Each year, the Westchester County Association honors individuals and businesses for professional excellence. This year, the 2010 APEX Awards will be presented on Oct. 28 at the Doubletree Hotel Tarrytown during the WCA”™s annual fall leadership dinner. Robert Selander, former CEO and executive vice chairman of Purchase-based Mastercard Worldwide, will be the keynote speaker. Here is a look at this year”™s APEX honorees.
Award for Advocacy
Richard French Jr., RNN-Regional News Network, and chairman, Westchester County Association”™s Call to Action committee.
The Advocacy Award goes to the 45-plus members of the Westchester County Association”™s “Call to Action” Campaign Committee. Richard French Jr., president of Regional News Network, serves as chairman. “The Call to Action program is really the embodiment of the advocacy role,” said William M. Mooney Jr., president of the Westchester County Association. “That”™s the hallmark of the WCA. In all of the years I”™ve worked, I”™ve never seen a committee this good. They”™ve developed pledges for all of the candidates to sign about not raising taxes, they”™ve hosted four debates and they”™ve really helped shape strategy.”
International Business Award
Michael Kriz, president, Acclaro
Acclaro, a professional translation and localization services company, operates its U.S. headquarters in Irvington with international offices ranging from Boston to Paris. Acclaro was founded in 2002 by Michael Kriz, president, with only two employees. That number will soon be 14. There are about 45 additional employees in domestic and international locations. “Acclaro works in over 60 languages, from Spanish to Slovak,” Mooney said. “They helped pioneer modern translation and it”™s a really niche business. They have 200 clients worldwide and they help companies reach non-U.S.-language-speaking markets.”
Young Professionals Award
Kevin McCarthy, senior associate, C.B. Richard Ellis
Daniel Lansen, chief operating officer, Compufit Inc.
Kevin McCarthy, a senior associate of global commercial brokerage firm C.B. Richard Ellis and Daniel Lansen, a chief operating officer of technology consulting firm Compufit Inc., cofounded the Westchester County Association”™s Young Professionals Group. McCarthy serves as its chairman. “They started the group in 2007 and now they have a database of close to 500 people,” Mooney said. “Out of the whole group, these are the two most active guys. They”™ve put together seminars and symposiums and they represent the future generation of business leaders.”
Professional/Entrepreneur Award
Yuval Marcus, partner, Leason Ellis L.L.P.
Yuval Marcus serves as partner at a rapidly growing patent, copyright and trademark law firm in White Plains ”“ Leason Ellis L.L.P. A Westchester native who grew up in New Rochelle, Marcus is a litigator with more than 15 years of experience. “Through the downturn, his firm has continued to create jobs in Westchester and provide high quality legal services,” Mooney said. “He runs a successful small to medium-sized business… and, he”™s an avid Mets fan!”
Special Recognition Award
John Federspiel, president and CEO, Hudson Valley Hospital Center
During John Federspiel”™s 24-year tenure as president and CEO of Hudson Valley Hospital Center, the annual operating budget has grown to nearly $145 million. The hospital just completed a $100 million renovation. “This was the largest, single economic expansion in Westchester County last year,” Mooney said.
To register for the WCA”™s annual leadership dinner, visit Westchester.org.