John Feal
Founder and President
Director of the Zadroga Bill

As the Founder of the FealGood Foundation John has had incredible achievements and continues the tremendous goals he’s set for himself either by choice or challenge.

John’s determination as an individual was obvious and blatant as a High School student. He excelled in sports where he was Captain and All County 2x of his wrestling team, and served his community proudly. His was a reputation of a fighter as much as one of fortitude. Years after having graduated, CHS called its Alumnus back to be recognized as an ‘Alumni of Recognition.’ John was honored to receive this award, and is one of only 47 past Alumni to have been awarded such recognition. John has also received the NYS Congressional ‘Medal of Honor for Civilians Above & Beyond’ for his continuous advocacy and for donating a kidney to a complete stranger.

On September, 12th 2001 John and his team of Construction Demolition experts were called to Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan to aid in the cleanup & recovery mission. The greatest City in the world needed expert hands to remove twisted steel, rubble and debris from atop the thousands of people thought to be lost underneath. Having no hesitation, John rushed down to direct his team. Tragically, on Day 5 of the mission John became the mission. While supervising his team roughly 8,000 pounds of Steel came loose from the huge pile and crushed his left foot. After 11 weeks in the hospital Doctors amputated half of John’s left foot.  John went through years of surgeries and innumerable hours of therapy; as well as extensive stays in the hospital.

What John did next was true to his nature; he turned his personal drama into public success. He experienced hurdle after hurdle with medical bills, time lost from work, overtime not gotten and bills piling up. He heard the word ‘No’ too many times from Insurance Companies,  Doctors, & Elected Officials, and John decided right then and there that no American, after serving honorably at Ground Zero for the good of our nation, should be treated like a junk yard dog looking for scraps. The irony is John’s own reputation closely resembles that same junk yard dog when a member of the US Senate or Congress pushes him aside. In the end it was Mr. Feal standing on the steps of US Congress with a new Law proudly and securely in his hands.

John learned, while serving in the US Army’s Airborne Division that failure is not an option. He brings that tenacity to his work ethic and every meeting he attends. Once out of the hospital, and without the aid of pain-killers John made it his mission to alleviate the Heroes of 9/11 from the burdens and hurdles he experienced, and created the FealGood Foundation. Surrounding himself with the best of the best, John has reached plateaus not known to many. His team, led by John’s example, put together a package of gut and will to make sure each and every United States Senator, Congressman and Congresswoman knew the FealGood Foundation’s name, their determination and their inflexibility to never accept ‘No.’

On December 22rd, 2010, just three days before Christmas and while holding the US Senate & Congress from starting their holiday break, John and his team of Responders and Volunteers watched the proud moment of a Unanimous vote by the entire Senate to pass HR 847.
Coming full circle to 2011 the FealGood Foundation and Mr. John Feal have now made it their mission to assure transparency in the new ‘James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation’ law. John spreads himself between fund-raising for incredibly important causes directly related to the Responders and all those affected by 9/11 and its aftermath, to lobbying the many sub-committees involving the Zadroga law to holding forums to make sure the Responders know their rights as they pertain to the law. John has now been influential in the passing of 2 bills since 2004, and continues to strive with his grass roots activism.

Being on top of a pile of rubble can change a man in many ways. Seeing what John saw on those horrific days and smelling and hearing all he did can change you in so many different ways. John realizes his place in this world and is stead-fast in the mission he has been tasked with, in just two words... the Responders.

Press Coverage

John Feal has been prominently featured in two documentaries: Robert Greenwald’s Sierra Club Chronicles 9/11 Forgotten Heroes; and in Heidi-Dehncke-Fisher’s Dust to Dust: The Health Effects of 9/11. John has also been interviewed by WPIX, NEWS12, CNN, FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC, Air America Radio, Nightline, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, the New York Daily News, the NY Post, New York Newsday, all major radio & print, and by Michael Moore for his film Sicko. As one of the Ground Zero movement’s most passionate and informed spokespersons, he is high sought after by the print and broadcast media.

Public Contact

John Feal can be contacted at either the below phone number, postal address or e-mail. Please be assured if John’s board member replies to your request it is by John’s own direction. Each and every contact John receives is answered in a timely fashion.
 
144 Shenandoah Boulevard
Nesconset, NY 11767
Phone: 631-724-3320
Email: Feal13@aol.com

"In my mind, people like John Feal have really become heroes twice: because in their own pain, in their own grief, in their own distress over their loss of health, they're still fighting. They're not just fighting for themselves, they're fighting for everyone." Sierra Club’s Suzanne Mattei

Sean Riordan
Legal Counsel to the FGF
Special Assistant of the Zadroga Bill to the President

Mr. Riordan graduated Summa Cum Laude from Molloy College in 2000 and received his law degree from St. John's University School of Law in 2004, where he was a member of the Journal of Legal Commentary. Upon admission to the practice of law, Mr. Riordan began representing claimants before the Social Security Administrations Office of Disability Adjudication & Review and the various New York State/City Retirement Boards. He has also represented many people in Article 78 Appeals before the Supreme Court of New York as well as the Appellate Division 3rd Department. He has lectured before many unions, including Correction Officers, Police Officers, Detectives, Firefighters, Teachers and Laborers, regarding their disability rights and is highly outspoken on issues involving labor.

Sean is an outspoken advocate for First Responders, having joined with advocacy groups and Congressional leaders to help pass legislation that affords greater health care and benefits to men and women that respond to emergency situations. He has been interviewed by Court TV and Eyewitness News, as well as various other media outlets, regarding his work in this area. In 2010 the Feal Good Foundation presented Mr. Riordan with the Leadership Award for his legal work and advocacy.

Mr. Riordan is also very involved in the Irish-American community. As Past-President of the Nassau County Brehon Law Society and member of  Board of Trustee Member of The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Long Island , Sean has been an advocate for human and civil rights in Northern Ireland and a proponent of the continued peace process. In 2008 and 2009 Mr. Riordan was named one of the Top 100 Irish-American attorneys in the United States by Irish America Magazine and the Irish Voice.  

Sean is also adjunct professor at Molloy College , teaching The Philosophy of Law and Political Philosophy. He is also a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America; American Bar Association; New York State Bar Association and the New York County Lawyers Association. Mr. Riordan sits on the board of directors for the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Long Island, Irish Cultural Centre of Long Island and Great Hunger Memorial. He lives in Suffolk County with his wife and two children.

Please visit his website : http://www.nypoliceattorney.com/

James T. Ryder
Director of Political Affairs
Sergeant at Arms
Special Counsel to the President
Special Assistant of the Zadroga Bill to the President

NYPD, 20 Year Veteran (Ret.)
United States Marine Corps Veteran

James served Four Years in the United States Marine Corps, and Twenty Years with the NYPD, now retired. On 9/11 James was home and ordered in to work after hearing about the initial attack via a phone call from a family member.

James responded and worked around the clock with fellow members of the NYPD in several capacities. Originally doing perimeter security while on duty, and searching for his fellow officers in the rubble while off duty. Within days of 9/11 James was transferred to the NYPD’s OMAP (Office of Management and Planning) where he was tasked with creating the DNA Network and Database at the Pier 92 Bereavement Center along with his partner, Officer Thomas Neal and Lt. Andy Costello. This three man team created the network and DNA database that was used as the official database for many different agencies and reasons; including the identification of bodies and body parts, missing persons, false claims, and found personal property. James’ team worked closely with the F.E.M.A. D.M.O.R.T. Team (Disaster Mortician’s Response Team), the City Morgue, the FDNY and the City Government. James eventually moved on to the Property Clerk Division where this same database was used to identify private property recovered and returned to family of the deceased such as jewelry, photographs and personal belongings. Upon James’ retirement the return of property from this database had a success rate of nearly 85%.

From 9/11 until his retirement four years later James was exposed to 9/11 debris in NYPD HQ’s, the Morgue and Ground Zero.

Over the following years James began suffering ailments that he initially did not associate with 9/11. After speaking to his fellow Highway Patrolman, Anthony Flammia, he realized the connection of Severe Sleep Apnea, an abnormally high heart rate and PTSD. James refers to himself as a political junky and someone who absorbs the daily banter of Washington. He keeps himself informed reading the many websites covering both sides of the aisle, and monitors the feel of federal government daily.

James resides in Suffolk County with his wife Irene and two sets of twins.

Wendy Ford Reilly
Director of Community Outreach and Fundraising
Contact # 516-810-7627
winki007@aol.com
　
While helping a sick responder friend cope with her illnesses from her time spent at Ground Zero, we stumbled upon the Fealgood Foundation and my life as I knew it changed and the search for answers to her unexplainable illnesses came to a screeching halt. There were others who were suffering from the same debilitating illnesses.

I am a mother of two children ages 20 and 24. Having spent my life seeking out assistance for and answers to family medical issues I understand the plight of the victims of 9-11. Living 40 miles east of the World Trade Center where my father had worked in the early 80s, I sat and watched in worry as my friends and neighbors ran in to help our country. The best I could do at that time was to send donations of supplies to my local fire departments to be sent to the site but today nearly ten years later I can help with advocacy and education through the Fealgood Foundation.

My heart goes out to the thousands of responders and victims who continue to get sicker and die from the toxins they breathed and touched during the days months and years of working on the pile. My life has been filled with their stories and their families and their needs and I hope my own life experiences and knowledge of local resources can help ease some of the pain these heroes are experiencing.

Phil Rizzo
Director and Special Assistant to Sr. Vice President

Phil Rizzo was a member of the New York City Department of Correction for 24 years. The last 12 of those were spent as the training Captain in the Emergency Service Unit. During those years he received specialized training in many areas of emergency response.  On 9/11 Captain Rizzo responded to the W.T.C. site along with other N.Y.C. correction personnel.  He worked over 700 hrs at the site.

 In 2005 he lead a team of correction officers to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. 

In 2008 he was forced to retire due to his 9/11 injuries. After many years of traveling with the Feal Good Foundation to Washington D.C. to support the Zadroga Bill he has seen first hand the hard work and dedication the board has demonstrated towards all responders and believes in the cause and would like to help other 9/11 responders.

Phil resides in Nassau County  with his wife and 4 children
cca1380@aol.com
516-724-4711

Captain Michael McPhillips
Director of Social Services and Benefits

I grew up on the ocean in Point Lookout, New York. Because I lived on the water and had a father who was an avid sailor, my entire life has been dedicated to our waterways. At the age of sixteen, I begin my professional career on the water by joining the Maritime industry.

The latter part of my nautical career was with NY Waterway as a Captain on the ferries. In 1999 I promoted to Port Captain and in this new role I was now in charge of vessel deployment, terminal oversight, management of the Captains and Deckhand, vessel maintenance and Coast Guard Compliance. On an average day we transported sixty thousand people to and from NYC.

On September 11, 2001 I became one of many 911 responders. On 9/11, after the first plane hit, I was responsible for the evacuation of victims, arranged a triage area at Colgate and Newport Harbor, NJ along with a decontamination pit in Hoboken where victims were treated from the debris of the towers. On 9/11 we evacuated over 260,000 people from New York City on 21 Boats. It was the largest marine evacuation in the history. With the path train destroyed on 9/11 we were required to work 24/7 to transport commuters to and from NY. After 9/11 we were responsible for troop movements for the New York National Guard to and from the site every day from Governors’ Island. Because off the service to New York and our Country I was honored with a 9/11 medal from the department of transportation

NY Waterway was part of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) for NYC and transported people to and from Pier 90 to World trade Center. Several weeks after the tragedy we took the families of the lost to the site. We did approximately eight trips per day and I was part of 2-3 trips per day. I was down at ground zero every day for months on end. In December 2001 I was very ill due to pneumonia and subsequently bed ridden for 2 weeks. To date, I am disabled to due to several 9/11 related diseases.

My wife, Karina Norr and I live in Massapequa New York. I have two sons; Michael 20 and James 15.