Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and members of the Town Board honored outgoing Hicksville School Board President Phil Heckler, who retired in June after 12 years of exemplary service to the district.
“We are so proud to recognize Phil Heckler of Hicksville, who, after a long tenure on the Hicksville School Board, recently stepped down,” Saladino said during the ceremony.
Heckler first became a board trustee in 2012, and the following year board president. He also served as chair of the finance committee. He led the district with honor and distinction, Saladino said.
Heckler was committed to aiding his community even before his election to the board. He served as a 1st Li. in the U.S. Army, building highways in the central highlands of Vietnam. “With a bachelor’s of science in civil engineering,” Saladino said, “Phil utilized his vast environmental experience & helped make our world a better place.”
“To say Phil has an extended legacy of community service in Hicksville is truly an understatement,” the supervisor continued. Phil and his wife Karen, who have been married for more than 50 years, raised two daughters who graduated from Hicksville School District and saw their grandchildren attend the district too.
Aside from his duties on the school board, Heckler is also an active member of the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce, a life member of the VFW, active with the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, Past Co-President of the Gregory Museum, and a member of the Hicksville Gardens Civic Association.
“His tremendous achievements are remarkable and exceedingly worthy of the Town’s highest honor,” Saladino concluded. “We are so pleased to present this town citation marking Phil’s incredible service to our community and to our nation.”
Heckler thanked his family for the support, and the Hicksville Garden Civic Association members for getting him involved with the school board.
“It’s been a very rewarding 12 years on the school board,” he said. “And it’s nice to see some students from the actual school here. Thank you.”
