$275,000 in scholarships available
High school seniors seeking financial help for college or vocational training can find it through a variety of scholarships offered through Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley. The Poughkeepsie-based organization acts as a conduit for more than $275,000 in scholarships offered annually by more than 65 families, individuals and community groups throughout the mid-Hudson Valley. Last year more than 225 such scholarships were awarded.
Jennifer Killian, director of programs for Community Foundations, said, “Given the ongoing economic climate and rising educational expenses, scholarship resources are increasingly vital to ensuring access to higher education.”
For more information, contact Killian or Cristin McPeake at 845-452-3077 or email jkillian@cfhvny.org or cmcpeake@cfhvny.org. Deadline for all applications is April 1.
Bedford Playhouse receives $200,000
A major step forward in efforts to raise funds to restore, renovate and re-imagine the Bedford Playhouse has been presented by The Thompson Family Foundation, which pledged $200,000 toward the goal of $2.5 million, with a pledge of an additional $300,000 gift upon securing matching funds by March 1.
“This is tremendous,” said John Farr, founding chairman of the Friends of the Bedford Playhouse. “This leadership donation comes at just the right moment. We will do all we can to leverage this exceptional gift to achieve our ultimate goal to transform this historic theater into a vital cultural and community hub.”
Since its formation in October 2014, the group has raised more than $500,000 in pledges from 176 area residents. For more information, visit friendsofbedfordplayhouse.org.
Guiding Eyes names vice president
Guiding Eyes for the Blind in Yorktown Heights has promoted Lewisboro resident Linda Press to vice president of strategic partnerships. Press has been a Guiding Eyes staffer since 2002 and has cultivated a number of important relationships for the organization over the years. Her new role will focus on identifying corporate and not-for-profit strategic partners to further the mission to provide guide dogs to people with vision loss, as well as service dogs for children with autism.
Press recently developed strategic partnerships with Hitachi, Goldman Sachs Community Teamworks, Starr Companies and Lighthouse Guild. She currently heads the Westchester County Housing Opportunity Commission and is a member of several municipal committees. Press also serves on the board of the Friends of the Trailside Nature Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.
Julia B. Fee adds to its staff
Agnes Seminara-Holzberg, a Westchester County resident and local housing market expert of many years, has joined Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty of Scarsdale as a licensed associate real estate broker and will be based in the firm’s Scarsdale brokerage.
Seminara-Holzberg is a member of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, the New York State Association of Realtors, as well as the National Association of Realtors.
Seminara-Holzberg, an Eastchester resident, is an active community member in southern Westchester, where she has taken part in various local school and educational programs throughout the years.
Stepinac names honorees
Archbishop Stepinac High School will honor alumnus William F. Plunkett Jr. (Class of ’58) with the Distinguished Alumnus Award at its Trustees Awards Reception, to be held 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. April 16 at the Crowne Plaza White Plains. Plunkett’s wife, Caryl, will share the spotlight with him. The Trustees Awards Reception recognizes distinguished alumni, faculty and supporters as well as raises funds for enhancing Stepinac’s educational and athletic programs.
Other honorees include Cisco Sytems Inc., a multinational corporation that designs, manufactures and sells networking equipment. It will receive the Partner in Education Award, which will be accepted by Patrick Finn (Class of ’81), Cisco’s senior vice president.
Jesus Jaile-Marti, chief of neontology, White Plains Hospital, and his wife, Diane, will receive the Community Citizens Award.
Frank Portanova (Class of ’93), Stepinac’s vice principal for academics and curriculum, will receive the Student Enrichment Award.
For more information and reservations, visit stepinac.org, or contact Paul Thomas at pthomas@stepinac.org or call 914-946-4800, ext. 245.
Furjanic addresses forum
Bob Furjanic, president of Four Anchors Worldwide LLC, a marine insurance brokerage firm in Pleasantville, was the only representative of the marine brokerage industry to speak at the American Conference Institute’s fourth annual Forum on Admiralty and Maritime Claims and Litigation held recently in Houston.
The conference attracted high-level legal and insurance professionals from nearly 30 private firms and federal government departments to discuss complex issues surrounding admiralty and maritime litigation.
Furjanic, who has more than 30 years of experience in the maritime brokerage business, spoke about new developments in marine insurance claims, including mid-ocean forensic weather analysis and claim procedures/presentations for reporting and handling.
Parks group names award winners
The honorees for the annual Friends of Westchester County Parks Best Friends Awards Reception to be held April 8 at the Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle are Westchester Medical Center, The Business Council of Westchester Rising Stars alumni, Robert DelTorto and REI.
“We are excited to highlight these very special honorees during our annual Best Friends Awards Reception this year,” said Joanne Fernandez, chairwoman, Friends of Westchester County Parks. “The event also gives us the opportunity to celebrate all of the wonderful programs we have been able to fund in order to keep our 50 county parks growing and beautiful.”
Westchester Medical Center will receive the “2015 Best Friend” award for its commitment to the Westchester County park system, in particular its support of the first-ever Westchester’s Winter Wonderland.
The “2015 Best Green Friend” Award will be presented to REI, which provides outdoor gear and clothing, for its growing partnership with Friends and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation, as well as its commitment to stewardship, fitness, outdoor recreation for people of all ages and ongoing support of conservation efforts.
DelTorto will be honored as the “2015 Best Volunteer Friend” award recipient for his many years of service to Westchester County Parks and his dedication to invasive vine cutting, which helps to free native trees and increase the health and sustainability of growth.
The Business Council of Westchester’s Rising Stars alumni will receive the “2015 Best Business Friend” award for their relationship with Friends and encouragement of parks and open space as a key reason for businesses and professionals to reside in Westchester County.
“Our goal is to make sure that our parks, which are among one of our most valuable resources, have a continued presence in the lives of all Westchester residents,” said Joe Stout, executive director, Friends of Westchester Parks.
The event co-chairpersons are Friends of Westchester County Parks board members Linda Carrington of Hudson Valley Bank and Christopher L. Cawley of William Raveis Legends Realty.
For ticket or sponsorship information, call 914-231-4548 or email Linda@friendsofwestchesterparks.com.
Goldberger named YMCA board chairman
Charles A. Goldberger of McCullough, Goldberger and Staudt LLP has been elected chairman of the board of the YMCA Central and Northern Westchester. He has served on the board of the YMCA and as its legal counsel for many years; this is his second time as chairman. The YMCA consists of the White Plains facility, a community YMCA in Somers and Camp Combe YMCA in Putnam County.
A senior partner in MGS and a resident of White Plains, Goldberger heads the litigation department and concentrates on commercial, construction and personal injury litigation, commercial arbitration and surrogate’s court litigation. In addition, he is a member of the board of directors of The Hebrew Hospital Home Inc. and serves as general counsel to several cooperative and condominium associations. He also serves on the Westchester County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Board.
He has been a visiting professor in Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and Serbia.
Citrin Cooperman appoints chief marketing officer
Laura F. Kucera has been named chief marketing officer by Citrin Cooperman, one of the 25 largest CPA firms in the country. Kucera will oversee all of the firm’s marketing activities, including corporate communications, branding initiatives, events and campaigns, as well as its digital properties.
“We are exceptionally happy that Laura has joined our team,” CEO Joel Cooperman said. “We believe she combines business and marketing expertise together with very strong leadership skills. Laura is also a very strategic thinker and I am confident that she will quickly make a contribution and impact.”
With more than 15 years of experience, Kucera has held senior positions managing all aspects of marketing at Big Four and regional professional services firms. Her expertise includes developing and executing marketing plans; creating results-driven campaigns through multiple communications channels that increase brand awareness, qualified sales leads and revenue; restructuring and integrating new marketing communications strategies; and building marketing strategy, teams and processes.
“Citrin Cooperman has a strong reputation as a dynamic, fast-paced firm that continues to evolve and grow ahead of the needs of their clients ensuring the highest quality of services,” Kucera said. “The atmosphere encourages innovation and collaboration, I am truly excited to be joining the team.”
Kucera earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Manhattanville College and her MBA in marketing from Iona College. She is an active member of the New York Chapter of the Association for Accounting Marketing.
Parade marshal named
The Eastchester Irish American Social Club (EIASC) is sponsoring Eastchester’s 11th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 15. The grand marshal will be Joseph Houlihan. Stephen Huvane and Kathleen Huvane have been selected as parade honorees. The parade festival and grand marshal installation will take place March 7 at the Lake Isle Country Club in Eastchester.
Houlihan’s great-grandparents emigrated from County Kerry, Ireland in the late 1800s and through the years experienced success in the real estate industry. A graduate of Iona College, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Houlihan also earned a CPA prior to commencing his own real estate career. Currently, he is the managing partner of the residential sales group at Houlihan & O’Malley Real Estate Services in Bronxville. Houlihan has chosen his brother Gerry Houlihan and cousins-in-law Patricia Houlihan and Jim Coleman as his parade aides.
The 2015 parade steps off at 3 p.m. beginning at Immaculate Conception Church in Tuckahoe and will march north on Route 22 to Lake Isle Country Club.
KG&D Architects names principal
Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson Architects PC of Mount Kisco has named Walter P. Hauser as principal of the firm.
Russell A. Davidson, president, and Erik A.Kaeyer, vice president welcomed Hauser into the planning and management of operations of the firm.
Hauser joined the firm as a project architect in 2004 and also held positions as an associate and associate principal. He has designed and managed projects with a combined construction value of approximately $100 million and served as the project manager for significant projects, including Westchester Community College master plan, additions and renovations to Somers High School, districtwide infrastructure upgrades for the White Plains City School District, master planning and districtwide renovations for Middletown City School District and Trinity Pawling School master plan.
He is a licensed architect in the state of New York and a member of the American Institute of Architects.
New community leaders on YMCA Board of Governors
The YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester has announced the appointment of five community leaders to its Association Board of Governors: Beth Coyle, associate vice president of academic affairs at The College of Westchester; Rachel Eckhaus, CFO of Strauss Paper Co.; Bob Hyland, White Plains business owner and sports celebrity; Patrick Lynch, president of OLA Consulting Engineers; and Jose Tavares, director of the Alliance for Global Learning of Berkeley Educational Services.
Coyle has more than 28 years in higher education experience, focused on academic affairs, administration, operations and nonprofit and foundation management. A resident of Pearl River, Coyle is active in the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation and The College of New Jersey Foundation. She was the recipient of a full graduate fellowship with Nova Southeastern University’s Program for Higher Education where she earned her doctoral degree.
White Plains resident Eckhaus is a CPA with more than 25 years of experience in accounting and finance. She started her career in public accounting with Prager and Fenton and Asea Brown Boveri before joining Strauss Paper.
Hyland’s business experience has included more than 16 years as a financial consultant with Northwestern Mutual Life and Massachusetts Mutual. He is a member of the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers of 1967. He also played for the Chicago Bears, New York Giants and the New England Patriots. He is the proprietor of the sports-themed restaurant The Sports Page in White Plains.
Lynch has 26 years of experience designing facilities throughout the region on projects, including educational, corporate, institutional, retail and multifamily residential buildings. He is a certified energy manager and a LEED accredited professional. Lynch is a member of the board of directors of The Business Council of Westchester.
Prior to joining Berkeley Educational Services, Tavares was a senior vice president at The Sumitomo Corp. of America. He is on the board of trustees of Berkeley College and is treasurer and serves on the board of managers of The Havens Relief Fund Society.
Power of the Purse awards
Girls Inc. Westchester of White Plains will host its Power of the Purse event April 16 celebrating women it identifies as “Purse-o-nalities” — women who inspire and encourage girls to believe in themselves and reach their full potential. The event will be held at the Greentree Country Club, 538 Davenport Ave. in New Rochelle.
The 2015 Power of the Purse gala is designed to acknowledge distinguished women and committed individuals from business, technology, finance and philanthropy sectors who invest in future generations of girls. This year’s honorees include Sara Badler, senior vice president, deputy general counsel and chief investment council, New York Life Insurance Co.; Lucy Chan, vice president, growth markets and global services business development, IBM; Dawna Michelle Fields, national program manager, Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures; and Geri Pell, CEO, Pell Wealth Partners.
“We are thrilled to have such an impressive group of women as 2015 Purse-o-nalities,” said Jennifer Altman, board chairwoman of Girls Inc. “Power of the Purse celebrates women and girls, but it also highlights that it takes a community to help inspire girls to set and achieve their goals.”
New board officers at Picture House
The Picture House Regional Film Center in Pelham announced an anniversary, a change in board leadership and the naming of a new president following the meeting of the board executive committee on Feb. 9.
James Palmisciano was named the new board chairman.
The outgoing board members and founders of the organization, Kathy Corton, Tom Peer, Ann Sorice, Chairman Emeritus John Calvelli and longtime board members Thomas Canning and Dale Hisiger were honored for their contributions and given director’s chairs imprinted with their names and the Picture House logo.
Palmisciano is the chairman and chief investment officer of Gracie Asset Management. Brian Eccleston, newly elected treasurer for The Picture House, is Northeast assurance managing partner at BDO USA. Ellen Chandler was re-elected as board vice chairperson and Tracie Cohen secretary. Laura deBuys, executive director of The Picture House since January 2014, was named president of the organization.
Hospital earns green business designation
NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester Division is the first hospital to earn green business certification through Westchester Green Business-Certified (WGB-Certified), a program launched by Westchester County and The Business Council of Westchester in 2014.
“As members of the Westchester community, we are proud to achieve WGB-certification,” said Philip Wilner, vice president and medical director for Behavioral Health with the hospital. “NewYork-Presbyterian believes that promoting environmental sustainability is an essential part of our mission to provide the highest-quality patient care.”
In recent years, the hospital has reduced energy by installing LED-lighting by roadways and sidewalks. The hospital also provides staff with greener transportation options in part through an extensive shuttle-service program. Finally, the hospital has pursued and received recognition awards from organizations such as Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading health care environmental stewardship organization.
MacNeil attends transportation academy
White Plains-based transportation executive Michael MacNeil, senior project manager at HDR, joined 33 emerging transportation industry leaders from across the globe for the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association’s (IBTTA) 2015 Leadership Academy, Feb. 8 to 13, in Washington, D.C.
“From South Africa to Kansas City, from Mozambique to Jersey City and from Norway to Austin, IBTTA is bringing together people like Michael — the best and brightest members of today’s tolling industry from around the world — to prepare them to be extraordinary transportation leaders of the future,” said Patrick D. Jones, executive director and CEO of IBTTA. MacNeil, who is based in the White Plains office of global engineering firm HDR, was selected for the 2015 IBTTA Leadership Academy through a competitive application process.
The five-day course provided the 34 international participants with industry training that prepares them to better understand the full range of today’s executive responsibilities, to develop a more complete understanding of the multifaceted business of tolling, to improve their communication and interpersonal skills and to broaden their network of peers around the globe.
New staff and promotions at Children’s Association
The Westchester Children’s Association (WCA) has appointed Maureen Natkin of Irvington as development and administrative assistant. Natkin is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Russian studies. She has a master’s degree in international affairs from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
In addition, the organization has promoted Sara Yergeau of Greenburgh to program and policy associate. Sarah is a graduate of Union College where she received a fellowship and spent nine months working at a health clinic in Uganda prior to joining WCA in 2012.
Anna Wright of Mount Vernon, has been promoted to research and communications associate. She is a graduate of Houghton College, where her studies included an immersive internship experience with a local community center in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Information for these features has been submitted by the subjects or their delegates.
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