Westchester County Newsmakers, 1.19.2015
ORMC honors physicians and medical students
Middletown-based Orange Regional Medical Center (ORMC) recently celebrated its first Ronald H. Israelski, MD Excellence in Education Awards Ceremony. The award recognizes a distinguished group of physicians, resident physicians and medical students who have demonstrated educational innovation and excellence. Director of Medical Education John Dermigny and medical student Christianna Anderson were this year”™s honorees.
As director of academic affairs, Israelski has been invaluable in the creation of excellence in medical education for the Hudson Valley. He was instrumental in developing a partnership with Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, leading to the purchase of the former Horton Hospital, which was refurbished to create the Middletown campus. Touro College opened the new medical college in July. With medical students now learning at Orange Regional, it was a natural progression to create residency programs. In July of 2014, Orange Regional began its first residency program in family medicine led by Dermigny.
Arc of Rockland receives accreditation for excellence
ARC of Rockland recently received accreditation from the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL).
“CQL is the gold standard in the field,” said ARC Executive Director Carmine Marchionda. “The process of attaining certification began nearly two years ago and entailed a rigorous examination of each of the supports and services we provide. With person-centered planning at the heart of our efforts, we have redesigned some of our offerings to stress the greatest possible emphasis on the individual. The focus on community inclusion and enhanced communication among and between staffers, families and the people we support are essential to the success of this organization.”
A CQL three-person evaluation team spent five working days reviewing documents prepared by ARC of Rockland and meeting with people involved in every facet of the agency.
Jane Zemon, ARC associate executive director for quality assurance, led the CQL process.
The Council on Quality and Leadership was founded in 1969. In addition to the United States, CQL accredits or provides training at agencies and organizations in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia.
Two brokers join Sotheby”™s
Julia B. Fee Sotheby”™s International Realty has appointed two brokers to its Scarsdale brokerage.
Jennifer Baldinger, a top-producing Westchester County real estate agent for more than 10 years and Tracy Isaacs, a licensed associate real estate broker with more than 12 years experience
Baldinger specializes in selling residential homes in Scarsdale and its surrounding Westchester communities. She has consistently been a top-producing agent, with more than $150 million in home sales to date. She is especially knowledgeable in representing first-time homebuyers, new constructions and specialized luxury homes.
With a specialization in the sale of high-end properties, Isaacs has represented buyers and sellers for some of Westchester”™s finest single-family homes and condominiums. According to Isaacs, one of her proudest accomplishments was in 2011, when she represented the buyer of American philanthropist and writer Brooke Astor”™s country estate known as “Holly Hill.”
Mitchell receives new designation
Barry P. Mitchell Jr., senior vice president of investments at UBS Financial Services Inc. in New York City, has achieved the designation of senior portfolio manager.
Mitchell is a longtime Rye resident who attended Iona Prep before graduating from Boston College in 1985. He currently holds designations as a chartered retirement planning counselor as well as a chartered retirement plans specialist. With more than 25 years in this industry Mitchell is a “financial advocate for his clients providing the confidence to navigate any type of environment in order to help better achieve their overall life goals,” according to a statement by the company.
CNR named to honor roll
The College of New Rochelle (CNR) has been named to the President”™s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. More than 3,300 CNR students completed 171,760 hours of service in the 2012-13 academic year, for which the recognition is received. The achievement is the highest federal recognition a college can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service learning and civic engagement.
Launched in 2006, the Honor Roll annually highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community problems and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement by recognizing institutions of higher education that support exemplary community service programs and raise the visibility of effective practices in campus community partnerships.
Harrington joins divorce mediation firm
Attorney Helise Harrington, a Westchester resident, has become the newest attorney mediator at Divorce Mediation Professionals, in charge of the firm”™s New York City office. Divorce Mediation Professionals is one of the oldest firms in the metropolitan New York area devoted solely to helping couples end their marriage cooperatively and in a nonadversarial fashion.
She has spent more than 20 years mediating business agreements for companies ranging in size from multinational corporations to family businesses. For six years, she was a diversity partner for an AmLaw 100 law firm, where she mediated conflicts in the workplace and coached attorneys and staff.
Harrington is also a conflict resolution coach. She received a JD from the New York University of Law, and a MA in African History from Columbia University.
Pentegra names regional director
Pentegra Retirement Services in White Plains has promoted Jake Linney to regional director, qualified plan sales. Reporting to Pete Swisher, Pentegra senior vice president of national sales, Linney will lead the company”™s business development efforts in Pennsylvania.
According to Swisher, “Jake is a talented and accomplished professional. He will be an exceptional resource for the organization in expanding Pentegra”™s regional footprint and in working with our advisors/partners to market Pentegra”™s unique fiduciary services platform and retirement-plan solutions.”
Linney brings technical expertise to Pentegra”™s efforts. Previously, he was part of the Pentegra Solutions Center where he designed more than 100 cash balance programs. He also spent time leading the compliance department at Pentegra”™s Charlotte, N.C., office where he oversaw the compliance of more than 1,000 defined contribution plans and performed more than 650 technical reviews per year.
Westhab appoints board chair
Armonk resident Jesse Krasnow has been appointed to serve as chairman of the board of directors for Westhab Inc., a not-for-profit provider of affordable housing and social services for homeless and low-income families in metropolitan New York. Krasnow had previously served as the organization”™s vice chairman. He is currently president of Sirius LLC. In that role, he oversees the acquisition and management of various types of properties, including residential, retail, office, medical and warehouse and industrial spaces. He has raised equity and debt financing up to $75 million.
Westhab President and CEO Richard Nightingale said, “Jesse has been a tremendous leader for Westhab in his role as vice chair and we are delighted that he is deepening his investment in the organization. He is perfectly suited to lead us into our next chapter.”
Cohen to lead retiree association
One of the nation”™s largest nonprofit retiree advocacy groups, the Association of BellTel Retirees has elected Jack Cohen of Yorktown Heights president and chairman of its board, following the retirement of C. William Jones, the past president and founder.
Founded in 1996, the Association of BellTel Retirees is a 130,000-member nonprofit advocacy group working for the protection of Verizon retirees”™ pensions and benefits. Based in Cold Spring Harbor, the organization has members in all 50 states.
“Many people are surprised by the accomplishments of our group of retirees. Our focus for the future is to continue on the success that the group has already achieved and enact more changes for the betterment of Verizon retirees for decades to come,” Cohen said. “If we do not protect our economic interests and those of our fellow retirees, we have no one to blame but ourselves. I am honored to be selected to serve as chairman of this very impactful retiree organization.”
Cohen has been a part of the association since 2002 and on its board since 2008. He began his career at New York Telephone and retired from NYNEX.
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