development Council which provides assistance to LI economic development and the NYS Incubator Task Force which provided funding for the business incubators here... I served on Womens Advisory Councils for three successive Nassau County Executives and on the Bi County
Peacetime and Defense Diversification Council for two Suffolk County Executives...etc etc etc…"

Currently, Roz is also involved in several cultural and charitable entities on LI that contribute to the quality of life and economic development on Long Island. Roz is chairperson (for the past 14 years) of the annual economic development effort of the LI Classic- an annual golf event of the Sr PGA Classic. "Our project," she said, "places the tournament on national/international TV and we use the commercial time to promote LI as a place to do business and as a tourism destination."

The list goes on…Roz is on the board of the LI Community Foundation- a branch of the NY Community Trust which distributes philanthropic dollars on LI; on the board of the Girl Scouts of Suffolk County (previously served on Nassau Girl Scouts' board); and Roz was proud to say she was the first artistically Challenged member of the board of directors of the Art League of Long Island- a 45 year old forum for artists, providing gallery space, exhibitions, classes and camps.

Roz has been honored by many organizations including the NYS Legislature; Newsday; Long Island Business News; National Association of Women Business Owners and the Center for Family Resources to name a few. Most recently Roz was named Fundraiser of the Year at Philanthropy Day.

Any Hicksville High alumni who own a small business or are thinking of creating a small business, have them contact me at biz-loans@lidc.org or gov-contracts@lidc.org or call me at 516- 433- 5000.

There are additional accomplishments too lengthy to list here. Suffice it to say. We are proud to admit Roz into the Hicksville High School Newsletter Hall of Fame.