Meet John McQuaid - Nissequogue River State Park Foundation Chairperson

John McQuaidSit down with John McQuaid for a minute and you understand that this is a man who knows what he wants.  Spend another minute with him and you understand that McQuaid is a man who works hard to make goals become reality. 

John is a Kings Park resident who lives with his wife and two sons on Kohr Rd., near the Nissequogue River State Park.  He planned it that way.  An avid outdoor person and park user, John moved to Kings Park where he and his family could enjoy the wonderful parkland at both Sunken Meadow and Nissequogue River State Park.

John is organized and he is a planner, he puts on the elbow grease and pitches in whenever needed. When it comes to activities for the kids or the safety of Kings Park kids, John is there. He quietly yet forcefully cuts through political doublespeak and inertia to get things done.

In January of this year, John McQuaid became chairperson of the Nissequogue River State Park Foundation (NRSPF).  He follows in the footsteps of former chairman, Kings Park resident Mike Rosato.  Mike founded the NRSPF, nurtured it and is credited with its success.  Under Mike’s watchful eye the organization raised over $100,000 to be used to protect, promote and enhance the Nissequogue River State Park (NRSP).  More importantly, under Mike’s direction the NRSPF became a visible and vocal advocate in its support for the remediation of the park and the creation of a master plan.

Big shoes to walk in? Absolutely! Is McQuaid up to the task? Absolutely! The new NRSPF chairman is no stranger to getting government to work for the people. He first got involved locally with the clean-up and repaving of Tiffany Field in Kings Park.  McQuaid Is currently leading the charge to put automatic external defibrillators (AED’s) at Memorial Park and other Kings Park parks where kids play in organized activities.  Speaking on behalf of the Kings Park Youth Association he had this to say to the Town Board and Town Attorney Zollo:

“ A couple of comments, I am acknowledging that perhaps how we stated our request.  We’re very willing to offer it to anybody who uses those fields, we’re not, we didn’t mean to suggest that it was just for our use; it’s for any children.  We would be willing to purchase, maintain it and keep it updated and do whatever is necessary to keep it functional and give access to it for anybody who is trained, who is at the facility use of the park.” (Town Board transcript 4/19/2012)  He cares about the kids.  Eventually, John received approval from the Town but is still waiting for an official agreement. He is not happy about moving into another season without the AED’s and is planning to address the Town Board if necessary.

What can you expect of John McQuaid, “Chairperson” of the NRSPF?  A lot. According to John he will continue to push for the master plan for the park. He is going to continue with the creative fundraising the foundation is known for, the two 5k run and walk events. The NRSPF is partnering with the Commack – Kings Park Rotary Club to create a “Healing Garden” and the foundation will be a presence on May 4^th, “I Love My Park Day.” According to State Parks the Nissequogue River State Park had 64,702 visitors in 2011 and 106,125 visitors in 2012. John McQuaid is hoping to see the number of visitors continue to grow. He will keep doing those things that have worked in the past, but he is not limiting himself and is open to suggestions.

One thing is certain, John McQuaid will make his mark on the Nissequogue River State Park!