When Mindy Germain first arrived in Port Washington more than two decades ago, she was still getting her bearings in a new community, walking along Main Street and taking in the waterfront views and small-town feel that had drawn her from Manhattan.
Then she noticed something that stopped her in her tracks.
A group of residents was walking through Blumenfeld Family Park, picking up litter. They wore T-shirts that read “Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington,” the former name of what is now Residents Forward.
“I remember thinking, these people really take care of where they live,” Germain said. “That idea lit something up in me.”
That moment in early 2001 marked the beginning of a long arc of civic and environmental leadership that has made Germain a familiar figure in Port Washington and across Long Island.
Today she serves as a commissioner on the Port Washington Water District, a role she has held since 2012, and is the founder of Eco-Leap, a sustainability and climate action consultancy working with municipalities and public agencies. For more than a decade, she was also a driving force at Residents Forward, including years as its executive director.
Germain moved to Port Washington from Manhattan with her family after growing up in Greenlawn in Suffolk County. She said the peninsula’s waterfront, strong schools, diverse population and direct rail connection to New York City all played a role in the decision.
But it was the community’s culture of volunteerism that ultimately anchored her.
“That sense of stewardship was something I hadn’t really experienced before,” she said. “It made me want to be part of it.”
A graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in communications, Germain said her education shaped the way she approaches environmental work. While her focus has shifted over the years toward sustainability and climate resilience, she sees communication and behavior change as the common thread.
“At the core, my work is about helping people understand complex issues and feel empowered to act,” she said.
Germain joined Residents Forward soon after moving to Port Washington and was named executive director in 2007. She said she felt both honored and humbled stepping into a leadership role at an organization founded in 1968 with a deep legacy of environmental advocacy.
One of her first steps was to immerse herself in the group’s history, reading through decades of archives. She found inspiration in the diverse backgrounds of past volunteers — architects, educators, artists and horticulturists — and in stories like that of Esther Margolis, known locally as “Port’s Tree Lady,” who personally planted trees along Main Street.
“I always felt like Residents Forward is this incredible chain,” Germain said. “I’m just one link, building on the work of people before me and helping prepare the next generation to carry it forward.”
That intergenerational focus remains central to her work, particularly through environmental education and youth engagement.
Even after stepping down from the executive director role to start Eco-Leap, Germain stayed closely involved with Residents Forward, serving on its board and continuing as director of its environmental education program. She is now vice president of the organization.
Through Eco-Leap, which she founded in 2020, Germain works with communities across Long Island on climate action, sustainability planning and public engagement. Her work includes conducting baseline assessments, designing education campaigns and writing grants that translate data into compelling narratives.
One project she cites as especially meaningful was her collaboration with the Town of North Hempstead. Germain led a townwide climate perceptions assessment and launched a “Climate Stories Project” to capture residents’ firsthand experiences with climate impacts, from downed trees to increased emergency calls during high winds.
The combined data helped secure state funding for a resiliency study, informed the town’s climate action plan and contributed to North Hempstead earning bronze certification from New York State for its climate initiatives.
Water protection has been another defining focus of Germain’s career.
While at Residents Forward, she became deeply involved in safeguarding the Port Washington aquifer, which is vulnerable to saltwater intrusion due to its coastal location. Her advocacy intensified during a period when New York City considered reactivating long-dormant wells in Queens, a move that raised concerns about drawing saltwater into Nassau County’s groundwater supply.
Germain and her colleagues pushed for a science-based approach, calling for data to demonstrate the impacts of any increased pumping. The wells were ultimately never reactivated, and the effort helped advance a $6 million sustainability study to improve long-term aquifer management.
Her collaborative work with the Port Washington Water District led to her appointment in 2012 as a commissioner, filling a midterm vacancy. After completing that term, she ran for the position and won.
“As an advocate, there’s only so much you can do,” Germain said. “Having a seat at the table allows you to shape policy and management practices in a real way.”
Her expertise has since extended beyond Port Washington. Germain serves on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation steering committee for Long Island’s drinking water sustainability study, helping guide how research is designed, managed and shared.
Balancing multiple roles, she said, comes down to passion.
“If something excites me, I make time for it,” Germain said. “And somehow, the busier I am, the more energized I get.”
Her work has earned widespread recognition, including the New York State Women of Distinction Award in 2017 from then-State Sen. Elaine Phillips, the Nassau County Trailblazer of the New Millennium honor, and the Town of North Hempstead’s Main Street Business Award. Germain said the awards are meaningful not only for the recognition, but for the opportunity to stand alongside other women making a difference.
Looking ahead, Germain envisions a more sustainable and resilient Port Washington — one with expanded food waste recycling, more walkable streets, reduced reliance on cars and landscaping practices that conserve water during peak summer months.
She hopes to continue advancing community-wide behavior change, from irrigation habits to electric vehicle adoption.
Through Eco-Leap, her goal is to help communities across Long Island build resilience rooted in local values and strong social connections.
“Every community has something special,” she said. “My hope is to help them strengthen that and prepare for the future.”
As for the legacy she hopes to leave, Germain points to the small acts that ripple outward over time.
“Residents Forward exists because one person showed up at a hearing decades ago and asked for a tree to be planted,” she said. “That single action sparked something lasting. If I can be that spark for someone else, even in a small way, that’s enough.”
