FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JULY 4, 2019 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 59
Caribbean Life honored 30 leaders in the health care fi eld during a gala event at Paradise Catering Hall in Brooklyn
CELEBRATIONS
VICTORIA’S
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@gmail.com
tweet me @vschneps
With the long weekend
of July 4 celebrations
upon us, I began my
celebrations last week by honoring
Health Heroes from my
Caribbean Life publication and
saluting Carol Conslato, who
was retiring from Con Edison
aft er 40 years.
Th en, our Gay City News also
celebrated World Pride and the
50th anniversary of Stonewall
by creating a special, 120-page
issue chronicling the struggles
and victories of the LGBT movement
over the last fi ve decades.
As I entered the lobby where
our Carribean Life Awards were
being celebrated, I felt the energy,
excitement and elegance of the
25 people being recognized that
night, along with their friends,
family and professional colleagues
who were there to cheer them on.
One of our honorees, Dr.
Seanna-Kaye Denham-Wilks,
the patient experience offi cer at
Kings County Medical Center,
had 4 tables literally cheering
for her and her decades of
devotion to her patients
I was so impressed by
Dr. Charnelle Small, the
only black orthodontist in
Manhattan, and a celebration
of a mother and daughter medical
team who , through their
simultaneous careers, have
made an impact.
The overflowing crowd got
treated to a performance by
the remarkable Xavier Strings,
violin-playing sisters Janelle
Xavier and Janine Xavier-
Cross from Trinidad, who
brought the house down with
their electrifying performance.
Their music was unique and
the audience gave them a
standing ovation!
As always, it was all the work
of the great event team, led by
my event division Jasmin and
Lori, and the staff of Caribbean
Life in our MetroTech offi ces on
Jay Street. Th e previous week,
we celebrated Power Women in
the Bronx, and my team there
did a spectacular job too!
Caribbean Life is distributed
in Queens, Brooklyn, The
Bronx and Manhattan, where
we celebrate each week the
people from the Caribbean
countries who have an impact
on their communities.
It was also World Pride week
in New York City, and I had
pride in my editor of Gay City
News, Paul Schindler, who was
honored for his contribution
to his community this week. It
was a remarkable week where
the LGBT community celebrated
with joy the justice that they
have achieved.
A BITTERSWEET CELEBRATION
Carol Conslato with Frances A.
Resheske, senior vice president
at Con Edison
Carol receives an award from David
Gmach, supervisor at Con Edison
I was happy to share the
moments of joy as Carol
Consolato was lauded
by her staff friends and
family.
Th e setting was on
the East River at the
Anable Basin Grill,
just across from the
gated, closed and
once-beautiful Waters
Edge restaurant and
catering hall, where my
son Josh was married!
Th e skyline of Manhattan
views from the Grill are spectacular,
like moving at a movie set.
Former BP Claire Shulman
bids farwell to Carol
But nothing was more special
than hearing the tributes from
everyone in the room. Carol is a professional
who walked the line of great professional,
adviser (to me), and a wonderfully
proud mom and wife.
Her intelligence was like
a beam of light that we
all wanted to share. She
was my go-to person
for business advice
and sharing stories
about my children
and grandchildren.
She was responsive
for any Con
Ed related problems
in Queens, putting a
human face to a corporate
entity that made
me feel I had a friend at a
giant utility. Every member
of her team was trained by
her to be responsive, and they
always are.
Carol served her company and community
for over 40 years, and I will miss her
— and I know there are few who can fi ll
her shoes.
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