June 2010 News Makers

Twenty-nine DCC students recently were inducted into the Delta Zeta chapter of international business honor society Alpha Beta Gamma (ABG).
The new inductees are: Janell M. Bonawitz, Catrina Alexandra Bowen, Christopher Bozydaj, Angelo Cauchi, Brandon William Clark, Patrick John Conklin, Henry Cruz, Irina Demmel, Robert D. Facchin, Alejandra Garcia, Matthew L. Garren, Katie V. Gates, Austin S. Groves, Patricia M. Hegedus, Catrin Jacobi, Tanya D. Jordan, Charles D. Kehr, Yuliya Livchak, Kathy McLaughlin, Sandra E. Medina-Cortes, Cindy M. Merritt, David J. Minihane, Maria Gabriela Modena, Eddie Joel Monroy, Debra A. Ratchford, Alexandra L. Sanger, Matthew R. Seymour, Lara A. Sharawi and Carlton W. Williams.

ABG is an international business honor society established in 1970 to recognize and encourage scholarship among two-year college students in business curricula. The organization reserves more than $500,000 in scholarships for initiated members of Alpha Beta Gamma who transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

To be eligible for membership in the Delta Zeta Chapter of Alpha Beta Gamma at the College, a student must be enrolled in a business curriculum and have completed 15 credit hours with at least 12 hours of work taken in courses leading to a business degree recognized by the College, and have demonstrated academic excellence by attaining a 3.5 GPA in business courses as well as a 3.5 overall GPA.

In addition, Delta Zeta Chapter President Daniel O’Brien inducted local attorney Fred W. Schaeffer, who headed the
Walkway Over the Hudson initiative, into the society as an honorary member.

CUTLINE - From left, Honorary Delta Zeta member Fred Schaeffer, Delta Zeta Chapter President Daniel O’ Brien, and Dutchess Community College President Dr. D. David Conklin.

 

William A. Liebertz has joined the Hudson Valley Federal Union as a Mortgage Consultant. Liebertz will help members in the Middletown area obtain the real estate loan product that meets their personal and financial needs when purchasing a home or refinancing an existing home loan.
Liebertz comes to HVFCU from Key Bank where he was a relationship manager and mortgage advisor.

 

St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital’s (SLCH) Director of Clinical Practice, Margaret Deyo-Allers, was named the mid-Hudson Valley’s Nurse of the Year, May 12, at Hudson Valley Magazine’s Excellence in Nursing Awards. The ceremony, which took place at The Grandview, Poughkeepsie, also recognized five other SLCH nurses and 49 others throughout the region for their significant contributions to the profession and the difference they have made in the lives of others.
“This is a remarkable achievement and a testimony to the caliber of nurses we have within our organization,â€�  SLCH President and CEO Allan E. Atzrott said following the award. “To have such solid recognition of their hard work and dedication really affirms what we’ve known all along – that our nurses are among the best in the field.â€�
Deyo-Allers was chosen as this year’s Nurse of the Year due to her passion for nursing and focus on enhancing patient care. “Margaret puts into practice our organizational nursing motto, ‘Putting Patients first,’� SLCH Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Joan Cusack-McGuirk wrote in her nomination of Deyo-Allers. “She was key in establishing and implementing our model of care and serves as a role model to other nurses to always do what’s best for the patient.�
In accepting the award before the crowd of 275, Deyo-Allers said: “I am extremely honored by this award and am proud to be a nurse at St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital.�

Cutlines:

 (Left to Right) SLCH Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Joan Cusack-McGuirk, Hudson Valley Magazine’s 2010 Nurse of the Year recipient, Margaret Deyo Allers, and SLCH CEO and President Allan E. Atzrott

 

Debbie Schiraldi has joined RE/MAX Benchmark REALTY Group as an aoosciate broker. She comes to the firm with 7 years of real estate experience and prides herself as a local presence in her community with a comprehensive knowledge of horse barns, farms and estates

 

Christopher D. Wait has joined the intellectual property law firm of Hoffman Warnick, LLC. based in Albany. Wait's practice includes patent preparation and prosecution.
Prior to joining Hoffman Warnick, Wait served as patent counsel for Xerox Corporation and Patent Engineer for IBM. His background includes a B.S. in Electronics Engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a J.D. from Pace University School of Law. He is admitted to practice in the State of Connecticut, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

 

The nonprofit group Walkway Over the Hudson began a new era on May 25th  when its Board of Directors elected Rhinebeck’s Sally Mazzarella to serve as its new chairperson. Meanwhile, former chairman Fred Schaeffer, who led the group’s successful drive to convert the abandoned Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge into the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, moved into the new role of immediate past chairman.
“These are enormous shoes to fill. Fred Schaeffer has worked tirelessly on behalf of the Walkway Over the Hudson for so many years,� said Mazzarella. “Now that the Walkway has opened to the public and New York State Parks is managing the facility, our nonprofit needs to change its focus from construction to support, where our group will work to enhance visitors’ experience at the park through fundraising, events, amenities, and programming.�

Schaeffer plans to stay active in the organization he led for more than a decade, particularly in helping to build and manage the Walkway organization’s growing ranks of volunteers, who will be counted upon to help provide support for the popular new state park. “I’m looking forward to working with volunteers to accomplish great things on the Walkway,� said. Schaeffer. “I’m confident that the organization will be in good hands with Sally Mazzarella and our new executive director Elizabeth Waldstein-Hart.�
In addition to Mazzarella and  Schaeffer, the following officers were elected at the Board of Directors’ meeting: James Hammond, Vice Chairman; David Santner, Treasurer; and Theresa Gill, Secretary. The following new board members were also inducted onto the board: Michael Graham, former M&T Bank Vice President; Robert Mallory, City of Poughkeepsie 3rd Ward Councilman; Dan McLaughlin, former Metro-North Police Sergeant; Patrick Page, President of Patrick Page Properties LLC; Steve Tinkleman, President of Tinkleman Architecture; and Amy Husten, (effective Sept. 1) former Walkway Executive Director.

 

Vassar Brothers Medical Center staff recently took part in a two-day course at Dutchess Community College designed to enhance the skills needed to accurately and ethically act as a Spanish-language interpreter between doctor and patient.
The class was organized through a partnership between the Dutchess Community College Office of Community Services and the Language Assistance Program at Vassar Brothers Medical Center.
“DCC was able to create an intensive, customized two-day program that exceeded our expectations,� said James Smith, coordinator of VBMC’s Language Assistance Program. “As the region’s premier health care provider, we take seriously our responsibility to facilitate communication between patients and medical personnel. DCC was able to provide a specialized workforce training solution to meet our organizational goals.�
Successful medical interpretation requires not only a full knowledge of the source and target languages, but the ability to analyze the message to ascertain its full meaning and intent beyond the word-for-word translation.
For the past two years, DCC has offered an introductory Medical Interpreter class for VBMC, as well as a refresher class for previously trained interpreters. This year, the College offered an advanced course to provide more training on specific medical areas including health insurance, anatomy and specific disciplines including pediatrics, oncology, cardiology and more.
 â€œI think the class was excellent and very well organized,â€� said Guillermina Vasquez, a Prenatal Care Assistance Program Coordinator at VBMC. “I learned a lot that will help us better serve our patients.â€�

 

Dutchess Golf and Country Club was packed recently with foursomes hitting the links for a good cause – student scholarships. The Dutchess Community College Foundation’s 21st Annual Golf Tournament and Dinner, in memory of Jack Orcutt, raised approximately $50,000. Jack Orcutt was DCC’s first director of student activities and a founding member of the College staff.
“The players in the tournament benefit not only from a great day of golf, but also the knowledge that they’re helping support scholarships for deserving students at DCC,” said DCC Foundation Executive Director Patricia Prunty.
The event committee was co-chaired by Richard Chazen and Michael McCormack.
The team of Mark Fellenzer, James Feraca, Paul Hoffner and Raymond VanVoorhis took first place in the scramble format tournament, the team of Craig Busby, John Rickert, Roger Smith and Jason Smith came in second, and the team of Dr. D. David Conklin, Mitchell Orcutt, Frank Strickler and Alan Wiecking placed third.
The longest drive competition was won by Gina DeBonis in the women’s class and James Feraca in the men’s, while closest-to-the-pin was won by Ryan VanVoorhis.

Cutline - The first place team, l-r, was Paul Hoffner, James Feraca, Raymond VanVoorhis and Mark Fellenzer.

 

George E. Reed, Jr. was honored with the  2010 Howard A. Levine Award for Excellence in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare by the New York State Bar Association. Sponsored by the Committee on Children and the Law, the award recognizes individuals who have done outstanding work protecting and promoting the rights of New York's children. The award was presented on June 2 in a ceremony at the State Bar Center in Albany.
The committee recognized Reed for his 30 years of unwavering commitment to improving the juvenile justice system. An active member of the State Bar's Committee on Children and the Law for more than a decade, he has also been a member of the New York City Bar's Juvenile Justice Committee, the Family Court and Family Law Committee, and the Children and the Law Committee. Reed's private practice focuses on family law, appeals and commercial litigation.
"In the spirit of Howard A. Levine, George Reed is a true champion for children, protecting the welfare of our most vulnerable and fragile New Yorkers," said State Bar President Stephen P. Younger of New York (Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP). "The New York State Bar Association is proud to honor him for a lifetime of leadership in the areas of juvenile justice and family law."
Also receiving the 2010 Howard A. Levine Award for Excellence in Juvenile justice and Child Welfare was State Senator Velmanette Montgomery (D-Brooklyn), chair of the Senate Committee on Children and the Family. The Committee on Children and the Law recognized Senator Montgomery for her outstanding work in improving the lives of young people in crisis through reform of the state's juvenile justice, foster care and adoptive care systems.
The award is named for retired Court of Appeals Judge Howard A. Levine (Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP), a strong proponent and leader in the effort to improve New York's child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
Past winners of the Howard A. Levine Award for Excellence in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare include Gladys Carrión, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Children & Family Services; Hon. Eugene F. Pigott, Jr., Associate Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals; Assemblywoman Helene E. Weinstein; Hon. Judith S. Kaye, retired Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals; and Matilda Cuomo, the former First Lady of New York.

 

Steven DeSalvo has joined Empire State Bank as AVP, Insurance Services Manager. DeSalvo will be introducing additional financial services to assist insurance agencies and businesses.
DeSalvo brings a wealth of varied expertise to Empire State Bank through his longstanding community-based business experience with Allstate, Steven J. DeSalvo Insurance, and Financial Services, and as a 30-year real estate broker having operated nationally franchised offices.

 

The physicians and staff at Middletown Medical, a multi-specialty physicians’ group with offices in Middletown, Monroe and Ellenville, raised over $1,800 for the American Heart Association’s annual Heart Walk held at the beginning of May.  In addition to holding a bake sale and plant sale at their Middletown location, the team captains, Kristyna Kitchell and Matt Agazzi, were able to obtain donations from Absolutely Flowers, Golden Area Furniture, The Home Healthcare Store and Thompson Ridge Gardens.  The team of walkers consisted of over 20 staff members.  Many thanks to all who donated and participated.

 

Marianne C. Brown has joined the Careers for People with Disabilities, Inc.    board of directors.
Brown is president and chief executive officer of Omgeo LLC, the global standard for post-trade efficiency, dedicated to providing the financial community with efficient trade processing, risk mitigation, and operational stability. Omgeo is a joint venture between an industry-owned and governed entity, The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) and commercial company, Thomson Reuters.
Prior to joining Omgeo in 2006, she served as chief executive officer of Securities Industry Automation Corporation (SIAC) where she was responsible for the delivery of all trading and regulatory solutions for the New York Stock Exchange and provided production support for the American Stock Exchange.  Ms. Brown began her career at Automatic Data Processing, Brokerage Services Group, now known as Broadridge Financial Services, where she held numerous positions for 26 years.
A native of Brooklyn, Brown was recently honored at the Brooklyn Boy Scouts’ “Good Scout” luncheon. She has been acknowledged with several industry awards, including Global Custodian’s “Securities Industry Hall of Fame,” Financial News’ “Top 100 Influential Women in Finance,” Irish America’s “Wall Street 50” and Irish Voice’s “Top 75 Most Influential Women.” Brown is also a member of The Economic Club of New York, an advisory council member at The CIO Leadership Forum and a member of SIFMA’s Operations Advisory Board. She has served as a mentor to young women at Marymount College and also served on the board of directors for the League for the Hard of Hearing.  Brown is a graduate of Concordia College with a degree in Business.

 

Newburgh attorney Howard S. Finkelstein received a standing ovation as he accepted the Orange County Bar Association’s Lifetime Achievement award at the 99th Annual Awards & Business Dinner meeting at the Fountains at Wallkill Golf Club recently.
Founding partner of Finkelstein & Partners LLP, Howard has been practicing law in the Hudson Valley for more than 50 years. The Honorable Jeffrey G. Berry presented Howard with the Lifetime Achievement award. In recognition of this honor, Howard also received Certificates of Merit from Senator Bill Larkin and the Orange County Legislature, presented by attorney and Orange County Legislator Kevin Hines.
Upon presenting the certificate, Senator Larkin said it was an honor to recognize Howard for bringing so much to the practice of law in Orange County and for his mentorship of so many of the attorneys in the County. Many of Orange County’s prominent attorneys got their start at Finkelstein & Partners.
“What a great honor to receive the Lifetime Achievement award,” said Finkelstein upon accepting the award. “I am humbled to be recognized in the company of so many fine attorneys who have received this award before me. I am grateful to my family, partners, and staff who do so much to support Finkelstein & Partners and who share my commitment to giving back to our community,” Finkelstein continued. “It’s my good fortune to find great satisfaction in my work both personally and professionally.”
Born in Brooklyn, Finklestein attended Brooklyn College where he received a B.A. in Sociology. After serving in the Korean War, he returned home to earn his law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1959. In 1961, Finklestein settled in Newburgh where he founded the Law Offices of Howard S. Finkelstein.

 

Elizabeth Nemeth, a licensed real estate salesperson with Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty’s Goshen office, has been awarded the Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI) designation by the New York State Realtor Institute. Nemeth received this honor after successfully completing 90 hours of residential real estate education meeting the rigorous standards established by the National Association of Realtors.
The Realtor Institute of New York, which is conducted by the New York State Association of Realtors, was developed to satisfy the need for a more comprehensive and effective learning experience in various phases of real estate. By taking courses offered by the Institute, a Realtor or Realtor Associate can become a more competent professional, render broader and more effective service and elevate the standards of the real estate industry.

 

Daniel B. Proper, P.E., SECB, Vice President and head of the Civil/Structural Group at Crawford & Associates Engineering & Land Surveying, P.C., has earned his Professional Engineer License (P.E.) from the state of Massachusetts.  Proper is also licensed in New York and Connecticut.
Proper has extensive experience in a wide spectrum of assignments with a core emphasis on structural projects.  He has worked on all phases of construction projects from conceptual design through construction.  His past structural assessments have encompassed renovation and rehabilitation for both historic and contemporary buildings; structural design and analysis of new residential, commercial, institutional and industrial buildings and dam assessment, rehabilitation and design work.  
Proper has extensive experience in site planning for commercial and public facilities.   He has represented his clients before municipal, county and state agencies, and provided expert testimony and litigation support in the evaluation of construction claims

 

P.J Walker was selected as the 2010 Arlington “Rotarian of the Year” at a dinner in his honor held at Christo’s Restaurant. Introduced by President Susan Doyle, she explained how “he has made outstanding contributions, and has an unselfish dedication to Rotary and the community.” Sixty members and guests attended the dinner, where Walker was presented with a plaque. His wife Patrica, daughters Avery and Loretta, and several cousins were present for the ceremony.
“He is truly a person who has followed the Rotary motto – “Service Above Self” – said emcee Jack Peluse. “P.J. gets things done, and is willing to pitch in at any time.”
A member for the past 10 years, P.J. served as President of the Arlington Rotary Club, chaired the annual golf tournament, has held several Board positions and is currently Chairman of the 2010 “Eat Out” fund raiser. He has been personally responsible for raising over $20,000 for scholarships and community support projects.
Walker is the President of Bridgeway Federal Credit Union in Poughkeepsie. He was previously an officer of the ESL Federal Credit Union in Rochester, NY. P.J. is also a “Master Illusionist” performing sleight of hand magic for special events throughout the area.
Walker joins a distinguished list of community leaders who have been honored by the Arlington Rotary Club over the past 27 years.
Rotary is an international service organization open to all community business and professional men and women. The Arlington Club is in its 57th year of helping the greater Poughkeepsie community. It contributes to the schools (scholarships) parks and playgrounds (landscaping and equipment), and humanitarian/international activities (international exchange students and disaster relief), just to name a few.

 

Robert (Bob) T. Armistead, P.E., President of Armistead Mechanical, Inc., a fourth-generation mechanical contracting and engineering firm with offices in Waldwick, NJ and Newburgh, NY, recently assumed the role of President of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, Inc. (MCAA).
Appointed to the Board of Directors in 2003, Armistad is active in the association on both the national and local levels. At the national level, he serves on the Career Development Committee and on the Mechanical Contracting Education and Research Foundation Partnership Enterprise Committee. He also has served on the Audit Committee. He currently serves on the ACE Mentoring National Board of Directors and as a Trustee on the ITF (International Training Fund).
At the local level, he has served two years each as MCA of New Jersey (MCANJ) president, vice president, treasurer, and MCICNJ treasurer. Additionally, he has been an MCANJ board member for more than 15 years. He also previously served as chairman of the Education and Marketing Committees and as a member of the ACE/MCICNJ Mentoring Committee.
Armistad obtained his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Villanova University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the states of New Jersey and New York. He holds a New Jersey Master Plumber’s License and various other mechanical contracting licenses throughout New Jersey and New York.

 

Officials at the Dutchess County SPCA received a $1,350 grant from the Community Foundation of Dutchess County. Funds will help cover costs for staff who attended the Humane Society of the United States’ national animal care conference.
The conference ran from May 12-15 in Nashville, TN. The Humane Society of the United States invited Executive Director Joyce Garrity and Senior Humane Law Enforcement Officer Jami Landry to speak on the investigation of animal hoarding. The presentation, based on the DCSPCA’s experience with criminal cases involving the hoarding of animals, was geared to animal welfare professionals.
“We are grateful to the Community Foundation of Dutchess County for their support of the DCSPCA. This conference is an important part of our staff development program. Our team learned the latest techniques to care for abused and homeless animals and we were able to share some of our expertise with other shelters,” said Garrity.