50 THE QUEENS COURIER • QUEENS BUSINESS • OCTOBER 11, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Premier Queens Power List event showcases the
most infl uential people in the 'World’s Borough'
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Last week hundreds gathered at
Terrace on the Park for the inaugural
Queens Power List, an event
which recognizes the borough’s
most infl uential people across several
industries.
On Wednesday, Oct. 3, Th e
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
fi elds. Honorees at the fi rst-ever
Queens Power List were determined
aft er months of deliberations and
included CEOs, politicians, company
presidents and nonprofi t leaders.
Th e Queens Power List event is
an off shoot of the Long Island Press
Power List, which has been honoring
individuals from Long Island for
the past 15 years.
Queens Borough President
Melinda Katz was invited to provide
opening remarks, during which she
congratulated the VIPs and honorees
of the night. She also sang the
National Anthem.
SCNG Publisher Victoria Schneps
expressed her excitement to honor
“the best and the brightest from
Queens” for the fi rst time ever and
invited each of the Power Listers to
introduce themselves. Th e 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
infl uential people. For the past 13
years, Alexander has worked to
improve the lives of people from the
Rockaways, providing them with
the resources to fi nd jobs, become
homeowners and manage their
money.
“I’m fl attered 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 1000 percent committed to
giving students the best possible
education,” said DeVivo. She added
that students telling her that they
got a job or internship is part of
“what makes the job meaningful.”
Th e 2018 Queens Power List honorees
were:
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
Photos by Corazon Aguirre and Allen Ngai
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 SR.
Founder, Chairman & CEO
The Mattone Group
DR. STEVEN MENDELSOHN
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
Victoria Schneps, SCNG Publisher (center) with the 2018 Queens Courier Power List honorees.