29 executives honored at luncheon today

By: Bernadette Starzee May 17, 2018

Twenty-nine Long Island business leaders were honored today at Long Island Business News’ Executive Circle Awards luncheon.

Executives from the fields of law, accounting, real estate, healthcare, technology, finance, education and nonprofits, among others, accepted honors for consistently demonstrating remarkable leadership, skills, values and vision. The luncheon, which was held at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, drew about 300 people.

“These Long Island leaders are known for their vision and their commitment to excellence, community service and diversity,” said LIBN Publisher Joe Giametta. “They are central to their companies’ performance.”

Kristen Jarnagin, president and CEO of Discover Long Island, served as the event’s keynote speaker. Jarnagin spoke about her organization’s efforts to promote tourism to Long Island. These include a recent collaboration with New York City, in which Long Island is being promoted globally as “New York City’s beachfront backyard.” Discover Long Island also recently partnered with Long Island MacArthur Airport on a campaign in the Baltimore and Washington markets to promote awareness of the Island as a destination and the airport as providing easy access to travelers from Baltimore-Washington International Airport. About a month after the start of the campaign, a survey of local bookings found that Washington was the top market for travelers coming to Long Island, followed by Baltimore and then New York City.

“I think this is the first time that New York City wasn’t first,” Jarnagin said. “This shows that if you invite people to come to Long Island, they will come.”

Also speaking at the luncheon was Sara Lipsky, executive director of the Long Island Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which was the event’s charitable beneficiary. As such, Lipsky made a presentation about LLS’s efforts to find a cure and improve the lives of people living with blood cancers, and the organization will receive a portion of the proceeds from the luncheon.

The Executive Circle Award winners were: Tanweer Ansari of First National Bank of Long Island; Daniel Castellano of Castellano, Korenberg & Co. CPAs; Robert Coughlan of Tritec Real Estate; Daniel Deegan of Forchelli Deegan Terrana; Anthony Esernio of TD Bank; John Fitzgerald of Berdon LLP; Doon Gibbs of Brookhaven National Laboratory; Dr. Perry Greene of Adelphi University; Bob Isaksen of Bank of America; Peter Kaplan of PricewaterhouseCoopers; Beverly Lee-Wo of The Nature’s Bounty Co.; Seymour Liebman of Canon U.S.A.; Donna Linke-Klein of BAE Systems; Dr. Christopher Long of Family Residences and Essential Enterprises; Terry Lynam of Northwell Health; Kathy Munsch of American Heart Association; Deirdre O’Connell of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty; Philip Panarelli of HSBC Bank USA; Richard Parrish of Impact Environmental Consulting; Joseph Roberto of BankUnited; Tina Ruark-Baker of Access Staffing; Lois Carter Schlissel of Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein; Alexander Schuil of Worldwide Security Group; Athena Sherron of Alcott HR; Mary Simmons of Portnoy, Messinger, Pearl & Associates; Dr. Jeffrey Steigman of Family Service League; Michael Stern of Wells Fargo Advisors; Jon Weiss of The Engel Burman Group; and Matthew B. Whalen of AvalonBay Communities.