2020 · 2020-07-17 · story. we need more ... environment of inclusion inside your business and in...

TUESDAYJULY 21, 2020

11:30 AM - 12:30 PMVIRTUAL EVENT

2020

DIVERSITY IN BUSINESS AWARDS IS A LONG ISLAND BUSINESS NEWS EVENT

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DIVERSITY IN BUSINESS AWARDS IS A LONG ISLAND BUSINESS NEWS EVENT

HONOREESRetha Fernandez, Suffolk County Government *Trailblazer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Daniel Lloyd, Minority Millennials, Inc. *Trailblazer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Dr. Meena Ahluwalia, Hematologist, Oncologist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Seema Bhansali, New York Institute of Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Tiffani L. Blake, M.S., Ed.M., New York Institute of Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Hana Boruchov, Boruchov, Gabovich & Associates, P.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Dennis Buchanan, The Long Island Gaming League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Hiren Chauhan, Cyber Consulting Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Jeffery Daniels, Board of Trustees, Incorporated Village of Hempstead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Katerina Grinko, Twomey, Latham, Shea, Kelley, Dubin & Quartararo, LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Waylyn Hobbs, Jr., Board of Trustees, Incorporated Village of Hempstead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Shawn Hyms, Office of NYS Assemblyman Doug Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Shirley Kendall, Brookhaven Science Associates - Brookhaven National Laboratory . . . . . . . . . . 10

Anne M. Mungai Ph.D, Adelphi University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Joe Ortego, Nixon Peabody LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Carol Rodriguez-Bernier, Henry Schein, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Aurelia Sanchez, Rivkin Radler LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Usama Mohammad Shaikh, SUNY Old Westbury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Rich Tavarez, JPMorgan Chase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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DIVERSITY IN BUSINESS AWARDS 1

Retha Fernandez

What makes you most proud of your company or organization?

What can Long Island companies do to promote diversity in the business sphere?

I am humbled and proud to work for County government. I applaud the County Executive Steve Bellone and his administration for recognizing that disparities exist within County workforce and for taking bold and necessary steps for addressing them. The opportunity to help the County achieve the vision of becoming the “preferred employer” for Suffolk County is exciting and I am inspired by the all the wonderful public servants I get to work with to create a more fair and equitable county for our residents.

The answer to this question is complex, so I will offer 3 steps company leadership can take:1. Conduct an assessment of your current workforce

diversity, looking at who you’re hiring, who you’re promoting, who you’re developing, how you’re compensating across all levels.

2. Use the results of your assessment to bring awareness to the leadership teams of your current workforce diversity picture

3. Commit, through money and time, to creating bold and sustainable actions to address any disparities that your assessment uncovers

Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officeretha Fernandez is the newly

appointed Chief Diversity

and Inclusion Officer for Suffolk

County, a new role created to

promote diversity and inclusion

in the Suffolk County workforce

in coordination with the County

Personnel Officer and the County

Executive. In this role, Fernandez

will lead the development and im-

plementation of Suffolk County’s

diversity and inclusion initiatives.

She will be responsible for im-

proving diversity and inclusion

in County hiring and personnel

practices, as well as identifying,

evaluating and making recom-

mendations to improve work

teams across the County.

She most recently served as the

Project Director of the State of

Black Long Island Equity Council,

a project convened by the Urban

League of Long Island. In this role,

she reported to the President/

CEO and was responsible for the

project delivery of the Council’s

equity agenda and campaigns.

The Council’s efforts are focused

on policy development and the

creation and enhancement of

regional programs and services

designed to improve quality of

life in Black communities on Long

Island.

Prior to joining the Urban

League, Fernandez spent 15 years

in the prestige beauty industry

at the Estee Lauder Compa-

nies, leading regional teams and

overseeing technology strategy

development and execution

as an Information Technology

Executive. Her IT career spanned

several industries, where her

earliest roles included creating

and executing test scripts for Y2K

preparation, repairing computers,

and progressed to her managing

and leading regional IT teams at

the executive level, and ultimately

having responsibility for technolo-

gy strategy development for three

brands within the Fortune 500

company. While at Estee Lauder,

one of her key roles was serving as

an Inclusion & Diversity Trainer for

North America Employees.

Fernandez is a Certified Medita-

tion Instructor and is the Founder

of Soul of Long Island, LLC, where

she teaches meditation and

mindfulness as a stress manage-

ment and self-empowerment

tool. She serves on the board of

the Women’s Diversity Network,

and is currently serving as Chap-

ter Vice President of the Suffolk

County Chapter of Jack and Jill of

America, Inc.

Fernandez has received several

citations and recognitions and

was a Nassau County 2016 Martin

Luther King, Jr. Award Recipient for

her community service. In April

2018 she received the Women

of Distinction Award from New

York State Assembly Woman

Christine Pellegrino. She serves on

the Unified Long Island Bi-County

Anti-Bias Task Force.

She resides in Babylon with her

husband of 13 years, and her son,

Taylor.

Suffolk County Government

R

2 DIVERSITY IN BUSINESS AWARDS TRAILBLAZER

Daniel Lloyd

What motivates you?

What makes you proud of your company or organization?

What can Long Island companies do to promote diversity in the business sphere?

I consider a successful day to be when

What do you hope the Long Islandbusiness landscape looks like in 20 years from now?

Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.

Leaving a legacy of change, that shows proof of progress in the issues that have negatively impacted society -- I hate being told things can’t change for the better.

We stay true to our values and focus on creating as many opportunities as possible for young people of color on Long Island. These opportunities may be access to jobs, political equity or idea cultivation.

Show evidence of progress in hiring, pay wages, promotion in c-suite positions and multicultural outreach. The best form of marketing is telling a story. We need more companies to communicate a clear message of what opportunities exist and the roadmap to get there.One that resonates with emerging demographics. So many people are still confused as to what diversity, equity and inclusion truly mean.

...opportunities are established, tasks are executed & relationships are valued.

That it reflects the new majority demographic of Long Island.

I have over 50 tattoos.

Founder & Presidentaniel Lloyd is a social entrepreneur with 10+ years of experience creating strategic partnerships between communities, organiza-

tions and their stakeholders. His purpose is to help develop solutions to the social, cultural and economic problems, the future generations of America face.

In Fall 2017, Lloyd founded Minority Millennials Inc., a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization bridging the gap between policy & culture. Its mission focuses on connecting minority millennials and future generations of Long Island – with opportunities of equity in political, economic and work-force developments.

As Founder & President, Lloyd accelerated strong investments in social impact through its many partnerships, including Merrill Lynch, Stony Brook SBDC, and the Workforce Development Institute, and more, along with many social equity initiatives. In less than a year the grassroots orga-nization has been quoted as turning the phrase “representation matters” into a living, breathing movement across Long Island.

In February 2019 Lloyd was recognized by Gold Coast Bank as one of Long Island’s most influential millennials. In March 2019 Lloyd presented his TEDx talk challenging people to recognize time and identity as the foundation to providing value to society. In July 2019 Lloyd was honored by the Nassau Community College Foundation as the Rising Star of the Year. In February 2020, Lloyd received the Equity Foundation Award from the Urban League of Long Island for his advocacy work with Minority Mil-lennials, Inc.

Lloyd holds a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from Rutgers, the State Univer-sity of New Jersey, a Master of Business Administration in Global Manage-ment from Westwood College and a Master’s in Public Policy from Stony Brook University.

A Wyandanch native, he is committed to mentoring Wyandanch Elementary School 5th-graders through the New York State Mentoring program. His volunteer efforts include his role as the Town of Babylon Trustee on the Suffolk County Parks Committee and active member of the Millennial Leadership Council.

Minority Millenials , Inc.

D

DIVERSITY IN BUSINESS AWARDS 3TRAILBLAZER

Dr. Meena Ahluwalia, MDHematologist, Oncologist

r. Meena Ahluwalia, MD

is a hematologist and

oncologist with a dedication

to her patients and her pro-

fession. Ahluwalia was born

and raised in rural India, where

healthcare was an unafford-

able luxury.

Ahluwalia witnessed firsthand

the suffering cancer can in-

flict, both on members of her

community as well as within

her own family. Sparked by a

desire to fight the crippling

disease, she decided to em-

bark on a career in medicine to

make a difference in the lives

of those who are affected.

Ahluwalia moved to the

United States and completed

her residency at Wyckoff

Heights Medical Center; after

residency she underwent

another three years of fellow-

ship training in hematology

and oncology at Brooklyn

Hospital. Today she is affiliated

with New York City Health +

Hospitals, among the largest

public health systems in the

country, and is board certified

in hematology and oncology,

internal medicine, and pallia-

tive care. Ahluwalia provides

essential services to patients

from all walks of life within the

health care system. She is also

certified in bioethics.

Ahluwalia is affiliated with

the American Association of

Physician of Indian Origin, Long

Island chapter; the American

Society of Clinical Oncology;

the American Academy of

Hospice and Palliative Medi-

cine; and the American Soci-

ety of Hematology.

What makes you most proud of your company or organization? Working in the New York City

Health and Hospitals, the

largest public health system

in the United States, I help to

provide essential inpatient,

outpatient, and home-based

services to New Yorkers every

day. Our diverse workforce is

uniquely focused on empow-

ering New Yorkers, without ex-

ception, to live their healthiest

lives. I am extremely proud to

be a part of such a system.

What motivates you?People. Helping to ease the pain of exclusion and self-doubt and instilling instead a sense of value and belonging is what keeps me going.

I consider a successful day to be when......we’ve made progress towards making people feel valued and validated.

Tell us something about yourself that most people do not know?

I’m a poet and previously a

gold medal winner for this in

my college days.

Who, or what inspires you? My profession as well as my

personal inspiration and goal

is to relieve suffering in the

world, thereby making a posi-

tive difference in people lives.

Pain in our life could be phys-

ical, spiritual or psychological,

and I aspire to relieve this pain

as much as I can for my fellow

human being.

Who, or what

inspires you? People who have taken

their values and skills and

helped overcome people and

nations overcome struggle.

Famous leaders like MLK and

Gandhi and personal heroes

like my immigrant parents.

What can Long Island companies do to pro-mote equality in the busi-ness sphere?Business leaders should commit to create a culture of equality and must look at ways to reduce the effects of unconscious biases that exist. The best way to do this is through increase awareness, education and improved hiring practices:

• Hiring people from more diverse backgrounds.

• Invest in social causes to eliminate disparities because of social differ-ences, especially in term of finances and education.

• Establish equality and diversity training in one’s own system to make peo-ple aware of these differ-ences, thereby becoming more sensitive towards their difficulties.

What makes you most proud of your company or organization?Our commitment

to being more than

a for-profit compa-

ny. We understand

that society is an

equally valuable

and important part

of our constituen-

cy. Whether that’s

about philanthropy,

environment, di-

versity, community

engagement, we

believe it’s critical

to our business

success.

What can

individuals do to

promote equality

in the business

sphere?

Understand your

biases. There is

nothing more

important in combat-

ting inequality than

self-reflection and

openness to learn.

Once you know, you

can control for it in

your hiring, project

lead selection,

promoting and even

who you choose to

business with.

D

eema Bhansali is Director of Corporate Affairs in the

Office of the Chairman and CEO at Henry Schein, Inc. A proven strategic thinker adept at implementation, she joined the company in 2017 to develop and lead cross-divisional strategies with an emphasis on government relations and public af-fairs. Bhansali is also responsible for co-leading Henry Schein’s holistic strategy to promote diversity and inclusion within the organization in collaboration with her colleague and fellow Diversity in Business honoree Carol Rodriguez-Bernier.

Before joining Henry Schein, Bhan-sali spent 14 years working in nu-merous roles with U.S. Congressman Steve Israel, Former Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Cam-paign Committee, and Democratic Leadership’s Policy and Communi-

cations Chair. During her tenure with Congressman Israel, Bhansali was dedicated to helping constituents and businesses navigate and under-stand federal agencies and federal policy. Through her various positions, she has also developed strategic programs to maximize brand value, foster team development, and advance intergovernmental com-munications.

Bhansali has also participated in roundtable and panel discussions on government, communications and leadership. Most notably, in 2014 Bhansali was invited by the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to present on working with federal agencies for successful conflict resolution. In addition, she has discussed the im-portance of working with the media, the impact of demographic trends

to local government, and the art of relationship building between gov-ernments and local communities. In 2018, Bhansali was recognized by City & State Magazine as one of 10 leaders on the rise for government affairs on Long Island.

Bhansali lives on Long Island with her husband and two children and is on the Board of Trustees for Harbor Country Day School, where she co-chairs the Advancement Com-mittee. She believes strongly that practicing emotional intelligence, creating meaningful relationships and focusing on helping others achieve their goals are the cor-nerstones to success in business and life. She has been an attorney licensed to practice in New York since 2001.

S

Seema Bhansali

Sr. Director, Corporate AffairsHenry Schein, Inc.

4 DIVERSITY IN BUSINESS AWARDS

Tiffani L. BlakeM.S., Ed.M.

iffani L. Blake joined New York

Institute of Technology as interim

Dean of Students for the Long Island

and New York City campuses in July

2019, after serving as Dean of Students

at The College of New Rochelle. As New

York Tech’s Dean of Students, she was

responsible for championing the insti-

tution’s goal to be a student-centered

university that creates culture change,

promotes inclusion and diversity,

stimulates innovation and entrepre-

neurship, and promotes personal and

professional student growth and de-

velopment. Blake worked closely with

faculty, department chairs, deans, and

student affairs staff to enhance the

student experience through programs,

initiatives and resources related to

student activities, residence life, health

and wellness, new student orientation,

student leadership, judicial affairs, and

commuter student services.

In April 2020 Blake was appointed

Interim Assistant Provost for Student

Engagement and Development. In this

role, she serves as the Chief Student

Affairs Officer for New York Tech’s New

York campuses and reports directly

to the Provost and Vice President for

Academic Affairs.

Blake is dedicated to service and

volunteerism. Actively involved in the

Archdiocese of New York, she has

served as a commissioner of the Office

of Black Ministry of the Archdiocese

since 2005. She is a member of the

North Manhattan Alumnae Chapter of

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a

2016 recipient of the Business Council

of Westchester’s Rising Star award,

which recognizes individuals under the

age of 40 who excel in their fields and

leadership in the county. Blake is also

an inaugural recipient of the Archdio-

cese of New York’s Bakhita Woman of

Faith & Service Award. She currently

serves on the board of trustees of The

Ursuline School in New Rochelle and

has organized and participated in sev-

eral service trips in Mexico, Haiti, and

the U.S.

An alumna of The College of New

Rochelle, Blake holds a master’s degree

in industrial/organizational psychology

from Baruch College and a master’s

degree in higher and post-secondary

education from Teachers College at

Columbia University. She is currently

a doctoral candidate in organizational

leadership at Northeastern University.

What motivates you? I am motivated by the opportunity to improve others’ quality of life. I have witnessed the hardships that life can bring and being able to assist someone by sharing information, resources and providing teachable experiences is life-changing. This drives me to con-tinue learning, growing and pursuing opportunities in the field of higher and postsecondary education to positively impact my community.

What can Long Island

companies do to promote

diversity in the business sphere?

To promote diversity, Long Island com-

panies must be intentional in creating

safe spaces for constituents that

offer experiences to learn about the

importance of diversity and inclusion

and encourage respect, advocacy and

concern for all individuals. Through col-

laboration with local, national and glob-

al cultural groups and resources, Long

Island companies can work towards

the celebration of a variety of cultures,

encourage constituents to learn about

others, dispel stereotypes, and gain a

variety of perspectives on matters of

consideration to the communities in

which they serve.

T

Interim Assistant Provost for Student Engagement and Development

New York Institute of Technology


What do you hope the Long

Island business landscape looks

like 20 years from now?

I hope to see the Long Island business

landscape grow and provide jobs

that allow its residents to be able to

stay and work here for the long term

because the jobs pay well.

Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.I have dyslexia.

I consider a successful day to be when......I accomplish one task on my to-do list

Who, or what inspires you? I am inspired by Daymond John and Richard Branson.

What makes you most proud of

your company or organization?

That we can work with students and

helping them to understand and

benefit of the esports industry as it

continues to grow.

What can individuals do to promote equality in the business sphere? To promote equality in the business sphere I would say to promote the opportunities that are available to a more diverse demographic. I feel the messaging or platforms currently used to get the message out is not efficient.

ennis Buchanan is Founder of The Long Island Gaming

League, a platform for local gamers that aims to develop, connect, and support an esports community across Long Island. The league meets both online and in-person, hosting gaming events at locations that include the Great South Bay Brewery.

Boasting more than 13 years of marketing and branding experience, Buchanan intends for the Long Island Gaming League to provide

expert and casual gamers alike with a forum to not only play together, but network together as well. The league is lauded by its supports as a melting pot of diverse members, including people of different back-grounds, ethnicities and abilities.

Buchanan has worked to bring The Long Island Gaming League to the region’s high schools to provide esports club development services. The league has conducted “Esports Open Houses” where it educates educational institutions on the

benefits esports leagues can offer, including strategic thinking, ex-panded career opportunities, schol-arships, and more. By combining a gaming league with a mentorship opportunity, the program aims to help foster success for each young person who participates.

In addition to serving as found-er of The Long Island Gaming League, Buchanan is also director of business development at Long Island-based marketing agency One Recourse.

D

Dennis Buchanan

FounderThe Long Island Gaming League

What motivates you?Helping others.

I consider a successful

day to be when......I can be of assistance

to even just one person

because to that person, I

made a difference.

Who, or what inspires you? I am inspired by the half of my family that immigrated to this country and overcame tremen-dous adversity. I am also inspired by the other half of my family from the U.S., who are military war vet-erans and have sacrificed so much so we can all have a better life.

What can

Long Island

compa-

nies do to

promote

diversity in

the business

sphere?

Long Island

companies

can encour-

age an open

environment

with equal

opportunity

where people

can feel

comfort-

able with

their ethnic

background,

religion,

gender, etc.

is one way

to promote

diversity.

What can Long Island companies do to promote diversity in the busi-ness sphere?They can connect and speak with local minority organizations once a month and plan networking mixers. This will help them introduce their companies to a more diverse work-force and client base.

What organizations or networking groups are you a part of?I am a part of Minority Millenials and

Young Hip Professionals.

ana Boruchov is a founding

partner at Boruchov, Gabovich

& Associates, P.C., a full service bou-

tique domestic and international

tax controversy, immigration and

commercial law firm. Boruchov has

facilitated the resolution of contro-

versies involving liens, levies, war-

rants, seizures, penalty abatements,

Offers in Compromise, income tax

audits, installment agreements,

responsible person assessments,

trust fund recovery penalties, inno-

cent spouse relief, New York State

residency audits, New York State

driver’s license suspensions, federal

passport revocations, New York

State sales and use tax audits and

voluntary disclosures. Boruchov has

also served as Of Counsel to several

law firms and corporations, advising

on tax compliance and controversy

issues.

Boruchov serves on the commit-

tee for Walk to End Alzheimer’s. She

volunteers as a pro-bono attorney

for New York County Lawyer’s US

Tax Court Project. She also volun-

teers as a mentor for foreign law

students aspiring to become Ameri-

can attorneys.

Boruchov is a nationally-recog-

nized speaker and author. She is an

honoree of Super Lawyer’s Rising

Star Award, consecutively for 2019

and 2020; Outstanding Woman in

Law Award for 2020; Top Attorney in

America Award for 2020; and Avvo

Clients’ Choice Award for 2019.

Additionally, Boruchov was named

among Long Island Business News’s

40 Under 40 Class of 2019.

Prior to founding at Boruchov,

Gabovich & Associates, P.C. in April

2020, Boruchov served as a law

clerk, and later a tax attorney, at

a Melville-based tax law firm for

more than four years. Prior to that,

she was a legal extern with the New

York State Department of Financial

Services, Holocaust Claims Pro-

cessing Office in New York, NY. She

also interned at U.S. Department of

Veterans Affairs, Office of Regional

Counsel in Brooklyn, Henry Schein

in Melville, and Josephs Law Part-

ners LLP in Setauket.

Boruchov is a graduate of Benja-

min N. Cardozo School of Law, with

a concentration in corporate law.

H

Hana Boruchov

Founding Partner

Boruchov, Gabovich & Associates, P.C.

Tell us something about yourself that most people do not know?I can play five instruments.

How do you give back to your community?I try to contribute back to my com-munity at every opportunity, including through providing pro bono services, fundraising, and volunteering.

How do you give back to your

community?

We offer free workshops to parents

and students looking to learn more

about esports. We also donate funds

from our weekly gaming events to

local charities.


Hiren Chauhan

Jeffrey Daniels

iren Chauhan is President

of Cyber Consulting Inc., a

firm boasting 25 years of hands-

on experience in the technology

and management industries. The

company has been a pioneer

in navigating the rise of various

technologies such as Cloud Data,

Big Data, Linux, Blockchain, and

Cryptocurrency to remain on the

cutting edge.

The leadership in the company

has successfully built and man-

aged a consulting firm, with clients

from leading Wall Street banks

and brokerages. These top firms

include Fortune 500 companies

such as Merrill Lynch, Citibank,

JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs,

Bank of America, DTCC, AIG – Trad-

ing Greenwich, AIG Insurance, 21st

Century, and S&P.

Cyber Consulting has also sup-

ported a multitude of technology

firms including E-Bay, PayPal,

JPMC, Comcast, Airforce America

and DTCC. In addition to having

years of experience in the private

sector, the company has also

worked with government agen-

cies, such as the State Of New

York ,MTA, State of New Jersey, and

State of Texas.

Under Chauhan’s leadership,

Cyber Consulting Inc. has ventured

into partnerships with many start-

up companies as well. The expe-

rience and skills provided by at

Cyber Consulting Inc. have allowed

the company to be a key member

of teams that have successfully

raised initial funding from various

venture capital firms and angel

investors, ranging from $1 million

to $10 million.

effery Daniels is Senior Vice President of Institutional

Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, Inc. that focuses on servicing and advising institutional real estate investors. Daniels’s primary responsibility is to design and implement strategic plans to further develop and scale the IPA platform across North America.

In March 2018, Daniels was elected to the Board of Trustees in the Incorporated Village of Hempstead, the largest village in New York State. In this role he has brought his business acumen, knowledge and experience back to his hometown, collaboratively leading the Village out of financial and social despair. Within his first 24 months of service, Daniels restructured multiple Payment in Lieu of Tax Agreements to increase Village tax receipts,

preserved affordable housing units and funded development studies for Hempstead’s Down-town Revitalization plans. Daniels also championed a foreclosure registry local law which raised over $375,000 to remove blight and preserve neighborhoods within the Village of Hempstead.

Prior to joining IPA, Daniels was the head of AIG’s U.S. multifamily investments, where he formulated the development and value-add investment strategy and portfolio management of the company’s U.S. real estate holdings. During his 13-year tenure Daniels invested and managed over $7 billion of multifamily real estate, spanning over 38,000 units and more than 20 states. He has formed over 25 joint ventures with national and regional real estate developers and operators and grew the AIG multifamily portfolio by more than 30 percent.

Prior to joining AIG, Daniels was an assistant vice president at Zu-rich Structured Finance, where he managed a $1.5 billion multi-fam-ily portfolio financed with Section 42 Low Income Housing Tax Credits.

Daniels received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Hampton University and an MBA in business management from Bloomsburg University. He serves on the Board of Directors for the National Multifamily Hous-ing Council, is a member of the Real Estate Executive Council, a Sustaining member of the Urban Land Institute, and a member of ULI’s Multifamily Green Product Council.

Daniels is the proud father of three children, all of whom attend-ed Friends Academy in Locust Valley, where he is an alumnus and previous board member.

What motivates you?

My motivation stems from finding

happiness in what I do and being

able to provide that same happiness

to my employees and their families.

What motivates you? I have an insatiable desire to help people achieve. I strive to make people and organizations better than they were prior to my engagement. If every-one strives to make our neighbors better; to help individuals and organizations reach beyond their goals, then, the world would be a better place. Good conquers evil and love destroys hate.

What can Long Island companies do to promote diversity in the business sphere? Long Island companies can work

together and encourage more afford-

able housing and property tax rates

so that we are able to attract and

retain more people from different

backgrounds who can open up even

more diverse businesses with an

even more diverse work base.

H

J

President

Senior Vice President,Institutional Property Advisors

Cyber Consulting Inc.

Board of Trustees, Incorporated Village of Hempstead

What makes you most proud of your company or organization?Being able to work with and provide solutions for the best breeds of technologies that are continuously changing how we do our work.

What do you hope the Long Island business landscape looks like 20 years from now?I hope to see faster and greater con-nectivity among small businesses and more ways for these small businesses to meet, connect, and learn from each other through conventions. Additionally, another hope I have is to see the devel-opment and prosperity of an established convention center like that of the Javits Center in Manhattan, NY. changing how we do our work.



like 20 years from now?In 20 years, I hope LIBN does not need

a Diversity in Business Awards. My

hope is that Long Island is

synonymous to diversity.

Who, or what inspires you? Mahatma Gandhi’s initiative toprovide mass employment via Khadi movement – a hand woven cotton fabric. This concept still is relevant to help eliminate unemployment in many parts of the world.

How do you give back to your community?I work with young professionals to educate and familiarize them with cutting edge technologies so that they can get the job opportunities they hope for.

What can Long Island companies do to promote diversity in the business sphere?The executives and leaders of Long Island companies should

educate themselves on systemic racism in their industries and work

to eliminate the effects in their business. Structure your

organization to proactively guard against bias and foster an

environment of inclusion inside your business and in the

communities it serves and resides.




like 20 years from now?

I would like to see more technology

businesses finding a home on Long

Island, attracting more young

professionals.

I consider a successful day to be

when...

...I am able to resolve the issues,

concerns, and complaints of our

residents. Addressing quality of life

issues reassures residents that they

made the right choice in moving to

your community.

What motivates you?

Helping people bring in necessary

resources to promote the growth of

our community.


your company or organization?The Village of Hempstead is the

largest Village in the State of New

York – a diverse community with the

potential of becoming the hub of

Nassau County.

What can individuals do to pro-mote equality in the business sphere? To promote equality in the business sphere I would say to promote the opportunities that are available to a more diverse demographic. I feel the messaging or platforms currently used to get the message out is not efficient.

lected in March 2019 as a Village of Hempstead Trustee,

Waylyn Hobbs Jr. has been a resi-dent of the village for over 40 years. Hobbs works tirelessly on behalf of the community in an effort to foster social, educational, economic and community development within the Village of Hempstead. In addi-tion to serving as Village Trustee, he also served as Deputy Mayor in the Village of Hempstead for two years, overseeing the police department, fire department, department of public works, and parks and recre-ation committees.

Hobbs lives by his motto, “I, like you, want to see our Village become a better place for our families to

live, work, and play.” His commit-ment to the village and its residents goes beyond serving as a trustee; Hobbs is also a member of the Hempstead Fire Department, where he serves as an officer with Truck Company One and EMT-CC with the rescue squad.

Prior to serving as trustee, Hobbs served as the Supervisor of Code Enforcement within the Village of Hempstead in 1990. Under his leadership, code enforcement was able to put an end illegal dumping within the village. Hobbs also served as commissioner of the Hemp-stead Housing Authority, where he was able to begin the process of bringing the authority out of trouble

status. Hobbs has an extensive back-

ground in investigation, and is a member of the National Investiga-tors Association. He also chaired the Issues Committee of TNHDC, which was formed to address the issues of Village of Hempstead residents. In that role, Jobbs investigated residents’ concerned by helping connect them to the appropriate departments to ensure their issues were resolved effectively.

He is married to his wife of 30 years, Donna, a surgical RN at St. Francis Hospital and Lt. Command-er of the US Naval Reserve. He is the proud father of one son and two daughters.

E

Waylyn Hobbs, Jr.Board of Trustees, Incorporated Village of Hempstead

What motivates you?Waking up every day healthy and

happy, and having a family by my side

as a support is the greatest motivator.

What can Long Island companies do to promote diversity in the business sphere?I believe promoting people within

the company regularly for their indi-

vidual growth and improvement and

regardless of their gender or ethnicity

is a key to promoting diversity and is

a way to show other businesses that

such a pattern can lead to positive

outcomes.

What can individuals

do to promote

diversity in the

business sphere?Individuals who are in the supervisory

roles need to be more open and find

a way to believe in people from dif-

ferent cultural or ethnic backgrounds

and their ability to excel and give

them a chance to prove themselves.

What can Long Island companies do to promote diversity in the business sphere?Work with school districts to recruit minority students through intern-ship programs.

aterina Grinko, Associate

Attorney at Twomey, Latham,

Shea, Kelley, Dubin & Quartararo,

LLP, concentrates her practice in

real estate and immigration law.

She works with KIND (Kids In Need

of Defense) in representing children

who have been picked up at the

border pro bono. She speaks fluent

Spanish, Russian and Latvian. Her

other practice areas include land

use, zoning, and business and cor-

porate law.

Born and raised in Latvia, Grinko

moved to the U.S. in her early twen-

ties. She learned that, in order to

build a successful career, she would

have to be strong, find her true

passion and work hard towards her

goals. It seemed quite natural that

becoming an attorney would be her

calling.

Grinko worked full-time to put

herself through college and law

school. While attending Touro

College, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law

Center, she was the editor of the

Race, Gender and Ethnicity Journal,

served as a member of the Central

American Refugee Center and the

Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project

and completed an immigration law

internship with a prominent New

York City law firm.

Grinko is admitted to practice

before the U.S. District Court for

the Eastern District of New York.

She is also a member of the New

York State and Suffolk County Bar

Associations and the American Im-

migration Lawyers Association.

In addition to receiving a Juris

Doctor, Grinko has an undergrad-

uate degree from Stony Brook

University.

K

Katerina Grinko

Associate Attorney

Twomey, Latham, Shea, Kelley, Dubin & Quartararo, LLP

How do you give back

to your community?I enjoy working with immigrant kids.

Many kids risk their life in order to

come to the United States in hopes of

a better future and security. Offering

them free legal services is really grat-

ifying and a way I find to give back to

the community.

How do you give back to your community?I am a member of the Hempstead

Volunteer Fire Department.


Shawn Hyms

ake Ronkonkoma native

Shawn Hyms has challenged

Autism from a young age, focusing

on his abilities and talents rather

than being defined by a disability.

Today, Hyms is recognized as a

respected professional and inspira-

tion to the Autism community.

At the young age of seven, Hyms’

parents were advised that he

would likely not excel in education.

Thanks to an unyielding conviction

to overcome challenges, Hyms not

only excelled academically, but

went on to graduate from Sachem

North High School in 2009 with an

Advanced Regents diploma. Today,

Hyms is furthering his education

at SUNY Empire College, with plans

to pursue a bachelor’s degree in

Public Policy.

Hyms has also served the public

in many functions, including work-

ing for the Town of Brookhaven

Clerk, Traffic Safety and Planning

Departments. He previously in-

terned for former Assemblyman

Al Graf. Hyms currently works for

Assemblyman Doug Smith in the

role of District Director.

In his spare time, Hyms enjoys

listening to rock music and playing

video games. He also serves as

a director on the board of the

Ronkonkoma Chamber of Com-

merce.

Hyms frequently travels across

Long Island as a self-advocate and

speaker, with the intentions of

giving a voice to many who do not

have one.

What motivates

you? My lifelong desire to make the world a

better place is a great motivation for me.

I consider a successful day to

be when...

...I’ve been able to assist a constitu-

ent who needed assistance or wasn’t

sure where to go for help.

What organizations or

networking groups are you a

part of? I am currently a director on the

Board of Directors for the Ronkonko-

ma Chamber of Commerce.

L

District Director

Office of NYS Assemblyman Doug Smith

What makes you most proud of your company or organization?I am proud to work for Assemblyman Doug Smith because of his tireless commitment to our community and endless determination to advocate for Long Islanders.

What do you hope the Long Island business landscape looks like 20 years from now?I hope Long Island will be a place

where businesses and young profes-

sionals will be able to thrive here.

What do you hope the Long Island business landscape looks like 20 years from now?I hope Long Island will be a place

where businesses and young profes-

sionals will be able to thrive here.


LONG

ISLAND

BUSINESS NEWS

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Congratulationsto the honorees of the 2020 Diversity in Business Awards,including Brookhaven Lab’s own Shirley Kendall.

managed for the U.S. Department of Energy by Brookhaven Science Associates, a company founded by Stony Brook University and Battelle

www.bnl.gov

What motivates you? Facilitating the careers of young

professionals in all STEM disciplines to

ensure full participation in the coun-

try’s global technology and research

economy and achievements.

What makes you most proud of your company or organization?Senior leadership exhibits courage to support and interact with employee resource groups. They are open to learning about other cultures and listening with open minds to em-ployees’ concerns. They take action to create a respectful work environ-ment.

s Brookhaven’s Inclusion and Diversity Manager, Shirley

Kendall coordinates all efforts and reports institutional progress for implementing Brookhaven Lab’s Strategic Plan for Inclusion & Diver-sity. She collaborates with Lab lead-ers and employee resource groups. She also provides tools, guidance, and training to enhance awareness of inclusion and diversity issues and opportunities.

Kendall works with managers to ensure diversity among job candi-dates for hiring. She is responsible for implementing the Lab’s affir-mative action program to assure the representation of women and minorities in the workforce (to the extent that they are available in relevant labor markets). The Lab also undertakes affirmative action for disabled individuals, Vietnam

veterans, and disabled veterans.Kendall has directly supported

hiring many underrepresented minority staff at the Laboratory. She also provides professional develop-ment and has personally coached and mentored dozens of early- and mid-career staff during her free time.

Kendall has been responsible for making Lab infrastructure more inclusive for an increasingly diverse workforce. Among those efforts include helping create lactation rooms for breastfeeding mothers and their children, and coordinating the addition of prayer rooms and gender-inclusive bathrooms on site. The office she oversees is responsi-ble for working with the Lab’s Amer-icans with Disabilities Act (ADA) committee as well, and facilitates several annual scholarships for stu-

dents with special needs.Kendall had a major role in se-

curing federal funding in support of the African School of Physics. In 2019, for the first time, Brookhaven Lab offered 10-week internships to nine students from Africa. Three of those students now have two-year appointments as postdoctoral research associates through her office.

In cooperation with International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists president and fellow Brookhaven Lab employee Gail Mattson, Kendall helped to bring 10 board members of INWES from around the globe to Brookhaven, with the intentions of connecting these international board members with the Laboratory to strengthen relationships and develop future opportunities.

A

Shirley Kendall

What can individuals to promote

equality in the business sphere?

Embrace differences, display courage

in accomplishing the company’s

mission over personal discomfort and

engage in mentoring for the purpose

of learning and giving.

Who, or what inspires you? Trailblazers, women and men from

all nationalities, who succeeded in

accomplishing their personal and

professional dreams despite insur-

mountable challenges at the institu-

tional level and in their private lives.

Social justice should exist for all.

Inclusion & Diversity Manager

Brookhaven Science Associates- Brookhaven National Laboratory


Anne M. Mungai Ph.D

Joe Ortego

r. Anne M. Mungai is a Full

Professor of Education and

Associate Provost of Strategic

Initiatives and Graduate Studies

at Adelphi University. Her research

agenda over the last several years

has revolved around the concept

of multicultural issues, special ed-

ucation inclusion issues, staff de-

velopment, gender achievement

issues in Kenya, and learning. She

is the author of the book “Growing

Up in Kenya Rural Schooling and

Girls,” and the co-editor of: “Path-

way to Inclusion: Voices From

the Field”; “In the Spirit of Ubuntu

Stories of Teaching and Research”;

“Written in Her Own Voice, Eth-

no-educational Autobiographies

of Women in Education”; and

“High Need Schools: Changing the

Dialogue.” She has also published

numerous other articles on mul-

ticultural education and issues of

special education inclusion.

Mungai believes that empower-

ing and educating women in turn

empowers families and the nation.

She has spoken in many forums

across the United States and other

countries to empower women to

reach their destiny. Mungai has

held forums in Kenya, Tanzania,

Malawi, Ethiopia, Japan, Portugal,

Chile, Argentina, Spain, Greece,

Congo, Rwanda, South Africa, Ja-

maica, Trinidad, Australia and India.

Mungai is the vice president of

the Caroline W. Mungai Founda-

tion, which started a children’s

home in Wangige, Kenya in 2004

with 40 children. The children

were between two and four years

old when they came to the home.

The oldest 13 children are now in

college; the rest are currently in

high school.

oe Ortego is vice chair of Nixon

Peabody’s Litigation Depart-

ment; chair of NP Trial®, an inter-

national team of the firm’s most

successful and experienced trial

lawyers; and chair of the firm’s Avi-

ation practice. Representing major

private and public corporations

and their executives, he has tried

over 100 cases to verdict in both

federal and state courts through-

out the country, and successfully

represented clients before arbitra-

tion tribunals around the world.

Ortego is also Nixon Peabody’s

Chief Diversity Officer, overseeing

the firm’s strategy to attract, re-

tain, and promote talented people

with exceptional ability from a

broad range of backgrounds. He

is also director of the ABA ABOTA

Trial Academy. Ortego’s practice

focuses on the areas of aviation

litigation, complex commercial

disputes, class actions, toxic tort,

health effects, environmental,

employment, intellectual property,

product liability matters, and

insurance coverage. He serves as

national trial counsel for clients

seeking a consistent approach to

lawsuits filed in multiple states.

Among Ortego’s community in-

volvement is his long service with

Adults and Children with Learning

Disabilities, and his tenure as

board member and general coun-

sel for the Long Island Hispanic

Chamber of Commerce, which

honored him with its prestigious

Chairman’s Award. The Town of

Hempstead recognized Ortego’s

commitment to diversity initia-

tives by honoring him during His-

panic Heritage Month. He is also

a Founders Circle member of the

Hispanic National Bar Association.

What motivates you? Working with diverse people to solve

problems that make the world a

better place.

Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know. I was a school principal at the age of 20 years. The school was a boarding all-girls school with 400 students.

I consider a successful day to

be when... ...I solve a problem that will benefit

someone else.

What can Long Island companies do to promote diversity in the business sphere? Education is the key to avoid

ignorance of acceptance and

celebrating differences.

D

J

Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Graduate Studies

Chief Diversity Officer and Complex Commercial Disputes partner

Adelphi University

Nixon Peabody LLP

What makes you most proud of your company or organization?Adelphi University has become a model for diversity, equity and in-clusion where each individual feels they belong to the community.

What makes you most proud of your company or organization?Peabody’s ability and willingness to evolve with the times, and to lead the way within our industry on diver-sity and inclusion efforts. This firm is nearly 150 years old, and when I arrived in the 1980s, I became the first Hispanic partner in our history. That was quite surprising, given our firm’s presence in New York City and other areas with large Hispanic populations. So there has been a lot

of work done over the past 35 years, at our firm and in the legal industry, to make it more inclusive. When I ar-rived I pushed hard to make sure we became a more inclusive organiza-tion. And to their credit, the leaders of our firm responded. Our CEO An-drew Glincher has been a leader on all diversity-related issues. In 2020, diversity and inclusion programs are common, because clients demand them. But Nixon Peabody has been ahead of the curve for a long time.

What do you hope the Long Island business landscape looks like 20 years from now?My hope is that the Long Island business landscape will be a place of equal oppor-tunity for all diverse populations. A place where true diversity, equity and Inclusion will be celebrated.

What do you hope the Long Island business landscape looks like 20 years from now?That the business community reflects

the population of our region. [The

communities here have] changed

a lot over time. Many people from

other counties don’t have a great

understanding of Long Island, which

was informally segregated by race and

ethnicity for a long time. But we’ve

had dramatic changes and we’re wel-

coming an influx of new people from all kinds of backgrounds. People can succeed here—education levels and income levels for African Americans are higher in Nassau County than anywhere else in the state. We have a skilled, well-educated workforce, and sometimes that goes unnoticed. So I would hope that as we move forward, we continue to make progress on cre-ating opportunities for everyone and building a workforce that reflects the residents of this region.

Who, or what inspires you? I am inspired by my Kenyan up-bringing and beliefs of “UBUNTU,” which means “I am who I am because of who you are” which encourages us to help each other. My father was my inspiration for my education. He pushed me to aim for



Executive Director, HR Strategy and Planning

pays tribute to

LONG ISLAND BUSINESS NEWSas the premier source of news and data on business, economic trends, and the

region’s robust entrepreneurial sector for more than 60 years.

We congratulate all of this evening’s distinguished Diversity in Business honorees, including our own

SEEMA BHANSALISenior Director of Corporate Affairs, Office of the CEO

and

CAROL RODRIGUEZ-BERNIERExecutive Director, Human Resources Strategy & Planning

We pay tribute to your exceptional leadership in promoting an environment at Henry Schein where diversity and inclusion thrives, and where we celebrate and honor each member of the team for their unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.

What motivates you? Helping others make a difference.

I consider a successful day to be

when...

...I can help others I come in contact

with. Big or small, every touchpoint

has value and purpose to make a

difference.

What organizations or networking groups are you a part of?For the past five years, I am a

Selection Committee member for

Athena on Long Island.


your company or organization?

What makes me most proud of Henry

Schein is our deep care for people

and for the communities we serve.

We truly believe that a company can

do both, to be successful financially

and actively contribute to our society

and communities we serve.

How do you give back to your community?I am an active and proud supporter

of Henry Schein’s community service

activities including Back to School

and Holiday Cheer events. I also vol-

unteer my time and that of my family

to give back to local communities

in Huntington Station through other

organizations.

arol Rodriguez-Bernier is the

Executive Director, Human

Resources Strategy and Planning

at Henry Schein, Inc. In this role,

Rodriguez-Bernier is responsi-

ble for global strategic Human

Resource initiatives and programs

across the Company. In addition,

Rodriguez-Bernier is co-leading the

development of Diversity and In-

clusion initiatives for the company

in collaboration with her colleague

and fellow Diversity in Business

honoree Seema Bhansali.

Rodriguez-Bernier has over

twenty years of Human Resource

experience in healthcare, high-tech,

financial services, and global de-

fense industries. Her career has also

included leading cultural programs

and change management; estab-

lishing talent management plans;

and partnering with leadership

to improve communication and

recognition across various global

organizations.

Rodriguez-Bernier is an SHRM-

SCP and SPHR-certified profession-

al. She lives in the town of Northport

with her husband and two children.

C

Carol Rodriguez-Bernier

What can individuals to promote

equality in the business sphere?

Educate others in the power and

value of diversity and inclusion. It is

proven that promoting an inclusive

culture leads to better business

outcomes. Everyone is valuable and

has something to contribute. Take the

time to mentor and sponsor others.

Give them exposure to people and

projects to open doors and provide

opportunities.

Who, or what inspires you?

To see others grow. As someone who

immigrated to the U.S. as a young

adult, I strive to instill in others to

always believe in themselves and

realize that with hard work and focus

anything is possible.

Henry Schein, Inc.


Aurelia Sanchez

Usama Mohammad Shaikh

urelia Sanchez is the Assis-tant Librarian Rivkin Radler

LLP. Sanchez began her career as a librarian at a young age, while working as a summer intern at the library of New York City-based Epstein, Becker & Green.

Upon graduation from Queens College with a bachelor’s in Elementary Education, Sanchez departed the firm to pursue a career as a third grade teacher in her childhood neighborhood of Corona, Queens. Over the summer Sanchez joined the library of Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP with intentions of going back to work at the elementary school in the fall.

Upon meeting my her now-hus-band at Debevoise & Plimpton, Sanchez made the decision to continue her studies by ovtain-ing a Masters in Library and Information Science and worked in international research at the firm. There, Sanchez also gained tremendous knowledge and expe-rience by volunteering with city or-ganizations such as the Children’s Aide Society, which focuses on women’s and children’s issues.

Upon moving her family to Beth-page, Sanchez joined Rivkin Radler LLP, where she works today as As-sistant Librarian. At Rivkin Radler, she enjoys using her skills as a

librarian and bilingual background

to help address language barriers

and help those in need of assis-

tance. In addition to her duties as

a librarian, Sanchez continues to

seek volunteer opportunities, in-

cluding work with The Safe Center

of LI. She also works with individ-

uals in the legal community who

wish to help immigrants and the

children of immigrant families on

Long Island through nonprofit Kids

In Need of Defense (KIND.)

Sanchez also dedicates time to

ERASE Racism, a nonprofit focus-

ing on civil rights issues affecting

Long Island communities.

sama M. Shaikh is the Vice President for Student Affairs

and Chief Diversity Officer at SUNY Old Westbury. In his role as Vice President for Student Affairs, Shaikh serves as the Chief Student Affairs Officer for the College providing leadership and general management of units within the division of Student Affairs and serves on the President’s Cabinet.

In his role as the Chief Diversity Officer, Shaikh is responsible for coordinating efforts to establish diversity and inclusive excellence as core values through diversi-ty-oriented programs and initia-tives, including the development and implementation of a strategic plan for diversity in line with the college’s social justice mission.

Shaikh joined SUNY Old West-

bury in 2009 as the Director of Residential Life. In the summer of 2014, Shaikh was promoted to the newly created role of Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs. In this role, he was responsible for providing supervision and leadership to the Office of Resi-dential Life, Career Planning and Development and New Student Orientation. Additionally, Shaikh was responsible for developing a division-wide assessment process. During Spring 2015, Shaikh also served as the interim Dean of Students overseeing the Office of Student Conduct, Center for Student Leadership and Involve-ment and the management of the Student Union Operations.

Prior to joining SUNY Old West-bury, Shaikh served as the Assis-

tant Director for Residence Life at Stevens Institute of Technology, Assistant Director for Residence Life at Fairleigh Dickinson Univer-sity – Metropolitan Campus and as the Residential Life Coordinator at Pratt Institute.

As an immigrant, first-genera-tion student, Shaikh earned his Bachelor’s degree in History from Binghamton University, a Master’s degree in College Student Person-nel from The Pennsylvania State University and is currently working on his dissertation, “The impact of campus climate on Muslim Student College experience” at Fordham University to earn a doc-torate in Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy.

Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know. Most people don’t know that I was born in Brooklyn but moved to the Dominican

Republic and did not return to the U.S. until I was five. My first language was

Spanish, but I was able to pick up the English language in just a couple of months.

I know firsthand what it’s like to be the odd kid, the one that does not fit in, and

does not act or speak like the others. This motivated me to do more and help

those in need.

A

U

Assistant Librarian

Vice President for Student Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer

Rivkin Radler LLP

SUNY Old Westbury

What makes you most proud of your company or organization?I must admit, based on a few past

experiences on Long Island, I was

hesitant to join a firm here. I came

from a large firm in New York City

where the library staff was of all

nationalities and was one big family.

Still to this day, I keep in touch with

my mentor and friend, Denis O’Con-

nor. However, after just a few short

months at Rivkin Radler LLP, I found

myself at home. Everyone from

the partners to the legal assistants

welcomed me with open arms. I

have worked with some of the most

talented attorneys, paralegals and

librarians. I was given the opportuni-

ty to join and assist on the pro-bono

team, chaired by firm partner, Alan

Rutkin. I am honored to be a part of

this firm and the Rivkin family.

What makes you most proud of your

company or organization?I am very proud of the original mandate of SUNY Old

Westbury to educate a diverse, multicultural student

population and how we continue to remain true to this

original mandate. I believe that SUNY Old Westbury is a

special place where the administration, staff, faculty, and

students remain committed to the ideals of diversity,

equity, inclusion, and justice.

Who, or what inspires you? I am inspired by the limitless capacity for

resilience, compassion, and

kindness of the human spirit. It is our

ability to uplift, support, and care for each

other that continually inspires me.

What can individuals to promote equality in the business sphere?We need to think beyond equality. The focus in the work-place needs to be shifted to inclusion and equity. Our actions should go beyond treating everyone the same and need to consider the questions: are diverse people being included in conversations? If they are, are their opinions respected, included, and valued? Does the recruiting strat-egy include an equity perspective? Is the sourcing of talent inclusive of a diverse pool of candidates that may not fit the traditional hiring model?


From all of us at

Congratulations

Richard TavarezJP Morgan Chase

LIE celebrates the success of all Diversity in Business honorees.

Our mission is to cultivate the development, growth and leadership capabilities of business professionals across Long Island.

www.longislandelite.com

RichaRd TaveRez2020 Diversity in Business

Award Honoree

Congratulations

Business Banking Relationship Manager

ich Tavarez joined JPMor-gan Chase in 2019 as a

Business Banking Relationship Manager with more than 20 years of experience. He also pre-viously owned a small business.

Tavarez was born in Manhattan to Puerto Rican and Dominican descent parents, and speaks fluent English and Spanish, cred-

iting his Hispanic heritage for his genuine love for other cultures. When Tavarez graduated high school in Elmont, there were 49 different nationalities represent-ed in his class. This was an in-valuable experience and further equipped and prepared him to succeed in a diverse workforce.

Tavarez is a volunteer board

member for two Long Island non-profits, Long Island Reach and The Port Washington Adult Activities Center. He lives on Long Island with his wife Christi-na and their four children. When he’s not helping business owners and providing solutions for their businesses, he enjoys dancing and camping with his family.

R

Richard Tavarez

What motivates you?Helping others and making a dif-

ference in the lives of my friends,

family and clients. Being a manager

has blessed me with the opportu-

nity to help others move forward

in their careers and give back to

my employees in similar ways my

mentors helped me throughout my

career. One of my mentee’s, was

a team member named Steven. I

saw so much potential in him, but

he was resistant to take on new

challenges. After some coaching,

I worked with him and the rest

of my team to take one of our

branches from last place to first

place. Since then, Steven’s been

promoted twice, and now is in a

leadership role. To see his excite-

ment as he grew his career at the

bank was truly contagious and

motivating. This is what drives my

work and truly motivates me.

What can Long Island

companies do to promote

diversity in the business

sphere?

Start from the top, and ensure the

conversation around diversity is

happening at every level of the

organization. But it also takes

action, such as setting up a council

or task force to evaluate progress

and accountability. At Chase, we

have an internal program called

the Culture Council. The Council’s

sole purpose is to support our

employees through career events

exposing employees to internal job

openings that encourage career

mobility, volunteering, employee

assistance, and Business Resource

Groups (BRGs).

JPMorgan Chase

Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.I attended Tony Robbins “Unleash the Power

Within” (UPW) seminar and walked over a

1,000-degree bed of hot coals. I’ve always

admired Tony Robbins because he’s helped

me see that most of the limitations we set for

ourselves are self-imposed. Every person has

amazing abilities and potential far beyond his

or her wildest dreams.


Starting in June, libnow will be coming to you live on Thursdays at 12:30pm on Zoom and Facebook Live.

Learn more at https://libn.com/libnow

LIBN invites you to join our team every Thursday at 12:30PM

on libnow, LIBN’s live end-of-week recap, where we’ll take

the pulse of the Long Island business community and chat

with experts on the state of their industry.

www.acld.org

Congratulations toNixon Peabody LLP

Partner and Chief Diversity Officer

on his Diversity in Business Award

ACLD Board of TrusteesRobert C. Goldsmith, Executive DirectorRobert Ciatto, Chief Operating Officer

ACLD salutes its Board of Trustees President, a dynamic professional and an exceptional leader, on this

well-deserved honor.

JOSEPH J. ORTEGO, ESQ.

JOSEPH J. ORTEGO, ESQ.ACLD Board of Trustees President

Dave CassaroPresident

Paule T. PachterCEO

Sandy ChapinChairperson

For Help • To Volunteer • To Donatewww.licares.org | 631.582.FOOD

LONG AFTER MOST PEOPLE RETURN TO WORK AND WE NO LONGER NEED TO SOCIAL DISTANCE,

LONG ISLAND CARES WILL BE HERE FOR YOU, JUST LIKE WE’VE BEEN FOR THE PAST 40 Years.

• EMERGENCY FOOD

• COMMUNITY SUPPORT

• SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS

www.licares.org | 631.582.FOOD (3663)

THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 on our communities will be with us long after the need to self quarantine is no longer needed.

The loss of jobs, income, family members and friends, and our new heightened state of awareness will determine how Long Island will be able to recover.

THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY FOOD WILL BE METby the regional food bank and our network of more than 350 local food pantry members.

WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER DURING THIS WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER DURING THIS CRISIS, AND WE’LL BE WORKING TOGETHER CRISIS, AND WE’LL BE WORKING TOGETHER LONG AFTER IT’S OVER. LONG AFTER IT’S OVER.

WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER DURING THIS WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER DURING THIS CRISIS, AND WE’LL BE WORKING TOGETHER CRISIS, AND WE’LL BE WORKING TOGETHER LONG AFTER IT’S OVER. LONG AFTER IT’S OVER.

THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 on our communities will be with us long after the need to self quarantine is no longer needed.

The loss of jobs, income, family members and friends, and our new heightened state of awareness will determine how Long Island will be able to recover.

THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY FOOD WILL BE METby the regional food bank and our network of more than 350 local food pantry members.

DATE EVENT TIME LOCATION TYPE NOMINATION DEADLINE

TUESDAYAUGUST 20

11:30 am - 12:30 pmVIRTUAL AWARDS

PROGRAMDINNER 5/1/20

TUESDAYAUGUST 25

2019 FINALIST

5 - 6 pmVIRTUAL AWARDS


THURSDAYSEPTEMBER 10 30UNDER30 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

VIRTUAL AWARDS


TUESDAYSEPTEMBER 15

8-10 amVIRTUAL AWARDS

PROGRAMBREAKFAST N/A

THURSDAYSEPTEMBER 15

4-5 pmVIRTUAL AWARDS

PROGRAMBREAKFAST 5/17/20

TUESDAYSEPTEMBER 24 &BUSINESS

FINANCE AWARDS

5-6 pmVIRTUAL AWARDS


THURSDAYOCTOBER 15

6-9 pm CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB DINNER 7/24/20

TUESDAYOCTOBER 20


THURSDAYNOVEMBER 5

6-9 pm CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB DINNER N/A

THURSDAYNOVEMBER 19


TUESDAYDECEMBER 8


MONDAYDECEMBER 14

8-10 amTHE HERITAGE

CLUB AT BETHPAGE

BREAKFAST 8/7/20

2020 EVENTS CALENDAR

For a full list of all 2020 events, please visit LIBN.COM/EVENTSDIRECTORY

To submit a nomination, download our nomination form and email to [email protected].

EVENT QUESTIONS? Please contact Jenna Natale at [email protected].

SPONSORSHIP QUESTIONS? Please contact Ali Jabbour at [email protected].

6/30/20AUGUST 25

TUESDAYAUGUST 25

5 - 6 pmVIRTUAL AWARDS

PROGRAMDINNER 6/30/20POSTPONED FOR 2020. LIDA WILL RETURN IN 2021!

2020 · 2020-07-17 · story. we need more ... environment of inclusion inside your business and in...

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