St. Pete is celebrated for its fabulous weather, beautiful vistas, world-class food scene, and thriving cultural atmosphere but the people of St. Pete truly make this city something special. In appreciation, each month Green Bench shines a light on one of the many people that make St. Pete unique.
For the past decade, Tom Lally has devoted much of his time to giving back to the community he has called home for nearly 50 years. As the current president of the Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA), he continues his efforts to build stronger and more inclusive neighborhood connections as St. Pete continues to grow and evolve.
Long Island Boy Looks to the Horizon
Born in New York City, Lally grew up in the rural outskirts of Massapequa Park, Long Island, the oldest of five kids in an Irish Catholic family. Looking back, it’s clear that the seeds for his future were planted in that Long Island soil. Years as a Boy Scout (from Cub to Explorer) helped develop his sense of service and exploration. The epic James Michener novel Hawaii opened his eyes to the wider world and inspired the desire to travel. (Ironically, Hawaii is one of only three states he’s never visited.) These horizon-widening discoveries also contributed to his hopes of becoming an aerospace engineer. After finishing high school, he entered SUNY Farmingdale.
Expanded Horizons
Graduating in 1962, Lally launched his career in the aerospace industry during a decade that brought exciting new air and space technologies. By the late 1960s, he had joined the Grumman Aerospace Corp., where he helped engineer and manufacture the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) that made it possible for Apollo 11 astronauts to successfully land on the moon in 1969. Not content to look only to the skies for inspiration, Lally also was an avid photographer and music lover. Seeing an opportunity to combine both of those passions, he bought tickets to an August 1969 event billed as “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 days of peace and music.” Arriving early, he camped on site as he experienced and documented the Woodstock Rock Festival from Richie Havens’ nearly hour-long opener to the festival’s closing by Jimi Hendrix. Lally notes with a smile: “1969 was a very big year.”
Changing Horizons and a New Forever Home
As the 1960s gave way to the 1970s, Lally spent many happy days traveling up and down the East Coast to see Havens play. He remained in the aerospace industry and moved to the Pall Corp., which transferred him to St. Pete. Initially hesitant to relocate from New York to Florida, he fell in love with the community almost immediately. He remained with Pall until his 2012 retirement and says he can’t “imagine ever leaving St. Pete.” As an active leader in CONA as well as the Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Committee, the Mayor’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and St. Pete’s Complete Streets, Lally strongly believes in a “bottom up” approach that encourages the community to participate in setting priorities. As CONA’s president, he strives to work with neighborhoods to help understand and support their needs. He’s also passionate about connecting with often-dismissed people, including renters (he is one) and young people whose voices are vital in facing both current and future challenges.
For more information about CONA and how it can help amplify your voice as well as how you can join or start your own neighborhood association, visit www.stpetecona.org
