Music conservatory receives grant
A $6,075 Quality of Life grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation was awarded to the Conservatory of Westchester, a not-for-profit community music school in White Plains. The award was one of 73 grants totaling more than $537,550 awarded by the Reeve Foundation to nonprofit organizations nationwide that provide opportunities, access and daily quality of life for individuals living with paralysis, their families and caregivers. Conceived by the late Dana Reeve, the program has awarded 2,380 grants totaling more than $17.6 million since 1999.
The conservatory will use the grant for its Music Therapy Institute, which reaches nearly 2,000 children and adults with disabilities each year. Specifically, the school’s licensed therapists will utilize the power of music in working with children with disabilities, including those with paralysis-causing conditions, to help alleviate pain and stress, improve communication and language development, enhance social interaction and emotional expression and accomplish growth, learning, healing and change.
Bank gives $10K for sleep-away camp
Friends of Westchester County Parks has been awarded $10,000 from Hudson Valley Bank earmarked for Camp Morty, a sleep-away camp run by Westchester County under a contract with FWCP. The camp was created for the underprivileged boys and girls who receive services from the county’s Department of Social Services.
FWCP funds the camp through membership fees, donations and funding from DSS and the county. “Camp Morty provides our youth with the opportunity to gain the independence, self-reliance and self-confidence that are crucial ingredients as they mature into adulthood,” said Joanne Fernandez, FWCP board chairman.
The camp is at the 1,081-acre Sal J. Prezioso Mountain Lakes Park in North Salem. The camp is named in memory of Morton Hyman, who touched the lives of thousands for nearly 20 years as supervisor of camping for county parks.
Enea to address New York State Bar Association meeting
Westchester elder law attorney Anthony J. Enea, managing partner at Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano L.L.P. in White Plains, will lecture Aug. 7 on the drafting of Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts at the New York State Bar Association’s Summer Meeting of the Elder Law and Special Needs Section.
The three-day program includes speakers from across the state on a range of elder care and special-needs topics. Attorney Sara Meyers of Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano serves as the program co-chairman.
A past chairman of the New York State Bar Association’s Elder Law Section and current president of the Westchester County Bar Foundation, Enea was named Westchester County’s Leading Elder Care Attorney at the 2013 Above the Bar Awards.
New board members at Guiding Eyes
Guiding Eyes for the Blind in Yorktown has added three new members to its board: Jane Parker, Michael Ryan and Matt Zames.
Parker is CEO of InterbrandHealth, the health and life sciences division of the Interbrand Group – a branding consultancy.
Ryan is senior director of marketing for PepsiCo, leading the beverage division’s marketing agenda for Walmart, Sam’s, Target, Costco and BJ’s.
Zames is the chief operating officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co. He is a member of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee and former chairman.
“We are pleased and excited to welcome Jane, Mike and Matt to Guiding Eyes board of directors,” said Wendy Aglietti, chairwoman of the board. “Their impressive backgrounds will bring new and great perspectives to our organization. We look forward to a bright future ahead and are privileged to benefit from their energetic leadership.”
For more information, call 914-245-4024 or visit guidingeyes.org.
WCC staffer, student honored
Westchester Community College Coordinator of Transfer Services Robin Graff was recently recognized at the New York State Transfer and Articulation Association Annual Conference, where she received the New Professional Award. This honor was established to recognize the service of new members to NYSTAA and the enthusiasm of those who become involved with the organization.
Robyn Austin, WCC student was the winner of the national Single Stop video contest receiving a $1,000 award. In the video, she describes her positive experience working with the college chapter of Single Stop, which offers free public benefits screening and application assistance, health insurance enrollment services, tax return preparation, one-on-one financial counseling and legal services.
Quorum honored by HR society
For the fifth year in a row Quorum Federal Credit Union, headquartered at 2500 Westchester Ave. in Purchase, was recently named one of the best companies to work for in New York state. This year, the company was ranked No. 13 among the top 32 small and medium-size employers in the state.
Quorum was given the award by the New York State Society for Human Resource Management and the Best Companies Group, an independent company managing the Best Places to Work programs on state, regional and national stages around the country.
“Our ranking as one of the best places to work in New York is a source of great pride for our team,” said Glenn Shuster, vice president of human resources. “The fact that this ranking is based solely on employee feedback makes this recognition all the more relevant and rewarding. That we have been honored with this for the fifth year in a row tells me we are doing the right things by our employees and demonstrates what an engaged workforce we have.”
College promotes Geary
Colette Geary has been appointed senior vice president for strategic initiatives by The College of New Rochelle.
This new position will support the implementation of a long-term strategic planning initiative across the college’s four schools and six campuses. A comprehensive institutional assessment process has identified core objectives that will comprise the priorities for the future.
Geary served as vice president for student services at the college since 2010. Geary launched a multiyear strategic plan for the department of athletics, which capitalizes on the college’s award-winning wellness center.
In the past year, Geary led a restructuring of undergraduate admissions to promote networking and communications about the unique features of a CNR education and its academic programs. This led to a substantial increase in both applications and acceptances among high school seniors for the fall 2014 class.
Before joining CNR, Geary was dean of students at Manhattan College in Riverdale. During 14 years at Manhattan, she also served as director of counseling and health services, as staff psychologist and taught in the school of education graduate program.
College of New Rochelle names VP of student services
Elaine T. White has been appointed vice president for student services at The College of New Rochelle.
She will supervise the offices of campus ministry, career development, residence life, counseling and health services, student activities, student development, athletics and the wellness center.
“I look forward to serving on the president’s executive team, where I will have the opportunity to impact all students across our six campuses in meaningful ways,” said White, who was dean of students at CNR since June 2012.
“Elaine has demonstrated a consistent ability to empower student leaders and challenge students to fully develop their individual talents. Her commitment to fostering a vibrant and engaging community supports student success and resonates deeply with the mission of our college,” college President Judith Huntington said.
White came to the CNR from Manhattan College, where she was director of student development. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Long Island University-Brooklyn and a Master of Arts degree in counseling from Manhattan College.
Sachs receives state bar award
Joel H. Sachs, senior counsel at the White Plains law firm of Keane & Beane P.C. recently received an award from the New York State Bar Association based upon his efforts to further continuing legal education programs for attorneys throughout the state over the past 25 years.
The award presented to Sachs in Saratoga Springs by Deborah Scalise of the Scarsdale law firm of Scalise & Hamilton and the chairperson of the association’s Continuing Legal Education Committee, recognized his significant contributions to the planning and implementing of the education programs.
Sachs has served as an adjunct professor at Pace Law School in White Plains for 35 years.
Information for these features has been submitted by the subjects or their delegates.
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