Westchester County Newsmakers 8.5.13

A million-plus

The 17th annual Opus Foundation Golf Outing passed the $1 million mark in funds raised for children”™s charities.

Pictured from left, Russ Carpentieri, Opus Advisory Group managing partner; Susan Dishart, executive director, Guiding Eyes for the Blind; Michael Perry, managing partner, Opus Advisory Group; Judith Factor, executive director, Friends of Karen; Martin Gorman, executive director, Children”™s Health and Research Foundation; Ellen Lynch, executive director, Food Bank for Westchester; Nick Palumbo, managing partner, Opus Advisory Group; Scott Tasch, director, Opus Advisory Group; and Sophie, Guiding Eyes Heeling Autism.
Pictured from left, Russ Carpentieri, Opus Advisory Group managing partner; Susan Dishart, executive director, Guiding Eyes for the Blind; Michael Perry, managing partner, Opus Advisory Group; Judith Factor, executive director, Friends of Karen; Martin Gorman, executive director, Children”™s Health and Research Foundation; Ellen Lynch, executive director, Food Bank for Westchester; Nick Palumbo, managing partner, Opus Advisory Group; Scott Tasch, director, Opus Advisory Group; and Sophie, Guiding Eyes Heeling Autism.

This year”™s event benefactors included Guiding Eyes, Friends of Karen, Children”™s Health and Research Foundation and Food Bank for Westchester.

Friends of Karen expands

KRISTI HENNESSY has joined the development team at Friends of Karen Inc. as major-gifts program manager, a new position. She is based at the charity”™s North Salem office and has primary responsibility for developing the program for major donors.

Hennessy comes to Friends of Karen after 12 years at Historic Hudson Valley, where she managed donor relations. During her tenure there she developed several new programs to grow revenue streams for the not-for-profit and supervised a six-tier membership program that encompassed 3,000 members.

“Friends of Karen has 35 years of experience being a lifeline for children with a life-threatening illness and their families,” Hennessy said. “As a mom of two young children, I feel for the families we serve and want to fulfill the goal of reaching many more families who need our support.”

Since 1978, the organization has touched the lives of more than 12,400 children. Friends of Karen is widely recognized for its operational efficiency, with 82 cents of every dollar collected going directly to support families. Charity Navigator, an independent organization that evaluates the financial efficiency and responsibility of thousands of U.S. charities, has consistently awarded Friends of Karen a 4-star rating ”“ its highest award.

To find out more, visit friendsofkaren.org.

M&T adds to Westchester team

JAMES PFEIFER has been named vice president and business banking relationship manager for the northern Westchester region by M&T Bank. Pfeifer comes to M&T Bank from First Niagara Bank, where he served as a vice president and regional small business banker.

In his new role, Pfeifer will be responsible for strengthening existing business-client relationships while fostering the growth of new business clients. He will also evaluate credit information and requests.

Pfeifer received a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting and finance from Pace University. He currently serves as a member of The Greater Mahopac Carmel Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Putnam County Chambers of Commerce. Pfeifer was also a committee member for the 2013 Shop Putnam Business & Home Expo, a recent volunteer for SCORE Putnam and was recognized in Putnam County Chambers of Commerce”™s 40 Under 40 awards.

March of Dimes fundraiser set

CARL PETRILLO, chairman and CEO of Yonkers Contracting Co., and TRACY WOLFSON of CBS Sports are spearheading the March of Dimes Signature Chefs event, a dinner prepared by the area”™s finest chefs and paired with fine beverages, Oct. 9, at the Westchester Country Club in Rye.

As a father, Petrillo has experienced prematurity first hand and has taken on the role of Signature Chefs chairman to raise awareness and important funding to provide for babies who are born premature or with birth defects.

Wolfson, will be the emcee for the event. She is host of CBS”™s new college football studio show “Tackling The Trends,” which airs this season. As lead CBS sports college football reporter, Wolfson is in her eighth year and is part of the NCAA Men”™s Basketball Championship coverage. She has been a supporter of the March of Dimes.

For out more information, visit the marchofdimes.com/ny.

St. John”™s Hospital honored

ST. JOHN”™S RIVERSIDE HOSPITAL has received the Get With The Guidelines ”“ Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association. The award recognizes St. John”™s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted guidelines.

This marks the third year that St. John”™s has been recognized with a quality achievement award.

The program helps the hospital staff develop and implement acute and secondary prevention processes to improve patient care and outcomes. The program provides hospitals with a web-based patient management tool, best practice discharge protocols and standing orders, along with a robust registry and real-time benchmarking capabilities to track performance.

“Recent studies show that patients treated in hospitals participating in the American Heart Association”™s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke program receive a higher quality of care and may experience better outcomes,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., chairman of the Get With The Guidelines National Steering Committee and director of the TeleStroke and Acute Stroke Services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “St. John”™s Riverside Hospital team is to be commended for their commitment to improving the care of their patients.”

Pasquale joins Houlihan Lawrence

CHRISTOPHER PASQUALE has joined the Houlihan Lawrence Scarsdale office as a licensed salesperson. With a lifetime interest in real estate and after watching family members make the career transition into builders and real estate investors, Pasquale said he felt the time was right to make the leap into the industry.

A Westchester native, born and raised in New Rochelle, Pasquale has lived in Manhattan for the past 20 years. His bicounty background allows him to appreciate what both Manhattan and Westchester have to offer and provide the best guidance for buyers looking to relocate to the suburbs.

With 20 years of experience in the advertising industry, Pasquale remains a partner at Resolution Digital Inc., a graphics company that specializes in retouching work for international advertising agencies and celebrity photographers.