GSNC Council Nominating committee

Tyra M. Banks
Tyra Banks is a Senior Occupational Therapist for the New York City Department of Education. She also has a private practice, Cornerstone Therapeutic Services, Inc., where she provides Early Intervention services to children with developmental delays. She graduated from Hunter College with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and received her Master’s of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University.

Ms. Banks is a true advocate for children through her volunteerism. She is a Co-Leader for her daughter’s Junior Troop and is being nominated to serve a two year term as a member of the Council Nominating Committee. She is the Chairperson for the PTA Reflections Program as well as the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee for the Baldwin Middle School PTA and a member of the Baldwin High School PTSA Nominating Committee. As member of the Executive Committee of the New York State Black Occupational Therapy Caucus, she organizes scholarship fundraisers and mentors students in Occupational Therapy programs. Ms. Banks resides in Baldwin Harbor with her husband and children.

Jacqueline Mecchella Bushwack, Esq.
Jacqueline Mecchella Bushwack is an associate at Rivkin Radler, LLP where she is involved in the defense of a wide variety of medical malpractice, toxic tort, and general liability cases. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Syracuse University and her law degree fromAlbany Law School, where she served as Lead Articles Editorfor the Albany Law School Journal of Science and Technology. Prior to joining the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, Ms. Bushwack served a three year term as the Recent Graduate Trustee on Albany Law School’s Board of Trustees.
Ms. Bushwack is serving as a member of the Council Nominating Committee for a two-year term, during which time she hopes to become actively involved in the Council’s fundraising efforts in addition to her duties on the Nominating Committee.

 

Debra Ieraci
Debra Ieraci is serving a two-year term on the Council Nominating Committee. A
member of the Board of Directors for 12 years, Ms. Ieraci is happy to be returning to serve the girls of Girl Scouts of Nassau County. A former National Delegate and past member of the Council Nominating Committee, she served for several years as Chair of the Delegate Communications Committee.

Ms. Ieraci is employed as a Field Collector with National Grid and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from SUNY Old Westbury. Ms. Ieraci is a member of the Gold Award Alliance and a Girl Scout Leader in the Glen Cove Association where she resides with her husband, Frank, and daughter Amanda, a Girl Scout Junior. Ms. Ieraci volunteers in her local community and is a licensed massage therapist.

 

Steve Kitchener

Steve Kitchener is serving a two-year term as a member of the Council Nominating Committee.  Mr. Kitchener and his wife coached the GSNC’s Icebreakers - the winning team of the 2009 FIRST Lego League competition on Long Island.  Their team will go on to Atlanta to participate in the World Lego League Championship. Mr. Kitchener is also a camp and trip trained Girl Scout volunteer.

For many years Mr. Kitchener has been a youth coach of baseball, soccer and softball in his community.  Mr. Kitchener is a Facilities Manager for Cablevision and received a Bachelor’s degree from the New York Institute of Technology.  Mr. Kitchener lives in North Merrick with his wife Diane, a Girl Scout Leader, and their two children.

 

Betty Monroe
Betty Monroe was elected as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors in 2008 and is also serving as a member of the Council Nominating Committee. Ms. Monroe was a member of the Board of Directors from 1995 to 2005 and held the position of Executive Vice President. She has been Chair of the Community Relations Committee, the 2002 Council Performance Assessment Task Group and has served on the Council Nominating Committee. For her many contributions to Girl Scouts over the years, Betty received the Girl Scout Thanks Badge in 2002 and was named one of GSNC’s 90 Women for 90 Years.

A resident of Freeport, she is actively involved with many organizations, including Negro Business and Professional Women of Nassau County, 100 Black Women of Nassau/Suffolk and is the President of The Links Inc., Long Island Chapter. Ms. Monroe is employed as Director of the Defense Contracts Management Agency in Garden City.

 

Rosemary Olander-Beach
Rosemary Olander-Beach lives in Baldwin with her husband and two children. Ms. Olander-Beach became a Girl Scout when her daughter’s Troop needed a new Leader. Since then, she’s been Troop Cookie Manager, Troop Leader and Fall Products Manager, and her Cadette troop will go on its third Association camping trip in 2010. She is being nominated to serve a two-year term as a Member of the Council Nominating Committee.

By day, Ms. Olander-Beach is an editor for newsday.com and a frequent writer for Newsday’s LI Life section. When Ms. Olander-Beach is not working she keeps busy as the President of the Board of Trustees of South Nassau Unitarian Universalist Congregation, where during the past 10 years she’s also served as a member of the religious education, nominating and finance committees and as youth adviser to the Interfaith Community Outreach Program. Ms. Olander-Beach has been active in the PTA at the elementary and middle school levels, most recently as the co-chair for the 2009-10 Reflections program at Baldwin Middle School.

 

Bonnie Porzio, Esq.

Bonnie Porzio, Esq. is serving on the Council Nominating Committee for a two-year term.  She actively supports the Council’s fundraising events and is currently hard at work as part of the US Open Concession Organizing Committee for GSNC.  Ms. Porzio is an associate of Rivkin Radler, LLP.  Prior to joining Rivkin Radler, LLP, Ms. Porzio successfully completed internships with the New York State Attorney General's Office and with the Honorable Leslie Crocker Snyder of the New York State Supreme Court. 

Ms. Porzio is a "WishGranter" for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, a former member of the Unemployment Action Center (UAC) at Hofstra University and a former Board Member of Long Island's chapter of "Dress for Success."  Ms. Porzio enjoys fundraising, volunteering and working with others.  She lives with her husband and two children in West Hempstead.

Barbara Murphy Schwaner
Barbara Murphy Schwaner is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board Certified Diplomat. Ms. Murphy Schwaner graduated from the Adelphi University School of Social Work and the Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Program of the New York School for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. She is in private practice in Mineola. Ms. Murphy Schwaner volunteers as a Senior Troop Leader and Presenter for GSNC’s Critical Issues Initiative. Her articles on Relational Aggression have been published in social work newsletters locally and nationally. As a parent of a teenager, Ms. Murphy Schwaner was part of the group that wrote "Mothers and Others: Courage and Confidence
in the Face of Social Bullying," one of the many anti-bullying programs offered by GSNC. Ms. Murphy Schwaner is serving a two year term as a member of the Council Nominating Committee.

 

Colleen Wright

Colleen Wright is serving as a Member of the Council Nominating Committee for a two-year term.  Ms. Wright is dedicated to Girl Scouts and is honored to be part of an organization that gives girls the courage and confidence to be the leaders of tomorrow.  In addition to being a Leader for eight years, Colleen is a Council Trainer, Site Director, Delegate, Association Cookie Chair, a Gold Award Mentor and currently a National Council Delegate.  She is also the recipient of the Star Trainer Award and the Honor Pin.  This spring Ms. Wright has been busy serving on GSNC’s Committee for the US Open Concession fundraiser.

Participating in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk since 2004, Colleen has raised over $25,000 for that cause.  She is also the Vice President of the Mepham High School PTA and a member of the Long Island Parrot Society.  Ms. Wright lives in Bellmore with her family. A former member of the US Air Force and a graduate of St. John’s University Ms. Wright is currently employed by Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling Services, Inc.

 

 

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