Post’s Donohue Wins Farberow Award

Roberta Donohue, longtime publisher of the Palisadian-Post, former Chamber of Commerce president and town booster has been named the Mort Farberow Businessperson of the Year, in honor of the late deli owner and godfather of the Palisades. ”Embedded in the town since her childhood, Donohue exemplifies the three C’s that underlie the Farberow award: Community, Chamber and Children. ”It is not surprising that Roberta developed her love for the town through community service and support. Her father, Rocco Ross, owned the local Mobil station and lent his time, money and leadership to community activities. ”Suspending her business school studies in order to care for her ailing mother, Roberta found her first part-time job as a typesetter at the Palisadian-Post in 1972, and stayed to make a career. ”’How right they were when they told me that once newspaper ink gets into your blood, it never leaves you,’ Roberta said in an interview. ”While her professional life was developing, Roberta took on more duties at the newspaper, mastering not only the printing business, but also the administrative side, and eventually was promoted to publisher in 1987. ”Along the way, she married Richard Donohue, and the couple became parents in 1990. Roberta, patterning after her own father, has always managed to integrate family with work, and her daughter Jennifer, now 15, found love and companionship at the Post. From the nursing days right up to the present, Jennifer has been a welcome member of the newspaper family. Now completing her freshman year at Palisades High School, Jennifer played JV volleyball and played violin with the school orchestra. ”Indeed, Roberta’s activities with both the Chamber of Commerce and other nonprofit organizations have focused primarily on promoting family and community. She has co-chaired the Chamber’s Village Fair, Santa’s visit and the Auto Show. And she has worked prodigiously with Las Doradas, serving as a patron for the organization that supports a preschool and child center in Venice ”’My focus has always been to make sure that the Chamber events be family oriented, that kids were encouraged to participate,’ Donohue said. ‘I remember that when my dad was involved in the Optimist Club; we kids loved the carnivals and fireworks sponsored by the club at the Recreation Center. ”In her term as Chamber president in 2000, Roberta expanded the notion of the Village Fair (formerly Moonlight Madness) to include young kids, and for the past 20 years has been a loyal elf assisting Santa on his annual visit to Swarthmore. ”’Mort and I both loved the Holiday Ho! Ho! Ho! We believed in the spirit of Santa because it brought such a fun time for children.’ ”Friendly, open and encouraging to young people, Roberta is a frequent speaker at career days at local public schools, and an accommodating host to young people who want to learn about the newspaper business. ”Roberta first worked with Mort in 1987 when she became Post publisher. ‘He reminded me a lot of my dad, who had passed away,’ she said. ‘They both believed in the values of hard work and giving young people a chance. My dad came to America at 15 and he understood how hard it was to get started in this country.’ ”The last time Roberta had a long conversation with Mort was in the summer of 2002. ‘He and Bobbie (his wife) and I were at a board planning meeting. After the meeting, we sat around and talked about the old times and the values that we shared.’ ”Donohue will be honored next Thursday, June 23 at the annual Chamber of Commerce Installation Dinner at the Riviera Country Club.