
Premiere Queens Power List event showcases the most influential people in the ‘World’s Borough’
Source: QNS
By Jenna Bagcal
Hundreds gathered at Terrace on the Park for the inaugural Queens Power List, an event which recognizes the borough’s most influential people across several industries.
On Wednesday, Oct. 3, The Queens Courier and Power List Committee honored the top movers and shakers in business, the arts, education and politics for their accomplishments in their respective fields. Honorees at the first-ever Queens Power List were determined after months of deliberations and included CEOs, politicians, company presidents and nonprofit leaders.
The Queens Power List event is an offshoot of the Long Island Power List, which has been honoring individuals from Long Island for the past 15 years. Back in April, the annual award’s gala was held at The Mansion at Oyster Bay for its “crystal” anniversary.
Queens Borough President Melinda Katz was invited to provide opening remarks, during which she congratulated the VIPs and honorees of the night.
SCNG Publisher Victoria Schneps expressed her excitement to honor “the best and the brightest from Queens” for the first time ever and invited each of the Power Listers to introduce themselves. The general consensus among the crowd was that they were honored and humbled to be recognized.
Kevin Alexander, CEO of the Rockaway Development and Revitalization Corporation Inc., was one of the honorees from the inaugural batch of Queens’ most influential people. For the past 13 years, Alexander has worked to improve the lives of people from the Rockaways, providing them with the resources to find jobs, become homeowners and manage their money.
“I’m flattered to receive the honor on behalf of the organization, but there’s more work to be done,” said Alexander.
President of Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology Dr. Sharon B. DeVivo was also among the honorees of the inaugural event. DeVivo began her career at Vaughn in 1996 and became president in 2014. She credits her staying power to the “incredible students” at the school.
“I’m 1,000 percent committed to giving students the best possible education,” DeVivo said. She added that students telling her that they got a job or internship is part of “what makes the job meaningful.”
The 2018 Queens Power List honorees were as follows:
KEVIN ALEXANDER President & CEO Rockaway Development and Revitalization Corporation, Inc.
ANA MARIA ARCHILA Co-Executive Director Center for Popular Democracy
GINA ARGENTO President & CEO Broadway Stages
JOANN ARIOLA SHANKS Director of Intergovernmental Affairs MediSys Health Network Chairwoman, Republican Party of Queens County
ERIC BENAIM CEO Modern Spaces
SETH BORNSTEIN Executive Director Queens Economic Development Corporation
JOHN BRUCKNER NY President National Grid
JOHN BURAN CEO Flushing Bank
CAROL CONSLATO Director of Public Affairs Con Edison
RICK COTTON Executive Director The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
JOHN “SEAN” CROWLEY Partner Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP
SHARON DEVIVO President Vaughn College
RICHARD K. DZWLEWICZ Regional Vice President/SVP TD Bank
FRED ELGHANAYAN President TF Cornerstone, Inc.
THOMAS ELGHANAYAN Chairman TF Cornerstone, Inc.
PHILLIP ENG President Long Island Rail Road
JOSEPH FICALORA President & CEO New York Community Bancorp
HECTOR FIGUEROA President 32BJ Service Employees International Union
FLOYD FLAKE Senior Pastor Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral
CONRADO “BOBBY” GEMPESAW President St. John’s University
MICHAEL GOLDBERG Executive Director LIJ Medical Center
CARL GOODMAN Executive Director Museum of the Moving Image
AHMED HEGAZY Executive Director EIHAB Human Services
Dr. MARGARET HONEY President and CEO New York Hall of Science
DENNIS IFILL President DC37 Local 1359
PATRICK B. JENKINS Founder Patrick B. Jenkins and Associates
HOPE KNIGHT President Greater Jamaica Development Corporation
JACK KOPNISKY President & CEO Sterling National Bank
GARY LABARBERA President Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York
JEFFREY E. LEVINE Founder & Chairman Douglaston Development
DOROTHY LEWANDOWSKI Queens Borough Commissioner NYC Dept. of Parks and Recreation
ELIZABETH LUSSKIN President Long Island City Partnership
JOSEPH MATTONE Founder, Chairman & CEO The Mattone Group
STEVEN MENDELSON President & CEO Zwagner-Pesiri Radiology SCOTT MOLINA President Resorts World Casino NYC
FRANK MONTERISI Senior Vice President Related Management Company
TYLER MORSE CEO, Managing Partner MCR Development
SATEESH NORI Attorney-in-Charge Queens Neighborhood Office of the Legal Aid Society
DEIRDRE O’CONNELL CEO Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
ELLIOT PARK CEO Shine Electronics
LESTER PETRACCA President & CEO Triangle Equities
AUDREY PHEFFER Queens County Clerk & Commissioner of Jurors
ISRAEL ROCHA CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals/OneCity Health Vice President, NYC Health + Hospitals
MICHAEL ROSENBLUT President and CEO Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation
THOMAS RUDZEWICK President and CEO Maspeth Federal Savings and Loan Association
CARYN A. SCHWAB Executive Director Mount Sinai Queens
CLAIRE SHULMAN President and CEO Flushing Willets Point Corona LDC
LEONARD STEKOL Chairman, President and CEO Ridgewood Savings Bank
ALAN SUNA CEO Silvercup Studios
STUART SUNA President Silvercup Studios
TRAVIS TERRY Chief Operating Officer Capalino+Company
TONY UTANO President Transport Workers Union Local 100
DENNIS M. WALCOTT President and CEO Queens Library
MARK S. WEPRIN Shareholder Greenberg Traurig
FRED WILPON NY Mets Chairman of the Board
JEFF WILPON COO NY Mets
MICHAEL WOLOZ Partner Connelly McLaughlin & Woloz
ELECTED OFFICIALS
MELINDA KATZ Queens Borough President
HAKEEM JEFFRIES Congressman, 8th District
CAROLYN MALONEY Congresswoman, 12th District
GREGORY MEEKS Congressman, 5th District
GRACE MENG Congresswoman, 6th District
TOM SUOZZI Congressman, 3rd District
NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ Congresswoman, 7th District
2018 Queens Power List Cocktail Sponsors:
National Grid