For Westchester County Association President William M. Mooney Jr., 2007 was “a year like I”™ve never seen in terms of leadership changes in the county.”
Mooney had been called to reflect on any colleagues who had left this world in 2007. None came to mind, he said, but one thing he had noted at year”™s end was the speed at which big-time business cards were flying from county Rolodexes.
Mooney assembled names from a broad swath of county life who, as of this year, were adjusting to new titles or positions, or were sizing up retirement.
“That”™s the era we”™re living in,” said Mooney. “The only thing consistent is change. We”™re changing paradigms within companies; we”™re changing the way we do business.
“Yesterday”™s theme is gone quickly. This is sometimes good, sometimes bad.”
Reflecting on the list of names he provided, Mooney said, “They”™re all top-notch folks. Every one of them had a common thread: They all cared about their communities.”
First on Mooney”™s list was recent Westchester County Association Apex Advocacy Award recipient Thomas E. Hales, chairman and CEO of Union State Bank, currently recuperating from an autumn double-lung transplant operation: “He”™s still quarantined because of the risk of infection,” said Mooney. He praised Hales”™ progress and offered best wishes for the new year. Hales”™ daughter Lianne Hales-Shaw accepted her father”™s award from the county association Nov. 8 to an ovation of good cheer. Meantime, Union”™s merge with KeyBank becomes complete and official Jan. 18, according to KeyBank. Said Mooney: “When I think about Tom Hales, I think of the philanthropy, the money to hospitals and nonprofits, his generosity.”
“Mr. Hales is doing extremely well,” said Therese Myers, vice president for public relations for KeyBank. ”He will be continuing on as a consultant to Key through June 30, 2008.”
Mount Vernon Mayor Ernie Davis was out, ousted by county Legislator Clinton Young, first in the Democratic primary, then more resoundingly in the general election. Davis held the city helm for a dozen years.
Joe DeMauro joined New England Telephone Co. in 1969 ”“ the Ma Bell days ”“ and left Verizon in August, Verizon spokeswoman Heather Wilner said. Wilner did not know of DeMauro”™s plans. When he left Verizon, he was regional vice president for Verizon operations.
State Sen. Nicholas Spano represented District 35 in the state Senate until 2007. Spano was first elected in 1986. His Senate committee work included rules, transportation, finance, education, health, and racing, gaming and wagering. He was chairman for the Senate investigations committee and was the senior assistant majority leader, according to a Web biography. Said Mooney: “He was so instrumental in helping to solve the money problems for Westchester County Medical Center.” Spano lost in November 2006 to Democratic challenger, county Legislator Andrea Stewart-Cousins. She had narrowly lost to Spano in 2004.
Sue Kelly represented the 19th district in the House of Representatives since 1994. In November 2006, she lost to rocker John Hall. She was socially moderate and fiscally conservative, although her party placed some of its 2006 defeats ”“ losing control of Congress ”“ on a loss of traditional GOP fiscal restraint.
David A. Caputo became the sixth president of Pace University in July 2000 and presided over its 100th anniversary in 2006. After seven years of service, Caputo retired from the presidency June 3. The Pace Web site said: “During Caputo”™s tenure, Pace accelerated its regional and national leadership, following a five-year strategic plan titled Reaching New Heights.” Funded research grants for faculty grew from about $500,000 to nearly $7 million under Caputo. Stephen J. Friedman, dean of the Law School, was appointed as interim president.
Mildred Garcia, president of Berkeley College in New York and New Jersey, left to become the next president of Cal State Dominguez Hills, according to the California State University Board of Trustees. Garcia, who was president of Berkeley College since 2001, assumed her California duties last summer.
Louise Feroe came to Mercy College in 1982 as an adjunct faculty member and joined the college full-time in 1987, according to Mercy. Prior to being named president in 2004, she held positions as provost and dean for academic administration and supervised the higher education program for incarcerated adults. Her academic research focused on ethical theory and practice, particularly professional ethics and the ethics of research. The Dobbs Ferry college reported she left to pursue other endeavors last summer.
Stanley E. Freimuth, senior executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Fujifilm, left the company in February. Valhalla-based Fuji reported Freimuth, who joined Fuji in 1983, left to pursue “a new career opportunity that can more fully tap his leadership and general management capabilities.” Fuji noted he was active in numerous community and nonprofit organizations, including serving as chairman of the Westchester County Association, and sitting on the board of the Children”™s Hospital Foundation at Westchester Medical Center.
Larry Gottlieb, Entergy”™s director of communications, left Entergy in 2007 to become managing director, public affairs practice, with Manhattan public relations firm Burson-Marsteller.
Also on Mooney”™s list of executives who had moved on to other challenges: Con Ed”™s William McGrath, who had been vice president for Bronx and Westchester County electrical operations; Tim Carey, president and CEO of the New York Power Authority; Judy Matson, Fujifilm”™s director of corporate contributions and community affairs; and PepsiCo Vice Chairman Ken O”™Gara.
“Tom Hales, Larry Gottlieb and Judy Matson,” reflected Mooney. “Stan Freimuth. How do you replace their generosity? I”™ve never seen so many changes. And there is probably some major person we”™re leaving out. It means we”™re going to have to work hard to develop young people in terms of community volunteerism and those types of things.”
