14 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • DECEMBER 2018
WHITMORE GROUP CEO JAMES C. METZGER:
BY JEFF BERMAN
With giving season underway,
there’s no better time for those with
a lot to be thankful for to reach out
and lend a hand to local charitable organizations
that help Long Islanders
in need.
Among the many good reasons to
be benevolent is that aside from helping
people, such acts of kindness in
turn make the donor feel better. Just
ask James C. Metzger, CEO and chairman
of Garden City-based Whitmore
Group, a privately held company that
has become one of the most successful
independent insurance brokerage
and financial services firms in the
region since it was started in 1989.
Metzger has been involved in
philanthropy for many years and,
during that time, he has donated
money and time to several charities,
schools, and youth organizations on
Long Island and beyond, including
the American Heart Association; the
Arthritis Foundation; Big Brothers
Big Sisters; the Hempstead Police
Athletic League (PAL) lacrosse
team; his alma mater, Hofstra University;
the Jamaica YMCA; and St.
Anthony’s High School in South
Huntington.
Metzger spoke with the Press
about his philanthropic initiatives
and what makes giving so important
to him. Here are excerpts from our
conversation:
Why is philanthropy so important
to you? A lot of our giving is
around the community — in the New
York metropolitan area — as well as
our clients’ communities. We’ve become
involved with our clients’ causes
and our clients’ charities and foundations,
which creates a win-win-win
situation good for our clients, good
for the recipients, and good for The
Whitmore Group as well. So, a lot of
our giving is client-driven and often
the clients are catalysts. For example,
today I’m meeting with a very large
building maintenance company. The
owner and CEO of that company is
the president on the board of trustees
of the Boys & Girls Club of Newark.
They’re coming in to visit my office
today…to talk about their programs.
We support that organization and
we have supported that organization
over the years. But they want to
sit down with me and see if we can
expand our relationship with them.
That and the Jamaica YMCA, another
organization The Whitmore Group
has helped, just to name two, do an
awful lot for the underprivileged
and kids in tough areas — challenging
environments — and they really
help these kids and improve their
potential and give them confidence….
I support a number of youth lacrosse
COVER FEATURE
Among the many causes that The Whitmore Group CEO James Metzger donates to is his alma mater, Hofstra University.
"It always feels good to give back."