Long Island Press Power List Honorees Celebrated

The Long Island Press Power List event proved to be an inspiring celebration, bringing together influential leaders and change makers for an unforgettable evening of recognition and networking at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury on June 26.

Honorees, including leaders in the business, nonprofit, and academic worlds, among others, were given awards for their positive impact as hundreds of extraordinary people connected, supported one another, did business and built community.

The sold-out event was hosted by Schneps Media, publishers of the Long Island Press, Dan’s Papers, Fire Island News, Noticia, Nassau Observer, Nassau Illustrated, Manhasset Press, Great Neck Record, Record Pilot, Port Washington News, The Roslyn News, Syosset-Jericho Tribune and dozens of other publications across the New York Metro area, Philadelphia and Florida.

“We are so proud of our island and the tremendous accomplishments of all of you,” Schneps Media President Vicki Schneps told honorees as she outlined “the power of the power list.” “We’re thrilled to be covering the island in a very special way.”

The annual event occurred soon after Schneps Media acquired the Anton Media Group, a 75-year-old chain of newspapers on the Gold Coast of Long Island’s North Shore, as well as the Fire Island News, with plans to launch a monthly off-season for Fire Island and the Great South Bay.

“It’s really our privilege to bring everyone together in a room. We’re investing in Long Island more,” Schneps Media CEO Joshua Schneps said. “We acquired the Anton Media Group, serving Nassau County for close to 100 years. We’re privileged to carry on that tradition. We’ll evolve into the future and do a lot more to reach many more Long Islanders.”

The event and awards, however, were about the honorees and their supporters, focusing on leaders important to Long Island and organizations that have a big impact on the region.

Honorees included those in the utility sector, such as National Grid Ventures US Northeast Chief Operating Officer Jim Flannery, as well as educators, such as Long Island University President Kimberly R. Cline. 

Attorneys, those in the hospitality industry, healthcare, education, nonprofits and the financial sector, such as bankers and credit unions, including Linda Armyn, president and CEO of Bethpage Federal Credit Union, all were singled out.

“On June 1, we turned 160 years old. Abraham Lincoln was president when Dime opened its doors. It’s our people, customers, our employees working together that has allowed us to last 160 years,” said Dime Community Bank Chief Marketing Officer Steve Miley, who accepted on behalf of Dime Community Bank President and CEO Stuart Lubow. “That’s why the word community is in the middle of our name. It’s about being part of this group of people truly committed to the communities around us.”

In addition to celebrating success and good work, the event raised money for a good cause. One-hundred percent of the evening’s raffle proceeds went to The Long Island Coalition Against Bullying, Long Island’s only nonprofit organization dedicated to combatting the harmful impacts of bullying through advocacy, education and outreach.

“There’s a tremendous opportunity out here not only for business, but for community partnerships and giving back,” Valley Bank Regional Division in New York Senior Vice President Ana Oliveira said. “There’s enough business for all of us to win, especially in a place like Long Island.”

Many described the recognition as an acknowledgment of their organization’s efforts, including those providing various forms of healthcare. “It means so much to our organization to be recognized with our team for all of the patient care we deliver throughout the New York City metropolitan area,” said Michael Rosenblut, president and CEO of the Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation.

Timothy Sams, president of SUNY Old Westbury, described the awards as acknowledging not only accomplishment, but how important it is to work together.

“What we’re clear about, in higher education, is there’s no way you’ll survive the next 10 to 15 years without partnerships. Those partnerships are tied to your relationships to the business sector,” Sams said. “In past years, we thought of ourselves in a silo. We now realize the indispensable relationship we have to have with the business community.”

John Theissen, executive director of the John Theissen Children’s Foundation, said that he views power as the ability to make a difference in others’ lives. 

“My foundation helps sick and underprivileged children year-round and I think the real true power comes from the children I help,” Theissen said. “I had a brain tumor at age 17 and I am just so very thankful and grateful to help these children on a daily basis.”

The Wantagh-based nonprofit a few months ago opened a new Family Fun Center in Wantagh, buying their own building. “The fun center is a place for children year-round to come and enjoy some time,” he said of the space with an arcade, arts and crafts room, theater and more at no charge for children and families they help. “This event will definitely help spread awareness about JTCF. And at the same time, I get to meet some wonderful people.”

LiveOnNY President and CEO Leonard Achan said that the award recognizes his organization’s “tireless work to honor those who choose to give the gift of life to others.” LiveOnNY is the federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) for the New York metropolitan region and one of only four statewide.

“Attending the Long Island Press Power List event is truly inspiring,” Achan said. “It’s a powerful reminder of our collective impact and shared commitment to positive change.”

LiveOnNY plays a vital role in the donation and transplantation of organs including life-saving kidneys, livers, hearts and lungs. Still, he said, 8,000 people “woke up this morning on the wait list in New York. “We are seeing technology and science continue to drive new, innovative ways to make more of these gifts available to those in need,” Achan said.

Louis C. Grassi, CEO and managing partner of Grassi, said he is happy to be among a group of “leaders and businesses who have positively impacted the community.”

He said the awards not only celebrate success, but the importance of “those who have used their influence to better Long Island.” Grassi called the event a “remarkable gathering with great networking opportunities” where people can forge “meaningful connections” and unite “diverse perspectives and experiences.”

Grassi recently created an employee stock ownership plan or ESOP and a business structure to “secure its future and reward employees.” With nearly 20% year-over-year revenue growth, he said the firm rose four spots in the Accounting Today Top 100 List and ranked 9th in the mid-Atlantic region. 

Megan C. Ryan, interim president and chief executive officer of NuHealth/NUMC and A Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility, noted the importance of honoring healthcare organizations that work hard to provide care.

“Receiving this award is an immense honor and a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire NHCC [Nassau Health Care Corporation] team,” she said. “It signifies our collective commitment to excellence in healthcare and our unwavering focus on delivering the best possible care to our community. Personally, this award reaffirms my belief in the transformative power of healthcare.”

Gary Meltzer, partner and chair of the real estate practice group at Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein and Breitstone, said the event let him learn more about people he knows. “I have a lot of friends in the room and a lot of people I’m impressed [with] by hearing their stories,” Meltzer said.

And Daniel C. Levler, president of Suffolk AME, representing the Suffolk County government’s municipal workforce, talked about the power of labor. “Keeping everybody working and productive during difficult times is part of what I do,” Levler said.

Many organizations talked about expansion, from law firms to healthcare providers. Meanwhile, Katherine Heaviside, president of Epoch 5 Public Relations, cited how Schneps Media has grown since Vicki Schneps started her first publication. 

“I’m so proud and happy that she’s made it into what it is and to see so many people here recognized for what you’ve done for Long Island,” Heaviside said.

While the event focused on the present, it was also an opportunity to look forward to the future. “We are rethinking what we do for our community. We want to be the place not just for school trips, birthday parties, a rainy day,” said Erika Floreska, president of the Long Island Children’s Museum. “We want to be a place where children can play together today so they can work and live together in the future.”