''We represent the people; we are the grass roots elected officials who know what the people want and what they don't want,'' says Great Neck Village Officials Association President Daniel Nachmanoff. Also serving as mayor of Russell Gardens and as an executive board member of the Nassau County VOA, Mayor Nachmanoff is a strong, yet quiet, leader in the county and on the Great Neck peninsula.

In his second year as Great Neck VOA president, he is dedicated to maintaining a united community --- ''We are all one! --- nine villages that work well together, work with the town and the county and the state, and work with the local public organizations. ''This year we saw some major issues,'' he said, noting the GNVOA's strong support in the battle against a charter school, and their active interest in the Lockheed-Martin remediation.

Mayor Nachmanoff is equally proud of the long list of speakers who addressed the GNVOA this past year: Superintendent of Schools William Shine discussing Great Neck's public education; Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli; Senator Michael Balboni; Town Supervisor May Newburger addressing issues such as Lockheed Martin and the town legacy fund; and Board of Assessors Chair Charles O'Shea, who spoke about reassessment.

Speaking of the two legislators, Senator Balboni and Assemblyman DiNapoli, Mayor Nachmanoff praised their efforts on behalf of the community and said that much of this past year's infrastructure work on the Great Neck peninsula was due to state funds secured by the two men. As well, he added that this year has also seen a ''significant VOA input'' from County Legislator Lisanne Altmann.

When the interview with the Great Neck Record broached the subject of emergency management, the mayor said that his own village has quite an ''impressive'' capacity for generator power, and, as well, they have rewired. In an emergency, Russell Gardens Village Hall can be used to shelter residents. Regarding the peninsula as a whole, he said that ''Basically there is a cooperative arrangement with all of the villages ... there is an inventory of village equipment.''

Mayor Nachmanoff went on to explain that most emergencies, such an airplane crash, would quickly involve outside help. ''In a rare, rare emergency, if the peninsula was cut off, we (the villages) would cooperate with one another ... this is not a problem ... villages are close to one another ... we can communicate ... in a snowstorm each village along Middle Neck Road would clear its own portion,'' he explained. He did add, though, that maybe emergency management is something the GNVOA could work on this coming year.

While much of Dan Nachmanoff's long career in community service has centered on Russell Gardens, he has broadened his focus, first to the Great Neck VOA, and now to the Nassau County VOA. Feeling strongly that Great Neck should be represented on the executive board of the NCVOA, he stepped up to the plate. ''I'm happy to do it,'' he said. ''Leadership here is important; there are 64 Nassau villages and these villages are 40 percent of the county population.'' He also stated that he feels that the NCVOA should take on a more active leadership role in the New York Conference of Mayors.

Mayor Nachmanoff is seeing a revitalization, ''a new awareness,'' in the NCVOA. ''We are meeting with officials --- Hillary Clinton came, Rick Lazio is coming, Mayor Giuliani came when he was a candidate,'' he noted. And now, with the NCVOA's 75th anniversary coming up, Mayor Nachmanoff sees an even brighter future, with much more to be accomplished by a strong, united group. He spoke of a community buying system, boosting the economy by using local suppliers, and he spoke of ways to reduce energy costs. He said that Russell Gardens is already enjoying a 10 percent Keyspan discount, having formed a municipal energy authority.

Again he stressed cooperation, delighted to report that the GNVOA ''enjoys good relationships'' with local public organizations, with the school district, with the park district, with the water districts, with the library, with the USMMA, with the Great Neck Arts Center, among others.

Wearing his ''mayor hat,'' Mayor Nachmanoff was also very happy to discuss news in Russell Gardens. His village has repaired and rebuilt every street without having to borrow, and, as well, they have rebuilt the village pool and park area. A pathway from Tain Drive to Great Neck Road is being rebuilt and will be dedicated to the late Mayor Joyce Cohn.

Dan Nachmanoff is a dentist by profession. He and his wife, Gloria, (his office manager) have lived in Great Neck for 31 years, and raised their three children here. Elena, a vice president at NBC News; Dara, a neuro-pathologist; and Ari, a financier, are all products of the Great Neck School District. To this day, Mayor Nachmanoff remains a staunch supporter of Great Neck's public schools.

''I like to maintain a relatively low profile, but I will be active in all affairs,'' promised Mayor Nachmanoff. ''Great Neck is a wonderful community, city and country together; I never thought to live anywhere else.''