40. Diana Coleman

This forceful community activist wears many hats in her quest to make life better for the oft-neglected “little guy.” She is vice chair of the Nassau County Board of Health, co-chair of the Long Island Progressive Coalition and on the executive boards of the Nassau chapters of the Working Families Party and the New York Civil Liberties Union. She is known by many in the community as the co-founder of the anti-racism group United People for Social, Economic and Racial Justice (UPSERJ) and as former chair of the board of the Hempstead-based Economic Opportunity Commission, where she still works. Some may also remember her as one of the lead plaintiffs that forced Nassau County to have everyone’s property reassessed. And, aside from being an effective advocate, she is also one of the most humorous and sharp-witted people on this list.