Founders

The Founders of Our Organization

Glenn Hall

Chairman of EEDG attended The Long Island University at Southampton, where he was a business major.  He owned and operated Suffolk Commercial Mats & Flooring for over 25 years, and Ski Master, a water ski company in East Hampton for over 40 years, and is a licensed Captain.  He has been Chairman of EEDG since 1994. He had polio when he was four and is mobility impaired. He lives in Suffolk County with his wife Elaine.

Deborah Hoey

A legal services attorney and graduate of St. John Law School, suffered a massive stroke in 1984 when hit by a car crossing the street in New York City. As a legal services attorney, Ms. Hoey was in charge of the Food Law Project which dealt with legislation and community education regarding the institution of food programs for children and seniors. She lives in Suffolk County with her husband Gerry Mooney

Gerry Mooney

Graduated from Stonehill College in Easton Mass, with a degree in business, and became a community organizer in New York City where he was a leader involved in the sweat equity movement which took over and rehabilitated abandoned buildings. He was also a leader in organizing neighborhoods to preserve housing. Since 1989 Gerry has been involved in building and managing Affordable Housing projects in East Hampton including; Whalebone Village Apartments, Windmill 1, Windmill 2, and St. Michaels housing. He has been Treasurer of EEDG since 1994.

Karen Sukonek

Attended Philadelphia College of Art and The School of Visual Arts in New York City. She was an art director and editor at Harper and Row Publishers, illustrated numerous books, book jackets, and children's books. She also taught art to young children.  She designed a public art project for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which was sighted as the most beautiful city art project of 1991 at the Nippon National Public Art Fair. She also designed public art for the Board of Education of New York City. Ms. Sukonek lived the latter portion of her life in a wheelchair as a result of Multiple Sclerosis, writing on the subject of life with disabilities, and raising her daughter. She has passed on, but her voice remains strong through East End Disabilities Group.

Richard Rosenthal

Whose hearing was damaged when he was a soldier in World War II, was an Oxford Graduate with a varied career in business and journalism. Rosenthal published articles in The New York Times, Washington Post, New York Magazine and The London Sunday Telegraph. He authored a mystery reviewed by The New York Times as one of year's best. He was also the author of "The Hearing Loss Handbook”, published by St. Martin’s Press and an innovator in the design and use of hearing aids. He was the producer and host of “Access”, a television show focusing on disabilities issues and broadcast on LTV. He passed in 2019.