Yonkers Designates New Arts District
With the growth of the arts in Yonkers, the city is making major changes to accommodate the up-and-coming industry. One of these changes is the renaming of the long-existing Alexander Smith Carpet Mills to the Carpet Mills Arts District (CMAD), which Mayor Mile Spano announced at a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony that coincided with Yonkers Arts Weekend. What’s behind the new name? Owners within the Carpet Mills teamed up with the City of Yonkers to make the concentration on arts more prominent in the area by creating an arts district. This transformation will take place in two phases. The first comprises placing approximately 45 banners around the perimeter of the district, which expands to four roads (Nepperhan Avenue, Axminster Street, Saw Mill River Road, and Lake Avenue), along with new lighting, infrastructure, and branding techniques. The second phase will involve law alterations to the district in the form of zoning allowances to enhance the attraction to the CMAD for tourists.
Nonprofit Westchester Event Features #GivingTuesday Founder
Westchester nonprofit executives gathered together last week to hear from Henry Timms (below, left), who discussed his global #GivingTuesday initiative in a keynote speech. The kickoff event focused around #GivingTuesday was held at Pace University’s Pleasantville campus where the college, in partnership with Nonprofit Westchester, hosted more than 80 leaders who work in the nonprofit sector.
Timms explains the movement as a way to “inspire a whole new generation of philanthropists by providing people with a way to share the things about which they are passionate and to drive change in those areas by mobilizing their own communities.” The initiative has helped many Westchester nonprofits increase fundraising, and several of these organizations shared their success stories at the event.
New Master’s Offered at College of New Rochelle
The College of New Rochelle is making advances in their Early Childhood Education department by teaming up with the Center for Montessori Education|NY to introduce a master’s degree program with a concentration in Montessori education. The degree is the first of its kind to be introduced in the New York metropolitan area, and one of only a few in the country. The Montessori approach, developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori, is known for its focus on child development and for foregoing traditional direct instruction technique in favor of an emphasis on self-correcting materials. Students who enroll in the new master’s program will need to complete 30 credits of coursework along with the New York Teacher Education Standards. The program will be added to the list of CNR’s master’s degree programs, which consists of more than 25 existing areas of study.
40 Young Leaders Honored As “Rising Stars”
The Business Council of Westchester (BCW) awarded 40 Westchester leaders the 2015 Rising Star Award on June 11. The winners represent a of diverse range of professions including marketing, advertising, public safety, government, media, health care, education, social work, hospitality, and nonprofits. The recipients were chosen based on professional wor entrepreneurial accomplishments, demonstrated leadership qualities, and professional or business affiliations. Michael J. Fosina, senior vice president and chief operating pfficer of New York Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital gave the keynote speech at the event, which was also attended by Maria Bronzi, director at Altium Wealth Management, who headed the selection process, as well as BCW President/CEO Marsha Gordon, County Executive Robert P. Astorino, and a host of business leaders.
The recipients of the 2015 Rising Stars Award are:
Jessica Antonette, CEO/Owner, JTonezMusic Corp.
Jennifer Bannan, Director of Advertising & Marketing, Thompson & Bender
Vincenzo Battaglia, Police Sergeant, White Plains Department of Public Safety
David Buchwald, New York State Assemblyman
Donvil Collins, Founder & President, VeeKast
Andrea Contreras, Manager, Client Services, Altium Wealth Management
Anthony D’Arpino, Founder & Owner, Harrison Wine Vault
Andrew Edge, AVP – Business Banking & Commercial Lender, Sterling National Bank
April Fatato Grundman, Onsite Owner and Educational Director, The Goddard School Yorktown
Bonnie Fogarty, Executive Director, Community YMCA
Megan Gann, Business Development Manager, Westchester Hills Golf Club
Anna Geller, Director, Business Analysis & Acquisitions, Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits
Richard Giacovas, Producer/on air talent, News 12
Jeffrey Hogan, Energy & Sustainability Manager, Montefiore Hospital
Kelvin Joseph, Chief Operating Officer, Steiner Sports
Nikhil Kumar, Vice President, Undergraduate Enrollment Management, Manhattanville College
Ashley Ley, Technical Director, AKRF, Inc
Anthony Luisi, Associate, Cuddy & Feder LLP
Kimberly Mallard, Senior Vice President, Executive Operations, Tommie Copper
Anna Linda Marciano, Assistant General Counsel, Heineken USA, Incorporated
Ryan McAuliffe, Vice President, M&T Bank
Jaime McGill, Executive Director, Yonkers Industrial Development Agency
Alan Murray, Chief Executive Officer, North Shore-LIJ CareConnect Insurance Company, Inc.
Erin Nesbitt, Director, Program Management, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Jessica Oliva, CEO, Fit Mama 4 Life
Jill Ortiz, VP Finance & Accounting, Diamond Properties
Linda Parry, CEO, Product Launchers
Christopher Phillips Senior Vice President, Product Platform and Technology, Mindspark Interactive.
Regina Poniros-Simonetti, Controller, Robert Martin Company LLC
David Putrino, Director, Telemedicine and Virtual Rehabilitation, Burke Medical Research Institute
Amit Rajani, CEO, General Dentist, Yonkers Avenue Dental
John Rubbo, Founder and “Brew-EO,” Yonkers Brewing Company
Eliza Scheibel, Associate, Wilson Elser
Timothy Schlauraff, Department Manager, Consolidated Edison of NY
Jamell Scott, Dean of Scholars and Families/Athletic Director Amani Public Charter School
Diana Seo, Owner, B Spa & Salon
Nicholas Singer, Managing Member, Purchase Capital
Loren Ward, Vice President, Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch
John White III, Firefighter, City of Yonkers Fire Department
Eleni Zimmerman, Social Work Advanced Clinician, NewYork Presbyterian Hospital – Eating Disorders Unit
