Honorees include Suffolk Police Commissioner and Small Business Owner
(Mineola, New York) – On February 28th, the Nassau County Legislature honored two inspirational individuals for their annual Black History Month celebration. The two honorees, from both the Majority and Minority Caucuses, have overcame obstacles and racial barriers to achieve success.
The first honoree was Deidre Helberg, a small-business owner from Freeport who is the CEO of Helberg Electrical Supply and DBA HES Energy Products. After founding Helberg Electrical Supply in 2003, Deidre Helberg has successfully grown her business and in recent years has expanded to sell products in the green energy sector. Throughout her distinguished career, she has advocated for diversity in the electrical industry. She overcame inherent prejudice, by being a Black woman in a mostly white, male dominated field, and by her actions earned the respect of her peers and suppliers. Currently, Deidre Helberg serves on the Advisory Board of Strive International and is a member of the African American Chamber of Long Island.
The second honoree was current Commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department, Rodney Harrison. Commissioner Harrison is a Baldwin resident and previously was the Chief of Department for the New York City Police Department. When he was appointed to the job in December 2021, he became the first Black Police Commissioner in Suffolk County history. He had also broken racial barriers in the NYPD as the only person in the history of the NYPD to rise from the rank of cadet to Chief of Department. Commissioner Harrison had also previously been NYPD Chief of Detectives, NYPD Chief of Patrol, and the NYPD’s Chief Executive Officer for Staten Island.