“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the things you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — Mark Twain

LONG ISLAND BUSINESS NEWS PROUDLY PRESENTS FORTY OF LONG ISLAND’S BEST AND BRIGHTEST – THE EXPLORERS, THE DREAMERS, THE ONES TO WATCH.

Robert Basso
Advantage Payroll Services

Robert Basso began his career in the payroll industry in 1994 with a well-known national payroll company, and he left as one of their top-producing salespeople in the country. Basso, a graduate of Hofstra University, then opened Advantage Payroll Services’ Long Island regional office in 1996. Basso started the office with only a handful of employees, and in the last four years has transformed it into one of the premier payroll and tax-filing firms on Long Island and the New York metropolitan area. It is the third largest payroll company on Long Island, employing more than 20 and servicing over 1,000 accounts.

Basso’s office in Syosset is the fastest growing and leading sales office for Advantage Payroll Services in the nation. The office has received the President’s Award for the past four years, and Basso is often asked to share his insights with the media into business trends that are apparent from his office’s operations. Basso has been featured on WLUX’s Long Island Money and Business program and stories have been written about him in accounting trade publications and other Long Island media.

Basso has made numerous presentations to various CPA organizations regarding payroll-related topics. He has been an integral part of the National Network of Accountant Preferred Provider Network and was recently honored as the Provider of the Month for his leadership and the business he has brought to the group. He is an active member of the National Network of Accountant’s Preferred Provider Network, Advancement for Commerce and Industry, Long Island Association, Miramar Group, Listnet and National Conference CPA Practitioners.

Basso is an active volunteer with the Arthritis Foundation, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the March of Dimes. He has fostered a company atmosphere that encourages his meployees to attend and participate in charity events across Long Island.

Camiolo, John
Custom Benefits Group

Providing a well-managed benefits program is key to hiring, retaining and motivating employees in today’s tight labor market. Jon Camiolo began researching this growing need, and he found that man Long Island companies were lacking and understaffed in their human resources departments. This led Camiolo to found Custom Benefits Group in Point Lookout, and the firm has since been instrumental in helping Long Island businesses construct, implement and administer employee benefits programs.

Camiolo’s exceptional level of service in helping local firms navigate the complex arena of managed care and changing governmental requirements has transformed him into one of the highest-producing health insurance brokers on Long Island, with more than $12 million in annual sales.

Camiolo is a five-time winner of Axa Advisors National Leaders Corps. He is also a four-time winner of the Axa Advisors Production Growth Award.

Camiolo is also a true hero in Long Island philanthropy. Since 1996 he has been assisting Long Islanders in need of life-saving bone marrow transplants and has raised more than $250,000 for the Marrow Foundation through securing corporate sponsorships. To date his work has resulted in more than 4,200 Long Islanders being tissue-typed and placed on the National Marrow Registry.

Camiolo is the founder of the Long Island Marrow Organization, which is increasing enrollment on the national registry and providing information and support for Long Islanders suffering from blood-related diseases. For his extraordinary efforts, Camiolo has been award the National Marrow Donor Program’s Allison Atlas Award and the Equitable Foundation’s Community Leadership Award.

Caracciolo, John
The Morey Organization

The Morey Organization of Garden City is the Long Island entertainment powerhouse that consists of The Vanderbilt, the wildly popular banquet and event venue in Plainview, and three radio stations that are part of Jarad Broadcasting: WLIR (92.7), WDRE (98.5) and WXXP Party 105 (105.3).

John Caracciolo’s success story started 15 years ago when he became chief engineer at WLIR. In 1996 he took over the position of general manager of Jarad Broadcastings WLIR and WDRE when the station had been through a disaster year due to a failed format change, low advertising and unimpressive community involvement.

Under Caracciolo’s guidance and expertise, there was a quick and complete turnaround as the result of a new musical format, record sales, unrivaled cmmunity spirit and prominent fundraising for Long Island charities. Caracciolo then helped found WXXP in 1998, which shortle after broke all sales recorded for a one-year-old FM station.

With all three radio properties thriving, the time seemed right for The Morey Organization to expand further in Long Island’s entertainment market. In 1999 The Vanderbilt was purchased. Caracciolo’s guidance as vice president and partner has helped to transform that facility into the most lavish entertainment complex in the region.

Caracciolo, a graduate of New York Institute of Technology, was recognized by Newsday in their “Five People to Watch” series on people in radio and was nominated for “General Manager of the Year” by Radio Ink Magazine.

He has written numerous articles for BE Radio Magazine and served on a national panel to determine the policy for the roll-out of digital radio broadcasting in the United States.

Until 1997 Carraciolo was the engineering consultant for 16 metro area radio stations.

Caracciolo has served on the board of directors for The Poe Project, which raises money for Long Island students’ education in the arts, and he advises the radio programs of Hofstra University and Plainview Old Bethpage High School.

He is presently on the board of directors of the Carol Baldwin Breast Cancer Foundation, serves as vice president of the Long Island Ad Club and president and founding member of the Prostate Screening Awareness Foundation.

Cerini, Kenneth
Cerini & Associates

Kenneth Cerini is the managing partner of Cerini & Associates; Cerini & Associates Consulting Group; and Cerini & Associates Financial Services.

Cerini spent eight years at Ernst & Young before founding Cerini & Associates, in 1993. The Islandia firm provides accounting, tax, litigation support, management consulting, write-up and accounting assistance services to businesses, not-for-profits and individuals.

Its sister firm Cerini & Associates Consulting Group is the holding company for Creative Pension Solutions, a full-service pension administration business. Cerini & Associates Financial Services provides a full array of financial planning services.

All three companies employ a combined staff of 12.

Cerini, a 1986 graduate of Long Island University’s CW Post campus, writes a quarterly accounting and management newsletter for the not-for-profit sector.

He is the annual lecturer for the Foundation for Accounting Education. He contributes to a number of professional publications and industry newsletters and has lectured on various tax and accounting issues.

Cerini has been inducted into Who’s Who in American Finance, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in International Finance and International Who’s Who of Entrepreneurs.

He is a member of the New York State Society of CPAs, where he is on the not-for-profit technical committee and a member of the Suffolk Chapter’s Board of Director’s.

He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Board of Forensic Accountants, the Institute of Certified Financial Planners and the National Society of Fundraising Executives.

Even in his private life, Cerini has reached for the stars: his civic affiliations include service as treasurer of the Museum of the Universe, an organization dedication to building the first astronomy museum on Long Island.

Cohen, Allan
Nixon Peabody

Allen H. Coehn, a partner at Garden City’s Nixon Peabody, and head of its Corporate and Emerging Business Practice, represents more than 50 Long Island Businesses, from Fortune 500 companies to Internet startups. Since starting his practice in 1988, Cohen has led more than $2 billion of mergers and acquisitions deals and over $1 billion of securities offerings.

He provides corporate counsel to a variety of public and private companies as well as individuals on Long Island, including Henry Schein, Inc., Pall Corp., Ademco Group, NEC USA and The Sammis Group.

Many of Cohen’s corporate deals, including Bayer Ag’s investment in Schein Pharmaceuticals and the leveraged buyout of E.F. Johnson Company, have been listed in the “Big Deals” Section of The American Lawyer. In addition, his emerging business practice was recently features in The Legal Times’ dot com 2000 directory of high-tech and emerging companies.

Cohane has dedicated himself to helping Long Island business thrive and assists entrepreneurs in the development and success of their emerging companies. He recently formed a panel of experts that included a well-known venture capitalist, a business plan consultant and writer and “Big 5” accounting firm to simulate the step-by-step process of moving from an idea for a business to the formation and funding of that business.

Cohen graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Binghamton State University and received his J.D. From Columbia University, where he was named Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and administrative editor of the Journal of Law and Social Problems. In 1998, after eight years of law practice in New York City, he joined Nixon Peabody to start its Long Island corporate practice. It has since become one of the fastest growing groups in the firm.

Cohen is an active member of the Long Island Software and Technology Network, the Long Island Forum for Technology and the Long Island Venture Group.

He is a Junior Achievement volunteer teacher at Garden City High School, a participant in the Eisenhower Fellowships Single Nation Program and a Syosset Little League coach. Cohen also works pro bono for the Route 110 Redevelopment Corp.

Cook, Alan
Computer Network Solutions

Three years ago at his kitchen table, Alan Cook started Computer Network Solutions, (CNS) with a staff of three. Today it is an award-winning, $10 million, 45-employee company with offices in Plainview, New York City and New Jersey that provides network infrastructure and state-of-the-art monitoring services worldwide.

CNS maintains pertnership status with best-of-breed manufacturers and solution providers. The company portfolio of services includes computer maintenance services and high end network integration solutions. CNS is one of the few companies in the United States that used Computer Associates flagship software, Unicenter TNG, in its own state-of-the-art Network Operations Center, providing remote, proactive monitoring and maintenance as a managed services provider.

CNS was honored as the No. 1 Fastest Growing Private Company on Long Island in 1998 by Long Island Business News and Hofstra University, and remained in the top 10 the following year.

Prior to founding CNS, Cook spent five years at Grumman Systems and left in 1987 to join US Computer Group (USCG), a young start-up with five employees and a small base of about $130,000 in annual maintenance contracts.

Over the following 10 years, Cook helped grow USCG to more than $15 million in annual maintenance sales and over $10 million in network integration revenues.

In his last three years at USCG, Cook held the position of senior vice president of sales and operations for the two main operating divisions of the company.

Cook and CNS have given back to the community by donating video conference and network computing equipment and services to Westchester Medical Center/HealthStart System for children/parent interaction from hospital and home. The company has also made donations to Scneider’s Children’s Medical Center, the Southside Hospital Spring Ball, families in the Head Start program, H.E.C.H.T. of Long Island, Hope House and the Isabella Nursing Home and Hebrew Hospital.

CNS has sponsored LI Cares food drives and golf outing and provides student internships and workshop programs for high school and Nassau BOCES students.

Croce, Nicholas
Doar Communications

As the president of DOAR Communications, Nick Croce has been a principal force in the rapid and successful growth of the company. DOAR is a profitable, expanding provider of advanced technology-based systems and services for the judicial court, litigation and alternative dispute resolution markets. The company has become the U.S. Industry leader in integrated technology solutions for automating evidence presentation and courtroom communications in federal and state courts.

Croce joined DOAR in 1997 as vice president of sales and marketing. His goals were to re-energize the firm and reverse its declining revenue and profits. Within his first year the firm sported a revenue growth by 50 percent and a return to profitability. In recognition of this dramatic turnaround, Croce was promoted to president in 1998.

Under Croce’s presidency DOAR was awarded the Federal Contract for Courtroom Integration throughout the United States, and revenue grew to more than $11 million with commensurate profitability. Five regional offices have opened and the number of employees has grown to more than 50 (from a base of 14 when he joined the company). Additionally, DOAR has expanded to a new 36,000-square-foot headquarter facility in Lynbrook and converted to a fully integrated manufacturing accounting system.

Through the dust of many crumbling Internet giants, DOAR has emerged as one of the rare companies to continue to progress, produce profits and remain attractive to investors. Croce, a graduate of Hofstra University, is credited with giving DOAR the direction to focus and deliver quality service to clients while providing an exciting work environment for employees.

Croce has received national awards for engineering design work. He served two years on the executive board for Theta Tau, the nation’s largest professional engineering organization, and is often asked to speak at industry conferences.

DOAR is a member of the Long Island Association, a participant in the Long Island Venture Capital Forum and a contributor to a number of local, state and national Bar Associations and legal organizations.

Farley, Lori
Adecco Employment Services

Lori Farley joined Olsten Staffing in 1999 as general manager, and in her first year her market qualified for for the prestigious Pinnacle Award for outstanding achievement in profitability. In 2000 Adecco purchased Olsten Staffing, marking the largest acquisition in staffing history. Adecco, which moved its headquarters to Melville, is currently the largest staffing company in the world, boasting 5,300 offices in 58 countries.

With the change, Farley was given a new title – vice president – and the challenge to unite TAD Resources, Olsten Staffing and the Adecco franchise in the Long Island Market.

Currently Farley oversees sales, operations and profitability in several field locations. Last year Newsday.com named her one of the “Five People to Watch” in the staffing industry.

Farley received her certification in human resources (PHR) from St. Joseph’s College. She is also certified by the National Society of Human Resource Managers. She is a board member and serves as secretary of the NY Staffing Association – Long Island Chapter, and she is an associate member of the Society for Human Resource Professionals.

Farley is committed to a number of business and civic organizations. She was a member of the HIA & Sports committee from 1996 to 1999. She is a corporate member of the Long Island Center for Business and Professional Women and a member of the Executive Women’s Golf Association and the Business Advisory Council.

She is a committee member and was the 1999 co-chair of The Women in Business Golf Classic. Additionally, she was a committee member and sponsor of the Arthritis Foundation “Salute Your Staff” luncheon and theater party.

Grippo, Mary Dolan
The Garden City Hotel

When Mary Dolan Grippo checked into the Garden City Hotel as a sales manager, the facility gained a team player who has helped the hotel and Long Island tourism thrive. After having served seven years as vice president of sales and marketing for the Garden City Hotel, Grippo was appointed to the newly created position of vice president of business development in September 2000.

In this new role, Grippo is in charge of identifying new business opportunities and developing programs that will further enhance client services and client relationships for the Garden City Hotel.

Grippo joined the Garden City Hotel in 1987. Prior to becoming VP of sales and marketing, she served as director of sales.

Presently and all through her rise at the hotel, Grippo has made the time to share her leadership and expertise by becoming active with a number of local professional organizations.

Her professional affiliations include the Long Island Convention & Visitors Bureau (LICVB), where she has served as a board member since 1997 and currently serves on the executive board; the Long Island Hotel/Motel Association, where she serves as a board member; and the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), of which she has been a member since 1993.

Other memberships include Meeting Planners International (MPI), which she joined in 1991, and the Education & Assistance Corporation (EAC) Advisory Council, where she has served since 1998.

Grippo has also recently served as chairperson of the Belmont Stakes Festival in Garden City.

Guthrie, Kim
Cox Radio Long Island

In an interview with Radio & Records in July 2000, Kim Guthrie, a former television news reporter in the Midwest, says she switched mediums after meeting her husband, a radio program director in Minnesota.

“After hanging out with his friend, I realized that radio people were a real hoot compared to television people – and that was that.”

A graduate of Iowa State University, Guthrie became general manager of WBLI/WBAB/WHFM (all owned by Cox Radio) in 1998 and completely overhauled the entire property. She is responsible for a 108 percent increase in profits, a 25 percent increase in ratings and a 50 percent increase in net revenues in a two-year period.

Her contributions to WBAB include rebuilding the station and the morning show after the departure of its veteran morning man Bob Buchmann. The station now has its highest ratings in 10 years among adults 25 to 54, and the new “Roger and JP” morning show has posted the station’s best numbers in seven years.

Guthrie has also been praised for leading WBLI to become the No. 1 station on Long Island (Nassau/Suffolk Arbitron Summer Book 2000), beating New York’s behemoth Z100 and dethroning WALK from the top spot in local ratings for the first time in nine years.

Guthrie is also well known for sharing her busy schedule and her company’s high profile with a number of Long Island volunteer organizations.

She serves on the Suffolk County Red Cross Board of Directors and received the 1999 Humanitarian of the Year award from the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Long Island. She is a board member of the New York State Association of Radio Stations 2000 (NYMRAD) and is active at Dogwood Elementary School in St. James, where two of her three daughters are students.

She was the driving force behind the first annual Roger & JP’s Food For All food drive, which raised more than 100,000 pounds of food in three days, and the 106.1 WBLI’s Summer Jam 2000, which raised more than $10,000 for the Long Island Fund for Women and Girls.

Hein, Jon
PC & Mac Center / Lloyd Staffing

As CIO of Lloyd Staffing, Jon Hein has taken the company to new technological heights, supporting 14 offices which include 182 staff members and more than 6,000 temporary staffing associates.

He has led the company through a number of milestones, including building the corporate Web site, implementing the company’s Intranet, installing a company-wide e-mail system and setting up video conferencing. These advances have allowed all of Lloyd’s office locations to communicate seamlessly.

Recently, Hein co-created Lloyd’s new online staffing procurement application.

Hein is also executive director and co-owner of PC & Max Central, Lloyd’s computer training affiliate. He founded PC & Mac Central in 1991 as a means to bridge the gap between technology training and the employment marketplace. Since its founding, the company has experienced more than 100 percent growth leaps annually.

Hein oversees computer skills training to CEOs, CIOs and various personnel in the corporate hierarchy.

Clients include Sony Music, Cablevision, Bear Stearns, Colgate Palmolive, Calvin Klein, Ann Taylor, CMP Media and North Shore-LIJ Health System.

In 1995 the Direct Marketing Association named Hein a “Pioneer of Cyberspace” for putting up one of the first 100 commercial Web sites for The Princeton Review (where he was employed from 1991 to 1995).

In 1997 Hein, a self-proclaimed TV junkie, created a popular Web site – www.jumptheshark.com – devoted to determining when a TV show reaches and passes its prime. (The title comes from a Happy Days episode where “Fonzie” was challenged to water ski over a shark. Fans say that ludicrous storyline marked an unfortunate turning point in the quality of the show.)

The Web site has won awards from Microsoft and Yahoo and has received recognition from The New York Times, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, Newsday and the Howard Stern Show.

Hein has also partnered with Rolling Stone to create a similar Web site for rock bands.

Hein volunteers at area high school to help students learn about navigating the Internet and exploring Internet career opportunities. He is also active with the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and was awarded the Golden Sneaker in 1999 for his fundraising efforts.

Hein is also an annual supporter of the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.

Hullstrung, Lynda
Deloitte & Touche

Lynda J. Hullstrung joined Deloitte & Touche in 1989 upon graduation summa cum laude with a B.B.A. in public accounting from Pace University. She is a member of the firm’s Technology and Communications Industry Group where she specializes in providing assurance and advisory services to companies such as Symbol Technologies, Primedia and Twinlab Corp.

In February 2000 Hullstrung was selected as a member of the inaugural class of the Long Island Top 50 Women, a program that recognizes the economic and community achievements of Long Island women professionals.

For the last four years she has coordinated the Long Island Technology Fast 50 Program, Deloitte & Touche’s annual awards event honoring the fastest growing technology companies on Long Island. She also has brought together the CEOs of the Fast 50 companies and other prominent technology leaders to form the Fast 50 Roundtable, a group committed to addressing the needs of Long Island’s high technology companies.

Hullstrung is a frequent instructor at both national and local Deloitte & Touche training programs and serves as the Long Island office coordinator for the firm’s Initiative for the Retention and Advancement of Women. She is a member of the Long Island Center for Business and Professional Women, the Long Island Women’s Agenda, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Hullstrung serves as team captain for Deloitte & Touche’s annual United Way campaign. For the last several years she has served on the steering committee of Long Island Volunteer Enterprise (LIVE) and as the chairperson of its Resource Development Committee. In this capacity she has helped bring hundreds of Long Island corporate volunteer teams into LIVE and match them with meaningful community projects.

Hullstrung is a board member and assistant treasurer of the American Lung Association of Nassau-Suffolk, and she remains very involved with Pace University’s alumni organizations and activities.

Izzo, Russell
NexTech Training Solutions

Over the past 14 years, Russel Izzo has established a reputation in the Long Island computer industry as a leading entrepreneurial innovator in the field of technology. Izzo is known for his skills in management, finance, sales and marketing. His latest venture is the creation of NexTech Training Solutions, which recognized a need for high-quality computer-based training to address the shortage of information technology (IT) professionals in the United States and Abroad.

As the company’s co-founder, president, CEO and member of its board of directors, Izzo has taken the company from a promising vision to an impressive reality, surpassing all projected growth.

NexTech Training Solutions, under Izzo’s direction, has specialized in preparing students of information technology to pass certification exams offered by companies such as Microsoft, Novell and Cisco. Izzo assisted in the design of NexTech’s state-of-the-art training facility layout and its exclusive Hands-On Technical Training Lab, where students can build a personal computer and develop and construct a Windows NT-based network under the careful guidance of field-experienced Microsoft Certified Trainers.

NexTech’s world-class IT curriculum is offered to corporate and private clients and to students enrolled at partner universities.

Recently Izzo spearheaded a $2.5 million private placement program for NexTech to expand its services to additional locations. Hofstra University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook entered into partnerships with the firm, enabling NexTech to open locations at those campuses and deliver IT certification training to students pursuing technology careers.

The success at Hofstra and Stony Brook has prompted other institutions of higher learning to pursue partnerships with NexTech. These include Dowling College, St. John’s University, SUNY Farmingdale, and the Jon Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Izzo is an alumnus of City College, New York and SUNY Stony Brook. He was recently named to the Advancement for Commerce, Industry & Technology’s (ACIT) board of directors, and he has been named to the board of directors for the Long Island Philharmonic.

Johnson, Neil C.
Universal Photonics

Universal Photonics, a privately held company founded in 1926 with headquarters in Hicksville, is a worldwide manufacturer of semiconductor and optics fabrication materials. The company conducts business in more than 80 countries with offices throughout the United States, Japan and Europe. The product line is comprised of materials such as lenses, semiconductors, infrared materials and glass. Primary markets for these products include precision optics, opthalmic, semi-conductor and CRT/TV glass.

In 1979 Neil C. Johnson came on board at Universal as a processor on the manufacturing floor. Throughout the years he advanced to positions of increased responsibility in a variety of areas including sales management, operations and manufacturing. In 1994 he was named general manager, and subsequently corporate sales for Universal Photonics increased by an amazing 93 percent.

As general manager, Johnson’s strategy was to expand the company’s manufacturing capability from one product type to five distinct product lines, thereby tripling production capacity. He is also credited with structuring an exclusive joint venture with the Bayer Corp. to co-develop and market that company’s electronic surfacing materials in North America.

Johnson is responsible for several key acquisitions, including Hastings Development and Maracel Corp., both of which provided technologies necessary to satisfy the demands of the semiconductor and precision optics industries. Johnson also guided the campaign to increase penetration into a resistant Japanese market. Universal’s Japanese market share has since increased from 9 percent to more than 40 percent.

Johnson was also behind the founding of the ESM (Electronics Surfacing Materials) division and its California headquarters in 1995 to focus on the growing semiconductor processing materials industry. This division can now claim customers such as IBM, Motorola, AMD and Hewlitt-Packard, and it has achieved approval from the industry consortium SEMATECH.

Johnson holds a degree in engineering from Polytechnic University and a B.B.A. from Adelphi University. He received his M.B.A. summa cum laude from Columbia University.

Johnson is active in community youth activities and coaches baseball, soccer and basketball. He participates in programs for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Hope Worldwide and the Prevent Blindness Foundation of New York.

Kahn, Ari
FatWire Corp

When Ari Kahn first co-founded FatWire with Mark Fasciano, their office space consisted of a bedroom over the garage of Fasciano’s parents’ home in Oyster Bay. The team was so short in funds that their initial operating expenses were charged to their credit cards. Kahn literally had to dig the ditch in which they laid their first T1 line for an Internet connection.

While the office and staff have both expanded beyond their wildest dreams, Kahn remains as dedicated to FatWire as he was in those early days. And his hands-on approach has been instrumental in the company’s phenomenal success.

Even before FatWire was an idea for a business, Kahn and Fasciano were doctoral students at the University of Chicago. At that time Kahn had already begun embarking on a long list of contributions to the systems development field. These developments included the DataCube server, one of the fastest data processing systems of its kind, and Perseus, the first robotic system to truly interact with people through human gestures. He also directed research and development teams at the University for high performance systems, ranging from robotics to missile guidance.

FatWire was founded in 1996, and today it is the leading provider of dynamic content management software and e-business solutions. The company quickly outgrew the Fasciano residence and now boasts headquarters in Mineola, as well as offices in Washington, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Philadelphia, San Francisco and London. The employee base has ground from the two founders to a staff of more than 120. FatWire’s revenues increased 300 percent during each of its first three years.

As co-founder and chief technology officer of FatWire, Kahn recruits, trains and manages the FatWire technology team. Under his leadership this team has developed five releases of FatWire’s flagship product, UpdateEngine: the fastest solution to build and manage a scalable, database-driven Web site. Under Kahn’s leadership, UpdateEngine has become the content management standard.

Katz, Neil D.
Katz, Bernstein & Katz

The Westbury law firm Katz, Bernstein & Katz is known for its expertise in diverse business formations, agreements and transactions, and for its taxation, estate and succession planning experience. Managing partner Neil Katz has represented large businesses in their reorganization and is active in business sales and mergers and acquisitions.

Katz is widely respected on Long Island for his knowledge in the areas of federal and state income tax issues, as well as corporate, partnership, estate and gift taxation. He has provided his succession planning expertise on behalf of leading family businesses, drafting some of the most complex succession and estate plans to preserve the continuity of business in the event of death or retirement.

Katz is a much sought-after lecturer and media source. He frequently speaks for various businesses and professional organizations, including the New York State Society of CPAs, National Conference of CPA Practitioners, International Association of Financial Planners, and Suffolk Life Underwriters Association.

The New York Bar Association has recognized Katz as a provider of Continuing Legal Education. He is one of the founders, a primary lecturer and contributor to the development of Katz Tax Seminars, a successful continuing education program that is registered on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors as a sponsor of continuing education with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy.

In addition to these professional activities, Katz is an adjunct professor at Hofstra University. He received his J.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his L.L.M. from New York University.

He is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

Katz chairs the Hofstra University Corporate Development Council and the 23rd annual Hofstra Golf Open. He is a member of the Ward Melville Heritage Organization and a member of the Children’s Medical Fund of New York.

Krinick, Evan
Rivkin, Radler & Kremer

At the age of 30 Evan H. Krinick was elected partner for Rivkin, Radler & Kremer Commercial & Regulatory Litigation Practice Group and became the firm’s youngest limited partner. He was also the youngest attorney to be elected a full member of the firm when he was 34. Krinick has successfully represented clients in major litigation throughout the country. He represents clients in both state and federal judicial systems in a wide variety of commercial, business, insurance and banking disputes and oversees a staff of attorneys dedicated to sophisticated advocacy.

Krinick’s clients include LIPA in litigation regarding its takeover of LILCO; the DeMatteis Organization, the developer of EAB Plaza; Benjamin Development, one of the largest developers of senior housing on Long Island; Nassau County in the creation of the County Legislature; State Farm Insurance; Hartford Insurance; Robert Plan Corp.; and the Town of Hempstead, among others.

Krinick is the columnist for The Banking Law Journal‘s Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Commentary. His articles also regularly appear in The New York Law Journal and The National Law Journal and other publications. He is a member of the Board of Editors for Insurer’s Guide to Enterprisewide Risk Management.

A frequent lecturer for the private sector and for the New York State Bar Association, Krinick has given presentations on issues such as insurance “bad faith,” lender liability, expert witnesses and appellate practice. He has also presented seminars accredited for Continuing Education Legal credit.

Krinick has served as a member of the Leadership Council for the Long Island Mentoring Partnership since its inception seven years ago and was recently elected co-chair.

He has also played a leadership role in making sure Rivkin, Radler & Kremer’s attorneys and staff stay involved with the community. Each year he organizes a job shadowing day for teens, and he has also coordinated a mentoring program that pairs the firm’s professionals with students for weekly meetings over a period of several months.

Krinick is also involved with a number of committees of Temple Chaverim, and he coaches his son’s soccer and basketball teams.

Lackmann, Andrew
Lackmann Culinary Services

Andrew Lackmann has been a prominent and instrumental leader in the nation’s food services industry. Prior to his executive’s status with Lackmann Culinary Services he held high profile posts at the world-renowned Grand Hyatt in Manhattan.

Since joining Lackmann in 1992 he has held key positions as the food service manager for the University Center at Adelphi University and for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. He has created a number of innovative programs, including an etiquette training class for new graduates at his collegiate accounts. He was also instrumental in winning Lackmann’s largest account this year: NASA in central Florida.

In 1998 his years of experience led to a very critical internal appointment to marketing director, responsible for Lackmann Culinary Services’ Strategy 2000. In this capacity Lackmann was responsible for developing and implementing the company’s new vision and direction across six internal departments: MIS, operations, food, service, marketing and new business development. His innovative approach and implementation of Strategy 2000 led to his current position at Lackmann’s corporate headquarters in Woodbury.

Since Lackmann’s appointment to vice president in 2000, the company has seen increased sales from $72 million to $87million, expanded same-store sales by 2.5 percent and seen the implementation of new public relations initiatives.

Lackmann is the recipient of a number of industry awards. He attended the University of Houston on a full academic scholarship and received his honors degree in hotel and restaurant management from Cornell University.

Lackmann has seen to it that the company is active in philanthropic efforts throughout the country. He works closely with City Harvest, overseeing the donation of food, year-round, to New Yorkers in need. He volunteers to held his alma mater, Cornell, recruit top students to the School of Hotel Administration.

He participates in organizing holiday celebrations for children in need in the New York metropolitan and central Florida regions. He also serves as a committee member for the National Society for Food Service Management.

Louro, Stephen
Professional Group Plans

In 1993 Stephen M. Louro started Professional Group Plans (PGP) with one employee and a handful of clients. In this early era, he conducted business out of a 10’x10′ bedroom in his home. Seven years later, PGP is a leading player in the sale and servicing of employee benefit programs in New York with 88 employees headquartered in the Hauppauge Industrial Park.

Louro has also introduced two new companies: PGP Life Brokerage, to meet the individual insurance needs of corporate executives and their employees, as well as Benefits.com, a merger Louro assembled with three other prominent insurance agencies. Using impressive acumen and foresight, Louro developed a strategic alliance between PGP and online benefits, enabling insurance brokers to place their clients’ benefit programs on a customized Web site for easy access by employees.

Louro’s company provides and services benefit programs for more than 18,000 corporate clients and their 136,000 employees and family members. He has frequently served as a keynote speakers at various health insurance companies to provide better ways to meet the product, cost and service needs of brokers’ clients. Louro’s philosophy is that health insurance is a vital component and essential employee benefit, and his ability to better inform professionals will only help to build and enrich service to the business community.

Among his community projects, Louro is proposing an initiative to acquire land within the Hauppauge Industrial Park for a softball field that he believes will promote competition business relationship and family interaction. Louro is a member of a number of Long Island volunteer organizations and is very involved with local Little League teams. He is also a softball team sponsor in the Town of Islip.

Mangano, Edward
Briarcliffe College / Nassau County

Briarcliffe’s accelerated high technology computer training, e-commerce and graphic arts continuing education program are in the hands of Edward P Mangano. A graduate of Hofstra University and Hofstra School of Law, Mangano was admitted into the New York State Bar in 1988.

At Briarcliffe, Mangano is responsible for information technology course development and course offerings at its Nassau and Suffolk campuses, as well as its development of strategic alliance technology partnering in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. Mangano expanded the school’s continuing education curriculum to include the launching of this region’s most extensive A+ certification course and the attainment of Briarcliffe’s status as a Cisco Regional Academy and Local Academy. These prestigious certifications recognize Briarcliffe as a leading institution for training teachers and educating students in information technology.

In addition to his position as a dean at Briarcliffe, Mangano is serving his third term as legislator for the 17th District. As a Nassau County legislator, he is the ranking member of the Public Works, Recreation and Parks Committee. Mangano’s contributions to the 17th District include the establishment of a senior citizen and community center and a youth program for teenagers. Mangano has been recognized by environmental groups for his efforts in preserving land to protect the environment.

Mangano has been recognized many times for his work and dedication to the Long Island community. Awards include the Humanitarian of the Year for Family Residence and Essential Enterprises; Legislator of the Year, Vietnam Veterans Association Chapter No. 82; Nassau Council Small Business Person of the Year; Citizenship Award Knights of Columbus Hartigan Council; Hicksville Leadership Award, Boy Scouts Troop 604.

Mangano’s civic affiliations include service as an honorary trustee for Family and Children’s Services, past president of the Bethpage/Plainview Rotary Club, a board member of the Bethpage Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Northrop/Grumman property development task. He has served on the board of directors of Children’s House, on the Good Will Games Committee, the steering committee for the Long Island Software Technology Network (LISTnet) incubator at Briarcliffe College, the Town of Oyster Bay Youth Advisory Committee, Salute to Staff Arthritis Foundation Committee and the Long Island Software Awards (LISA) Committee.

Manno, Eric
Invision.com

Eric Manno is one of five founding partners of Invision.com, in Commack, and he is the company’s chief operating officer. Manno has addressed the company’s need for rapid infrastructure growth, developing internal systems, processes and a data center that has supported nearly 200 percent growth rates every year since Invision.com’s inception in 1995.

Manno has also been instrumental in developing Invision’s long-term planning and sales. He is the driving force behind the company’s expansion into connectivity services, working with many of Long Island’s largest businesses and organizations to determine their best networking solutions.

Invision.com has won numerous awards for business, including the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award and HIA’s Business Achievement Award. Invision has also been recognized for its fast growth by Deloitte & Touche (Rising Star Award), KPMG and the Long Island Software Awards.

Prior to founding Invision.com with four friends, Manno joined the Air Force and earned an associate’s degree from the Community College of the Air Force and attained the rank of sergeant. He then worked for a Fortune 500 company in their IT support group.

Manno is committed to helping the community utilize technology to improve the quality of education. He is a founder and current secretary of the LIWORKS Coalition, a partnership to improve the Long Island workforce through education. He sits on the advisory board of Briarcliffe College and holds positions on other education-related committees and boards on Long Island. Manno also serves as a member of the Smithtown Industry Advisory Board.

Marsh, Peter
Cogswell Realty Group

Peter Marsh is one of the founding partners of Cogswell Realty Group. Since its inception in 1996 Cogswell has acquired more than five million square feet of commercial office space throughout the East Coast, concentrated primarily in the tri-state area.

Recently Marsh has been involved in the acquisition, redevelopment and repositioning of the Long Island Technology Center (LITC). The LITC is a high profile, exciting redevelopment that has transformed a formerly vacant, 82-acre Northrop Grumman facility into a leading technology center on Long Island. Currently the LITC is home to more than 50 Long Island companies who use this highly sophisticated, community environment to collaborate on projects.

Marsh graduated cum laude with a finance degree from George Washington University, and he graduated first in his class with a master’s in accounting from Pace University. Prior to co-founding Cogswell, Marsh worked for KPMG Peat Marwick and attained a certification in public accounting (CPA). Additionally he serves on Deloitte & Touche’s prestigious Fast 50 CEO Roundtable and is involved with several Long Island charities.

Moll, David
Colin Construction & Management

David Moll, a dedicated and celebrated professional, juggles his time between his duties at Colin Construction & Management and doing as much as he can to raise the spirits of children in need on Long Island.

As vice president of Colin Construction & Management, Moll works on new acquisitions of retail properties throughout the Northeast, and he maintains the management responsibilities of a significant retail portfolio in the New York metropolitan area. Previously, he served as director of leasing for the Tilles Investment Company, one of the Island’s premier commercial landlords. He is often invited to speak to real estate trade groups in reference to the office and industrial markets on Long Island.

Career recognition includes Salesman of the Year at Corporate National Realty for best sales in the company island-wide; a feature in Newsday‘s “Winner” column and a feature in Long Island Business News‘ “Executive Focus.”

Moll has said in interviews that his success should be measured by the difference he has made in the lives of local children in need. He has been associated with the Big Brothers for 15 years. He was honored at their 1999 Presidential Gala and chair their 2000 Gala. Both events brought more than $500,000 to the agency. Throughout this decade and a half with the organization Moll has helped raise more than $1 million for Big Brothers, Big Sisters (BBBS) of Long Island.

About eight years ago Moll founded Christmas for Kids’ Sake as an extension service of the BBBS to provide food, toys and clothing for Long Island families in need.

The group originally started by helping 25 local families. That number has since grown to 125 families, and Moll has recruited and coordinated more than 100 volunteers for the effort.

He is also involved with the Adoptive Parents Committee State Association and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Adoptive Parents Committee Long Island chapter.

He was co-editor and co-author of The Rollercoaster Ride to a Family, a compilation of more than 35 true stories of adoptive parents. The book was put together to help individuals who are beginning the adoption process.

Moll’s additional community activities include support of the Coalition on Child Abuse/Neglect and Toys for Sick Children. He is also a current member of the Nassau and Suffolk Police Reserves.

Morgan, Steven
PeopleComm

With 17 years of experience in the software and technology industry under his belt, Steven C. Morgan is the founder of PeopleComm, a prominent software industry consulting, sales training and executive search firm in Great River.

He does triple duty as the founder of SalesRecruits.com, an Internet recruitment portal aimed at software industry sales executives, and the founder of the Sandler Sales Institutes for software and technology companies on Long Island.

PeopleComm, one of the region’s fastest-growing companies, generated sales of more than $1 million in FY2000 and closed FY2000 at an annualized rate of $2.5 million. With Morgan at the helm, the company is currently on track to triple sales in 2001 from a ground-zero start-up position in January 2000.

Prior to PeopleComm, Morgan spent three years with the California-based McAfee Software – which became Network Associates – where he was director of sales, a product vice president and a vice president of professional services.

By the end of Morgan’s tenure, the company’s employee base has grown from 100 to 2,700 people, with revenues in excess of $1 billion.

As product vice president for Network Associates, Morgan was responsible for sales strategy and execution, channel development, business development and product positioning for the help desk and network management and product lines. He was the senior sales executive responsible for executing the company’s $110 million acquisition of Magic Solutions, a provider of enterprise help software.

Previously Morgan was co-founder, chief technology officer and executive vice president of sales and marketing for the Long Island- and Coral Gables-based LAN Solutions, one of the top 100 network integrators in North America for three years running.

Morgan shares his technology expertise with a number of organizations and institutions on Long Island.

He has coached basketball for the last four years, has served as a Childreach sponsor, a Feed the Children sponsor and a Small Miracles Foundation sponsor, member and volunteer.

Morgan is also a member of the LaSalle Center Father’s Club and an Academy of St. Joseph’s Father’s Guild member.

Pincus, Michele
Lazer, Aptheker, Feldman, Rosella & Yedid

Michelle Pincus of Lazer, Aptheker, Feldman, Rosella & Yedid is lead partner for the firm’s zoning and land use practice. She represents developers, property owners and national corporations and meets regularly with town officials and community groups to reconcile competing concerns and interests.

She is called upon to monitor the best and most effective use of various real estate properties on Long Island, and in this regard she must appear before various town, zoning and planning board throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Pincus’ clients have included Reckson Associates, LIPA, Brandywine Real Estate Investment Trust, ManorCare Health Services, Amendola’s Fence Co. and Sportime, among others. She also continues to practice in the areas of commercial litigation and employment law where she is a zealous advocate on behalf of her clients.

Pincus joined her firm as a senior associate in May 1991 and was appointed partner in January 2000. Business affiliations include membership in the Women Economic Developers of Long Island, a group of top-level women executives. She has served on the board of WEDLI for more than ten years and currently serves as secretary.

Pincus is serving her sixth year on the board of directors of the Long Island Center for Business and Professional Women and currently holds an executive board position. Additionally, she is the editor of The Network, the Center’s bi-monthly newsletter, and she previously chaired the Center’s Working Parents Committee.

Pincus received her J.D. from The National Law Center at George Washington University in Washington. She majored in both political science and psychology at Emory University in Atlanta.

Pincus sits on the board of directors for the Melville Dependent Care Consortium, a not-for-profit corporation that oversees the operation of The Next Generation day care center. She volunteers her time to judge and counsel students at the annual intra-high school moot court competition hosted by Plainview Old Bethpage J.F.K. High School.

She is also involved with WEDLI’s annual scholarship grant to students exhibiting entrepreneurial talents.

Rende, Joseph
KeySpan Energy Delivery

Joseph Rende led the team that merged Brooklyn Union’s and LILCO’s natural gas sales and marketing process, an undertaking that included the development of a new organizational structure, marketing strategies, sales plans, budgets, job profiles, synergy targets and sales force automation requirements.

The team recommended and received approval for significant resource increases for all aspects of the growth process and aimed to double Long Island sales in a short amount of time.

As a result of his efforts, Rende was promoted to manager of key account sales in 1998 and then director of the Long Island sales region in 2000. He is responsible for all facets of KeySpan Energy Delivery’s natural gas sales growth strategies, plans and processes for the Long Island region.

Under Rende’s direction, there has been a 100 percent increase in Long Island sales growth since the merger.

Additionally, Rende initiated and created KeySpan’s Minority & Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) Account Executive Program. He was also behind a natural gas economic development discount for businesses that relocate to or expand on Long Island.

Rende frequently volunteers his services to various business groups in the region. He has made a number of energy presentations to organizations like the Hauppauge Industrial Association, Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Huntington Economic Summit and the Town of Islip.

He is the recipient of Brooklyn Union’s Alchemist Award for leading the commercial sales team to record results in 1997. He was appointed to Brooklyn Union’s presidential recognition of high potential numerous times.

On a national level Rende was appointed to subcommittee chairperson for the AGA Industrial Marketing Committee and served for one year in 1993.

Rende’s community service includes working on the board of FANS (Friends Assisting Nassau Seniors) and offering a variety of programs to assist the county’s senior citizen community. He serves on the Long Island Regional Economic Development Committee where he represents KeySpan’s sponsorship of the LightPath golf classic.

He also serves on the Long Island Association Real Estate and Building committee and is KeySpan’s principle contact with the Association for a Better Long Island.

Riccio, Marc
NY Jets

Marc Riccio, perhaps the New York Jets’ most valuable player off the field, recently completed his fifth season with the football club where his primary responsibilities include sponsorship development, creation of new and alternative revenue sources, branding, licensing and fan development programs. Riccio, who holds a B.A. and M.B.A. from Hofstra University and a J.D. from St. John’s University, also oversees special events and all day-of-game marketing and promotional activities.

Since joining the Jets in 1996, more than 50 new fan programs, special events and retail initiatives have been introduced. Most notably, Riccio created Jets Fest, a 50,000 square-foot interactive theme park that is open about 35 days each year at no cost to fans. During this time the Jets have doubled sponsorship revenue and experiences a 56 percent rise in the number of sponsor partners.

Other achievements Riccio is credited with include initiating the first-ever customer relations management and database marketing system; opening the Club’s first retail store, merchandise catalog and Internet team shop business; and introducing and negotiating the first-ever rights deal for Spanish language radio broadcasts of Jets games. He hires, trains and manages a full-time and part-time staff of more than 50 people.

Riccio will begin teaching sports marketing this spring as an adjunct professor for Adelphi University. He also serves as a college sports game analyst for Fox Sports Net New York.

Prior to joining the Jets, Riccio was director of marketing and development for intercollegiate athletics at Hofstra. He developed athletic marketing, sponsorship and fundraising programs that increased revenues by 300 percent.

Riccio has maintained his close ties with Hofstra by serving on the executive committee of the Hofstra Pride Club, the support organization for the Hofstra University athletic program.

Riesterer, Karl Jr.
Riesterer’s Bakeries

Whether he’s in the kitchen turning out pastries of fighting fires for the West Hempstead Fire and Rescue Department, Karl Riesterer, Jr. has proven that he can stand the heat of running a successful business and being an involved citizen. For three generations Riesterer’s Bakeries has served Long Islanders in two capacities: as a successful shop/cafe and also as a participant in community endeavors. The responsibility has fallen to Karl Jr. to care and manage this family business, and he has emerged as a role model and leader in the process.

As vice president of Riesterer’s Bakeries, Karl oversees three locations (West Hempstead, Rockville Centre and Garden City), as well as several wholesale routes serving the New York metropolitan area and Long Island. He is the leader of more than 120 employees.

Every day Riesterer’s Bakeries produces a variety of 400 baked and pastry goods, totaling 25,000 pounds per week.

Riesterer graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1990 as valedictorian, class president and president of the institution’s Bakers Group. He has served as a guest speaker at Chaminade High School and at commencement exercises for the Culinary Institute of America. His professional affiliations include serving as a member of the Retail Bakers of America, the New York State Bakers Association and the Nassau-Suffolk Bakers Association.

Riesterer can be considered no less than a local hero: For 13 years he has served as a member of the West Hempstead Fire and Rescue Department and is currently the chief and director of fire prevention. He is a member of the West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce, the Garden City Chamber of Commerce, the West Hempstead Civic Association, and Kiwanis. He serves on the Seventh Battalion Chiefs Association, the Nassau County Chiefs Council, the New York State Chiefs Council and the International Association of Fire Chiefs. He is also a member of the Long Island Antique Fire Apparatus Association and the Long Island Ford Model A. Club.

Rose, Sean
Clare Rose Nassau

Founded in 1936, Clare Rose has become the sole wholesaler of Anheuser-Busch products in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and on Staten Island, with annual revenues of about $110 million. While helping to run this third generation business, vice president and general manager Sean Rose is making a name for himself by increasing the company’s brand distribution and customer base, interacting with and motivating sales personnel, instituting company initiatives and designing sales goals and objectives. Clare Rose currently ranks as one of the top beer wholesalers in the nation and one of Long Island’s top private businesses.

The firm distributes other products, such as Boardy Barn Brew, and also rolls out imports such as Amstel, Beck’s and Heineken.

Rose is an alumnus of La Salle Military Academy and Siena College. He went on to graduate school and received his master’s in management from Webster University in London. He is a member of the National Beer Wholesaler Association, the New York Beer Wholesaler Association, the Long Island Hospitality Association and the Empire Beer Association. Community service includes his work on the committee for the Association for the Help of Retarded Children.

 

 

Salav, David
PWR Systems

After a brief stint with electronics distributor Arrow Electronics, David Salav, along with colleague and friend Vincent DiSpignio, formed PWR Systems in 1991. With Salav as president and DiSpignio as chief executive officer, PWR quickly grew into one of the leading value-added resellers (“VAR”) serving new media, publishing and advertising industries in the New York metropolitan area. Since it was founded, the company has branched into other “e-solutions,” including streaming media, digital video production systems and systems integration. It as also developed a prestigious national client list that includes Viacom, Sony Music, American Lawyer Media and Simon & Schuster.

PWR Systems, ranked the third fastest technology company in 1999 by Deloitte & Touche, has also been ranked one of the fastest growing technology companies in the United States by Inc. and Smart@Partner magazines.

Salav has been integral to the phenomenal growth of PWR Systems. He is well-known among his colleagues and staff for his combination of leadership skills, expert knowledge of the e-solutions industry, and his common sense and down-to-earth decision making.

In March 2001 PWR Systems was acquired by Vizacom, a public holding company listed on NASDAQ (Symbol: VIZY). Salav was appointed to Vizacom’s board of directors and acts as the company’s chief information officer. He continues to serve as president of PWR Systems.

Salav is also recognized throughout Long Island for giving back to the community through his involvement in groups like Mt. Tremper Outdoor Ministries, Breast Cancer Help and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Scalia, Kevin
Galt Corp.

Galt Corp., founded in 1999, is an Internet professional services and venture accelerator firm that provides strategic business solutions to middle market enterprises. Galt specializes in building company intranets and extranets and helping clients develop and expand their e-commerce strategies. The Galt team consists of Web architects, software engineers, database designers and systems engineers, as well as business strategists and marketing consultants.

Clients include Harvey Electronics, Dataline, Mercy Medical Center, Wise Optical, Tiffen Manufacturing and International Hotel Management.

Enter Kevin Scalia, appointed president of Galt in April 2000. Prior to joining Galt, Scalia was the managing director of DKS Capital, a consulting firm that advised early stage companies in the venture capital and business planning process.

He has also served as CEO, president and a director of Motion Diagnostic Laboratories (MDL), which developed a technology that allowed physicians to determine if a patient claiming to have an injury is indeed truly injured.

Scalia raised more than $2.5 million in venture capital for the company and led MDL from a concept to the point where it is in trials with some of the largest insurers in the world.

From 1989 to 1995 Scalia was the co-founder, chief executive officer and chairman of the Board of Directors of Advanced Acoustic Concepts, a developer and manufacturer of advanced supercomputers for use in submarine detection systems, sonar trainers and medical imaging systems. In 1995 AAC was ranked the ninth fastest growing business on Long Island.

Scalia has a master’s of science from Polytechnic University and a bachelor of science from the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he graduated first in his class. He is a founding member of LISTnet, where he is a regular moderator of the Business Strategies Council, and a member of the Long Island Association, where he has served on several committees including the technology committee of Project Long Island. He is also a member of the Long Island Venture Group and assistant treasurer of the Centerport Yacht Club.

Scher, Rick
Image Graphics

Rick Scher started Window Image Graphics in 1989 and incorporated it in 1993. A year later Scher started Image Graphics as the main operating division of Window Image Graphics and today it is the pioneer in large format digital printing. Image Graphics is one of only two authorized 3M Scotchprint manufacturers on Long Island.

Image Graphics, which is located in Deer Park, is a local leader in trade show graphics, storefront graphics, banners and posters, interior and exterior signage, pop signage, wall murals, backdrops, multi-media design, in addition to other creative services. The company designed and produced the backdrop graphics for the National Basketball Association’s 50th anniversary documentary “NBA,” which aired on the Turner Network – a career highlight for Scher. Another highlight was the award of a patent for fabrication techniques in large format graphics.

Scher is an “August Heckscher Society member” of the Heckscher Museum, and he also serves on the steering committee for the Corporate Monopoly Challenge charity event for the Museum. Other community service projects include serving as a mentor for the Long Island Mentoring Program “Teens on the Job” and for Smithtown High School’s eCommerce and Entrepreneurship Program. He has worked on several Arthritis Foundation charity event steering committees.

Scher was also an early member of LISTnet and has helped in the ongoing success of the trade organization by donating both his time and printing services. He has served on committees for the group’s annual report, its LISA Awards, its golf outings and market consulting.

Scotto, Jerry
Scotto Brothers Enterprises

In a recent interview with Long Island Business News, Jerry Scott recalled a time when he was still in college and unsure where he was headed professionally. He got on an elevator where someone had written on the wall: “Next stop: Dad’s business.” It turns to be very sound advice. Today, Scotto is COO of Scotto Brothers Enterprise, a name as coveted in the wedding industry as Vera Wang gowns and Bloomingdale’s registry.

Scotto began his career as a restaurateur early in life, working summers at Scotto’s Pizzeria where he became an assistant manager at the age of 18 While attending college he worked at Westbury Manor as a banquet manager and accepted the same assignment at Chanteau Briand from 1985 to 1988. It was in early 1988 that the Scotto Brothers took over Fox Hollow. Scotto worked closely with his father, Vincent, to learn all the intricacies of the business and became that facility’s general manager. This position was followed by his appointment to COO of the entire company.

In addition to their Long Island event venues, Scotto Brothers Enterprises is expanding into the local hotel industry and is also looking to acquire a Manhattan branch.

Jerry Scotto is an alumnus of American University in Washington and New York University. He was recently honored as New York State Restaurateur of the Year and has said the only downside to his job is that he finds it hard to enjoy a night out at anyone else’s restaurant.

Shane, Suzanne
Twomey, Latham, Shea & Kelley

Suzanne V. Shane is a partner with the Riverhead-based law firm Twomey, Latham, Shea & Kelley, the largest law firm on the east end of Long Island, with 19 attorneys and satellite offices in East Hampton, South Hampton, Port Jefferson, Bay Shore and Hauppauge.

Shane has a diverse legal practice. She represents individuals as well as corporations, municipalities and school districts in real estate transactions, contract negotiations, civil litigation and education law matters. With an emphasis in commercial litigation, Shane has successfully represented clients in state and federal court at both the trial and appellate level.

Having represented corporations in both Manhattan and Long Island, Shane has accumulated significant experience in drafting and negotiating contracts, including acquisition agreements, shareholder and employment agreements and complex commercial financing and lease agreements.

After graduating, Shane worked in Manhattan for six years a s a corporate attorney and litigator. In 1994 she decided to stop working in the city and accepted a position with the firm Twomey, Latham, Shea & Kelley, so she would be able to spend more time with her family and in her community. Shane is currently the head of the firm’s marketing and continuing legal education committees. She also oversees the firm’s Port Jefferson satellite office.

Shane completed her undergraduate studies at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and she graduated cum laude from New York Law School in 1988. While she was a law student, Shane served as a member and associate editor of the New York Law School’s Law Review and was selected as a member of Who’s Who Among American Law Students. Shane is a member of both the New York State and Suffolk County Bar Associations.

A fourth-generation Setauket resident, Shane is a trustee of the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library and Girl Scouts of Suffolk County. She is also active in the Three Village Historical Society.

Stuart, Scott
Arthur Treachers / Jaspan Schlesinger Hoffman

Scott Stuart is currently of counsel to Jaspan Schlesinger Hoffman, in the firm’s Creditor’s Rights/Bankruptcy Practice Group and Corporate and Banking Practice Group. His most recent appointment in a career marked by high achievement has been to secretary and general counsel of a popular and fast-growing restaurant chain, Pudgie’s Famous Chicken.

Stuart’s legal and business knowledge, as well as his leadership skills, have been well-documented. Earlier in his career he was appointed mediator by bankruptcy courts in both the eastern and southern Districts of New York. He was also appointed to a task force designed to combat bankruptcy fraud in the region. Additionally, he was cited four times during his tenure with the United States Department of Justice, Office of the United States Trustee, for his outstanding performance as a senior attorney acting in the public interest on significant reorganization cases during the early 1990s.

Stuart received his undergraduate degree with honors from the State University of New York at Binghamton and his juris doctor from Brooklyn Law School. He is a frequent lecturer on business topics and is affiliated with the Nassau County Bar Association, the Theodore Roosevelt Inns of Court, the American Bar Association, the Young Professional Networking Group and the Turnaround Management Association.

Prior to joining Jaspan Schlesinger Hoffman, Stuart founded and headed the bankruptcy department at Rivkin, Radler & Kremer. He has taught paralegal courses at Lehman College and also hosted a radio program, “What’s Your Problem?”, heard on local stations WGBB and WLUX.

Stuart volunteers as a pro bono attorney, appointed by the Nassau County Bar Association. He has also served as a volunteer for the Juvenile Diabetes foundation, Breast Cancer Help and WLIW21.

Trump, Fred III
Insignia / ESG

Fred Trump III possesses 15 years’ experience as a commercial real estate agent. He started his career in 1985 with the Edward S. Gordon (ESG) Company as a promotional broker and then spent four years at First Winthrop Corp. where he was responsible for the leasing and managing of a four million square-foot portfolio of office properties.

From 1991 to 1996 Trump was a vice president at The Shorenstein Company, and he acted as the owner representative for such clients as MetLife, The Bank of Nova Scotia and The Travelers.

Since rejoining Insignia/ESG in 1998, Trump has represented institutional owners such as Chase Manhattan Bank, DLJ Real Estate Capital Group and John Hancock Mutual Life, where he was also a member of the national strategic alliance team.

Other notable highlights include the negotiation of Omnicom Group’s 300,000 square-foot, long-term lease at 200 East 42nd Street; Thirteen/WNET’s 230,000 square-foot lease at 450 West 33rd Street; and the 94,000 square-foot extension and expansion of Weiss Peck and Greer at 1 New York Plaza.

Trump, nephew of Donald Trump, is currently representing the Lagardère Group, owners of Hachette Filipacchi magazines. He was recently appointed managing director of Insignia/ESG’s Long Island operations. His duties include developing new business, managing the offices sales and marketing effort as well as overseeing brokerage operations.

Wagner, Robert
Rockabilly Barbers

Robert Wagner opened the first Rockabilly Barbers shop in East Northport in August 1998 and his second in Huntington the following year. Rockabilly is currently one of the Island’s top styling salons and also a place to chew the fat and reminisce about “the good ol’ days.” Wagner’s dream was to rekindle the services and the ambiance of the small-town, old-fashioned barber shop: where men come in for a shave and a haircut (and the occasional facial massage) at a reasonable price so they don’t mind coming back later the same month.

With his background in club promotion and bartending, Wagner has gained a huge following of popular musicians her prefer Rockabilly haircuts. The shops’ stylists do old-fashioned buzz cuts, fades and the more modern styles.

While waiting for an appointment, customers can play a game of pool or with a Sony Playstation while listening to classic rock tunes.

Wagner received his master barber’s license in 1997 and holds a cosmetology license from the Wildred Beauty School. Previously he served three years active duty in the United States Marine Corps and three years active duty in the Marine Corps Reserves.

Wagner is a big support of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Long Island and also donates his services to the Prostate Awareness Association Fund. He is a member of the East Northport Chamber of Commerce. His nostalgic business has been featured many times in the local media, including The New York Times, Newsday and News 12 Long Island.

Weber, Henry
RE/MAX of New York

Henry Weber became president of RE/MAX of New York in 1997. Under his leadership, the Mineola-headquartered network has become the leading force in residential and commercial real estate sales in New York State. It has also been respected for its innovative use of Internet technology and sports marketing. In 1999 RE/MAX agents closed over 20,000 transactions, and since 1998 RE/MAX of New York has doubled its agent account to well over 1,100 experienced professionals across the state.

Weber started in the real estate business in the early 1980s listing and selling real estate in Suffolk County. After a successful stint with Realty World, he joined the franchise sales department of Century 21 Real Estate Corp. He quickly rose through the ranks both in franchise sales and management of franchise sales teams. He also headed up the Automation Sales Teams. Weber was a member of the leading Century 21 franchise sales team and later became the top sales person on that team.

After more than 14 years with Century 21, Weber formed Performance Marketing and for two years helped fledgling franchise companies develop marketing plans. After spending a short time consulting with RE/MAX, Weber was offered the opportunity to take the reins of RE/MAX of New York.

Weber’s main priority after coming on board was to move the corporate office closer to the bulk of their customers downstate and replace the staff, based on regional needs. Weber has since grown the region from 65 to 80 franchises.

Weber spends time coaching hockey and Little League in Wantagh. Through RE/MAX he has been very involved with the Children’s Miracle Network, helping to raise more than $155,000 for the organization in 1999. RE/MAX also uses its hot air balloon to raise funds for charities across the state.

Wolkoff, Adam
Heatland Business Center / Heartland Golf Park

Adam Wolkoff has spent his entire career working at the Heartland Business Center in Brentwood, joining the firm immediately after graduating from Syracuse University and quickly becoming a key member of the management team.

As vice president of the Heartland Business Center, Wolkoff is responsible for day-to-day workings of the commercial development firm that created Long Island’s most centrally located business center, which offers its local, national and international clients exceptional convenience and efficiency in a campus-like setting.

Wolkoff’s expertise includes a full range of business activities, ranging from operations to marketing to sales. Wolkoff is also the president of the Heartland Golf Park, a golf facility located within Heartland’s 300-acre industrial part and open to members of the community as well as Heartland tenants.

Wolkoff is a member of the Red Cross Board of Directors. Beyond this, he is very active with the youth of Long Island and in the inner city, making donations of time and money to each.

Zar, Ira
Computer Associates

Ira Zar oversees Computer Associates’ (CA) global financial operations and is responsible for the management and compliance of the company’s corporate accounting, financial reporting, treasury and tax functions. During his 18 year career with CA – one of the largest independent software companies in the world – Zar has managed the financial expansion of business operations into more than 40 countries around the world. He has participated in more than 100 product and company acquisitions, including the $40 billion acquisition of Sterling Software in 2000 and the negotiation of several multi-billion dollar credit facilities.

Throughout his tenure at CA, Zar has held various management positions in finance with increasing levels of responsibility. Four years prior to his appointment to CFO and senior vice president, he was corporate treasurer. Earlier he was U.S. controller with responsibility for CA’s general accounting and financial operation areas. Other assignments included international controller and manager of financial planning and reporting. In this latter position, Zar relocated to the United Kingdom to manage CA’s sizable European financial operations and assist in establishing many of the company’s European operations.

Zar has participated in virtually every aspect of corporate finance, including the administration of internals budgets, acquisitions, mergers, information technology and accounting functions. By handling the full spectrum of CA’s financial matters, he has familiarized himself with the intricacies of CA’s business and has played a major role in the company’s impressive financial performance and record-breaking growth.

Zar, a graduate of Bernard Baruch College of the City University of New York, is involved in a wide range of philanthropic activities. He has participated in industry task force groups, most recently the AICPA Revenue Recognition Task Force, which is represented by three industry representatives and officials from the Big 5 accounting firms.