Glen Cove resident Joan Meehan said she loves giving back to the community. And it is that love that got her honored as a trailblazer by the Nassau County Legislature for Women's History Month. 

Meehan, a six-term city council member, has been a resident of Glen Cove since 1965. She and her husband, Gerard, have four children and seven grandchildren.

At age 60, she had never been in politics, but things changed in 1992, when she was asked to run for City Council by Tom Suozzi, the former county executive who was running for city mayor at the time. 

Meehan noted that she has known Suozzi and his family for many years. Suozzi especially knew about Meehan's work in the city from her involvement with activities at St. Patrick's Church on Glen Street. She has served as a member of its Liturgy Committee and as a lector at the church for almost 40 years. 

"Tom thought I had integrity, I had to feel that was a good reason to run," said Meehan, who up to that point had been a self-proclaimed housewife. "The whole council was in their late 20s and 30s. I thought I could represent the seniors. That's the reason I accepted his invitation to run. I never expected to win."

As a member of the city council, she worked with the Environmental Protection Agency and obtained grants to clean up toxic waste by the city's waterfront. She also helped to get a smoke stack torn down at the waterfront. Meehan noted that she also worked very hard on the revitalization of the city's downtown district by helping to bring in anchor stores like Staples and Safevieh Furniture. 

Meehan's work as an elected official includes the formation of the business improvement district in the city, where she was instrumental in developing a piece of property to allow real-estate developer Avalon Bay to construct two residential rental buildings.

"I promoted and supported that," Meehan said. "It was important to bring in tax dollars without bringing in that many more children into the schools, which would increase taxes."

After serving six terms as a councilwoman, Meehan decided it was time to leave and spend more time with her husband.

Her activism, however, has not stopped. 

She is presently a member of the Glen Cove Senior Advisory Council, where she serves as an advocate for seniors and makes recommendations to Mayor Ralph Suozzi. The board, Meehan explained, oversees all the senior housing projects in the city and she currently has been involved in getting, among other things, a new roof and fence at the senior housing developments. Meehan is also a member of the Glen Cove Board of Assessment Review.

And her positive contributions to the city was recognized by the county on Monday. Legislator Diane Yatauro (D-Glen Cove) presented Meehan with the county's Trailblazer Award during a ceremony at the Legislature building in Mineola.

"Joan is such a vital part of our Glen Cove community and it is a pleasure and an honor to recognize her many achievements," Yatauro said. "There is no one in our city whose life has not been enhanced by her service and her hard work."

Despite all her volunteer efforts, the longtime city resident doesn't consider herself a volunteer. Instead, she said, she is someone who likes to extend a helping hand. 

"People like what I do and they ask me back to do more," she said. "It feels good to do things for people."