People”™s United awards grants
The People”™s United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of People”™s United Bank, honored its grant recipients July 24 during a recognition breakfast at the bank”™s Park Avenue branch in New York City.
For the second grant cycle of 2014, the foundation awarded $44,000 to 11 New York nonprofit organizations in Brentwood, Bronx, Deer Park, Hempstead, Manhattan, Mount Kisco, Nanuet, Spring Valley, White Plains and Yonkers. Funding supported initiatives ranging from basic-needs services and after-school programs to housing services, life-skills and workforce development programs.
Recipients in Westchester included the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester, Congregations Linked into Urban Strategy to Effect Renewal, Doe Fund, Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson, Girls Incorporated of Westchester County, Leviticus 23-25 Alternative Fund and YWCA White Plains and Central Westchester.
In total, People”™s United Community Foundation awarded $721,500 in grants to 111 nonprofit organizations in the communities it serves in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine during the second grant cycle of 2014. The funding was distributed within the foundation”™s three areas of focus, with 50 percent allocated to youth development, 31 percent to community development and 19 percent to affordable housing initiatives.
Food Bank names businesswoman to board
Briarcliff Manor resident Ellen Rothschild has been elected to the board of directors of Food Bank for Westchester, the emergency food-distribution system that supports more than 265 hunger relief programs.
“As a corporate neighbor and generous donor to our cause, we already call Ellen a friend. Her involvement on our board of directors will greatly enhance the strong base of management and business experience that exists on our board of directors,” Food Bank Executive Director Ellen Lynch said.
Rothschild is co-founder and chief marketing officer of Digiscribe International, formed in 2001 to provide companies of all sizes with cost-effective document scanning, document management and office automation services. Rothschild is responsible for business development, branding, client communication and publicity.
“Each new board member brings fresh perspective, valued knowledge and skills and a deep commitment to the Food Bank for Westchester”™s mission,” board Chairman Rick Rakow said.
“When a community has proper nutrition, they can be healthy, children can be productive, adults can be successful in work,” said Rothschild. “I am thrilled to join an organization such as the Food Bank for Westchester that focuses on giving families and individuals hope.”
Chastanet joins Ulster Savings
Anthony Chastanet, a mortgage specialist, has joined Ulster Savings Bank”™s mortgage center at 399 Knollwood Road in White Plains.
A Scarsdale resident, Chastanet has 12 years of mortgage industry experience. He previously served as a home mortgage consultant at Wells Fargo”™s White Plains office.
A 1997 graduate of Florida International University in Miami, Chastanet holds a bachelor”™s degree in business administration in management. He maintains professional involvement in the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors and the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association.
WCC student honored
Sadia Romain, an accounting student at Westchester Community College, was recently honored at the Harlem YMCA”™s National Salute to Black Achievers in Industry dinner.
The Bronx resident was involved with the YMCA”™s mentoring program. She is a member of the college”™s Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Beta Gamma organizations for student scholars.
Medical supplies needed
In conjunction with the Rye Rotary Club of New York, Webster Bank continues to work with the Afya Foundation to collect medical supplies, consumables, sustainable equipment and community outreach supplies be given to international health clinics in developing countries.
Pam Dwyer, vice president, banking center manager at Webster Bank in Rye, serves as president-elect of the Rye Rotary Club, whose community project is to provide Afya with medical supplies and equipment that otherwise would go to waste.
The bank branch at 72 Purchase St. is serving as a drop-off and pick-up point for donations. Donation dates are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first Monday of the month and the third Saturday of the month.
Danielle Butin founded Afya (which means good health in Swahili) after she spent the summer of 2007 traveling through Tanzania meeting with numerous health workers who reported dire circumstances and severely limited medical resources. An occupational therapist and global health advocate, the experiences had such a profound effect on Butin that she had to do something.
PR firm announces $1,000 scholarship
Hartsdale-based Cut-It-Out Communications Inc., a public relations agency, has announced the creation of a $1,000 student scholarship and internship program.
The scholarship is open to communications majors in the United States with a minimum 3.0 grade-point average. Applicants must write a creative press release about a modern-day invention of “scissors” by their client.
Further details are available at cioediting.com/public-relations-scholarship.asp.
Willy Gissen, a Harvard graduate and president and founder of Cut-It-Out Communications, said, “I still remember how much I learned when a PR professional from Hill & Knowlton taught me the trade of public relations and opened up so many opportunities for me. Perhaps, this scholarship and internship provides a way for me to give back to another deserving young person.”
Theater awards scholarship
The 2014 recipient of the Westchester Broadway Theatre Bob Fitzsimmons Scholarship is Christopher Guzman, a 2014 graduate of Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains. His love for the theater began at the age of 7 and he participated in all eight Stepinac productions during his four years of high school winning prestigious awards along the way. He will be attending New York University Tisch School of the Arts this fall. The scholarship is named for Bob Fitzsimmons, a graduate of Stepinac High School, who died suddenly at the age of 37 in 1992. He was the public relations director of the Westchester Broadway Theatre, as well as an actor, producer, writer and a director of shows.
The scholarship was established by Westchester Broadway Theatre founders Bill Stutler and Bob Funking, the entire employee staff of WBT and the many friends and relatives of Fitzsimmons.
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.”
Buzz Creators promotes account executive
Daniella DiMartino has been promoted to senior account executive at Buzz Creators Inc., a Valhalla-based boutique public relations and marketing firm. She previously served as an account executive since joining Buzz Creators 18 months ago.
In her new role, DiMartino will work with clients in the health care, restaurant, nonprofit and hospitality industries.
Prior to Buzz Creators, DiMartino served as account coordinator at Lisa Lori Communications, a Greenwich-based public relations firm.
“Her promotion is very well deserved and she is a huge part of the team that”™s growing Buzz Creators and taking it to the next level,” said Christina Costa-Rae, president of Buzz Creators.
DiMartino holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism, creative writing and political science from the State University of New York at Purchase.
New branch manager named
Debra M. Flynn was appointed branch manager of the CMS Bank in Mount Kisco. She is responsible for the daily operations of the branch, serving the personal and business clients, working with the commercial lender to acquire new business accounts as well as attending business functions and charitable events within the local community.
With more than 25 years of banking experience, Flynn was most recently regional operations manager for Sovereign/Santander Bank, overseeing 17 branches in the Manhattan district. She had previously worked for Community Mutual Saving Bank (now CMS Bank) from 2009 to 2012 as manager of the Greenburgh branch. A Croton-on-Hudson resident, Flynn began her banking career with Countrywide.
WJCS program wins state grant
Westchester Jewish Community Services”™ Off The Street Program has been selected as one of the winners of New York state”™s 68 Advantage After School Program grants making it the fifth year of grants totaling almost $172,000. WJCS is one of the largest nonprofit, nonsectarian human services agencies in Westchester, serving 20,000 people annually at 70 clinic, school, community and home-based locations throughout the county.
For more than 15 years the WJCS Off The Street program has been providing enrichment activities and educational support to second- through sixth-graders at Hamilton Elementary School in Mount Vernon. With the grant, the program will be expanded to five days a week and to three hours per day. The program usually employs 24 students from Mount Vernon High School who address specific needs identified by their teachers.
Assistant vice president named at CMS Bank
Andrew Edge has been appointed assistant vice president of business banking and commercial lending at CMS Bank. He joined the bank in 2008 as a member of the operations department and was instrumental in the development and implementation of the bank”™s website, Internet banking and cash management. In 2011, he joined the bank”™s commercial lending group. Prior to his new position, he served as a credit analyst performing reviews on current portfolio clients and underwriting new commercial real estate and commercial lending transactions.
A graduate of Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Edge is active in the community, serving on the board of the Eastchester Rotary Club.
New executives at Tarrytown House
Tarrytown House Estate on the Hudson, by Destination Hotels & Resorts in Tarrytown, has appointed John Peper executive chef and Laura Bass as catering sales manager.
As part of his new responsibilities, Peper will oversee the entire culinary team and be in charge of menu creation for everything from conferences to weddings.
Previously, Peper was the executive chef at World Yacht in New York City where he assisted the food and beverage director; he also redeveloped banquet menus and buffet diagrams and composed seasonally inspired à la carte menus. He holds a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Culinary Arts Management degree from the Culinary Institute of America.
Prior to Tarrytown House Estate, Bass was the special events manager at Bard Graduate Center in New York City. Bass also worked at Audubon New York and for Katonah Museum of Art. She holds a Bachelor of History degree from the University of New Hampshire.
White Plains Hospital continues growing its staff
White Plains Hospital has added the following to its roster:
Daniela Carlos specializes in obstetrics and gynecology. She received her medical degree from University Central Del Caribe and completed an OB/GYN residency at Stony Brook University Hospital, followed by a fellowship in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at Montefiore Medical Center.
Christina Day specializes in pathology. She received her medical degree from Royal College of Surgeons and completed her internal medicine internship at Montefiore Medical Center followed by a pathology residency at Montefiore and two fellowships at UCLA, one in cytopathology and the second in surgical pathology. Day is board certified in anatomic pathology with a subspecialty in cytopathology.
Richard Ellsasser specializes in behavioral health. He received his medical degree from Sackler School of Medicine and completed his residency in psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center, where he also completed his fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine.
Mark Greenberg specializes in interventional cardiology. He received his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine and completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Montefiore Medical Center. Greenberg returned to the University of Illinois to complete his fellowship in cardiovascular diseases. He is board-certified in internal medicine with a subspecialty in both cardiovascular diseases and interventional cardiology
Jessica Harroche specializes in obstetrics and gynecology. She received her medical degree from Sackler School of Medicine and completed her OB/GYN residency at Montefiore Medical Center, where she also completed a fellowship in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery.
Anthony Leno specializes in emergency medicine. He received his medical degree from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency in emergency medicine at St. Francis Medical Center. Leno is board certified in emergency medicine.
Jennifer Longobardi specializes in pediatric medicine. She received her medical degree from Columbia University and completed her internship and residency in pediatrics at New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children”™s Hospital. Longobardi is board certified in pediatrics.
Khuong Nguyen specializes in hospital medicine. He received his medical degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of South Alabama Medical Center.
Madhupal Sandhu specializes in anesthesiology. She received her medical degree from Bangalore Medical College and completed an internship there as well and a second internship in family practice at North Shore University Hospital. Sandhu completed two residency programs at Nassau University Medical Center, one in preliminary surgery, another in anesthesiology. She completed her fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Rainbow Babies/Children”™s Hospital.
Thalia Segal specializes in anesthesiology. She received her medical degree from Stony Brook University Hospital and completed an internship and residency program in internal medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital of Rochester in family practice at North Shore University Hospital, followed by completing an anesthesiology residency at the Brigham & Women”™s Hospital and a fellowship in pain management at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Stefanie Keating is a nurse practitioner specializing in hematology/oncology. She received her Master of Science degree from the New York University, School of Nursing and is certified as a nurse practitioner by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Debra Pritzker is a physician assistant specializing in emergency medicine. She received her Master of Science degree from Duke University and completed a surgical residency at Montefiore Medical Center. She is certified as a physician assistant by the National Commission of Physician Assistants.
Information for these features has been submitted by the subjects or their delegates.
