Girl Scouts of Nassau County Council's Board of Directors
The Girl Scouts of Nassau County Council’s governing body is its Board of Directors. With leadership from the Chief Volunteer Officer, the Board ensures that integrity and purpose of Girl Scouting in maintained in the Girl Scouts of Nassau County Council.
Officers
Diane M. McFarlane, Esq.
President & Chief Volunteer Officer
Diane McFarlane is serving her second term as President and Chief Volunteer Officer of the Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County. Previously, Diane served as Executive Vice President and Vice President of the Board of Directors, chair of the Council Nominating Committee and ex-officio Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors; and as Co-Chair of the Delegate Communications Committee. A former girl scout herself, she has embraced these opportunities to serve her community and be instrumental in the development of young women. She has a strong dedication and commitment to public service.
Ms. McFarlane is currently the Director of Appeals, Paratransit Division of MTA New York City Transit Authority. She began her career as an assistant district attorney in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, NY; and was next appointed as a prosecutor in the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York. Diane then joined the law firm of Martin, Clearwater & Bell; and returned to public service, first as a Special Assistant Attorney General in the New York State Attorney General's Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and next as Senior Regional Counsel for the New York City Department of Education. Returning to private practice, she became the Manager of Staffing and Professional Development for the law firm of Goodwin Proctor, LLP, and later the Manager of Employee and Labor Relations with the Research Foundation of the State University of New York located at Stony Brook University. Additionally, Diane was a Government Counselor at Columbia University School of Law. Throughout her legal career she has mentored young women and men, stressing education as a key to success and community service as an obligation.
Diane’s civic engagements include service as a member with several boards and organizations. In 2006 she was inducted into the Long Island Chapter, of the Links Incorporated, a volunteer international organization of over 12,000 business and professional women committed to community service with a focus on education, health and wellness, world wide issues and civic involvement. In 2007 she was elected Second Vice President of Programs, an office she held for two terms.
Ms. McFarlane is a graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook where she received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology; and Hofstra University School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor Degree. Ms. McFarlane is a resident of Baldwin.
Marianela Jordan
Executive Vice President
A Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors since 2003, Marianela Jordan is currently serving as Executive Vice President of the Board of Directors. A member of the GSNC’s Hispanic/Latino Task Force since its inception in 2002, Ms. Jordan chaired and co-designed a series of college readiness and leadership conferences for Girls 13 through 17 in 2006/2007 and served as Mistress of Ceremonies for the Friday night opening of the 5th Annual Latina Conference in 2005.
Ms. Jordan currently serves as the Regional Representative for Nassau and Long Island to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. Ms. Jordan previously served as Executive Director of the Nassau County Coordinating Agency for Spanish Americans (C.A.S.A.), having been appointed to this position by County Executive Thomas Suozzi in January 2002. She was the highest ranking Latino in the Suozzi administration. In 2004, Ms Jordan was selected in a delegation of leaders to travel to Israel with Project Interchange out of Washington D.C. In 2008 Ms. Jordan received the “Making a Difference for Women Award” from Soroptimist International of Nassau County. Marianela served as President to Fundacion Hispanoamericana Scholarship Foundation from 2010 to 2011 helping students attain higher education.
Ms. Jordan is a graduate of the University of Virginia, with a B.A. in Psychology and completed her M.P.A from NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service in 2009. She is a resident of Freeport.
Diane White
Vice President
Diane White is serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors after serving three terms as a Member-at-Large. Ms. White is most knowledgeable of the governance process, having previously served as the Chair of the Delegate Communications Committee, as a National Delegate, attending the National Council Session/Convention held in Atlanta in 2005; and having served two terms on the Council Nominating Committee.
A Girl Scout as a girl and a Troop Leader for ten years, Ms. White served the Valley Stream Association as Consultant, Troop Organizer, Delegate and Delegate Chair. She is a resident of Valley Stream, and is employed as an electronic products consultant with Insurance Services Office, Inc. in Jersey City, New Jersey. Ms. White is a graduate of SUNY Albany.
William Mays
Vice President
William Mays, a Member of the Board of Directors since 2002, is serving as the Vice President of the Board of Directors. A past member of the Council Nominating Committee, he currently serves on the Delegate Communications Committee. Mr. Mays was elected in May 2005 as a National Council Delegate and attended the GSUSA Convention in Atlanta. Mr. Mays served as Co-Chair of the Council Annual Giving Campaign Committee.
Mr. Mays has been a member of the Girl Scout movement since 1990, when his oldest daughter became a Daisy Girl Scout. His girls went on to earn Silver and Gold Awards. He is a Manager for National Grid and has a private pilot’s license for use in his spare time. Mr. Mays and his wife, a Girl Scout Leader, and his daughters reside in Merrick.
Mark Florio,
Vice President
Mark Florio is serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors. He is currently Chair of the Finance Committee. Mr. Florio served as a Member-at-Large since 2005 and has served on the Council Nominating Committee. Elected to serve as an Alternate National Delegate, Mr. Florio attended the 2005 National Convention in Atlanta.
An Eagle Scout, he has volunteered extensively with Boy Scouts and has transferred this enthusiasm for volunteerism to Girl Scouts of Nassau County. Mr. Florio is a graduate of Lehigh University with a B.S. in Finance and holds an M.B.A. in Finance from Adelphi University. He is an Audit Manager of Citigroup. Mr. Florio, his wife and two young daughters (one currently a Daisy Scout, and one a future Girl Scout) reside in North Bellmore.
Eric Rogers
Treasurer
After being appointed in October 2008 as interim Treasurer of the Board of Directors, Eric Rogers is serving his first term as Treasurer. He is a member of the Finance Committee and a former member of the Human Resources and Fund Development Committees. Mr. Rogers and his entire family are committed to Girl Scouts of Nassau County. His wife is a Troop Leader and both his daughters are Girl Scouts in the Carle Place/Westbury Association. Mr. Rogers was appointed to the Carle Place School Board and serves on several committees with the New York State Society of CPAs.
A graduate of C.W. Post, Long Island University, Mr. Rogers is President of Rogers & Company, a CPA firm serving not-for-profit clients. Mr. Rogers resides in Westbury.
Lisa Burke
Secretary
Lisa Burke is serving as Secretary of the Board of Directors and as the first alternate National Council Delegate. Ms. Burke is a Board Champion on a Strategic Learning Team for GSNC. Ms. Burke was a Member at Large of the Board from 2005 - 2011. She served as the Chair of the Nominating Committee in 2009, a committee she has served on previously. A lifetime member of the Girl Scout Movement, Ms. Burke attended the past three GSUSA National Council Meetings and Conventions as a visitor, and was a chaperone in Atlanta in 2005 and Indianapolis in 2008.
The mother of two Girl Scouts and a Boy Scout, she has been both Troop Cookie Manager and QSP Manager in the Oyster Bay Association, where she lives. A graduate of SUNY at Plattsburg with a degree in education, Ms. Burke is the owner and President of “A Business Contracting Corp” - in business for over 30 years.
Donna Ceravolo
Executive Director/CEO
Donna Ceravolo is Executive Director/CEO of Girl Scouts of Nassau County, where she is responsible for the direction of 23,000 girls, 7,000 adult volunteers, and the management of a staff of 54. Prior to becoming a professional Girl Scout, Ms. Ceravolo was chief executive officer of the YWCA of Brooklyn, an organization committed to the empowerment of women and the elimination of racism. She was honored as a Woman of Distinction by the YWCA of Brooklyn, where she also received the Sojourner Truth Award for Racial Justice in 2000. In 2005 she accepted a Women of Valor Award from the Sisterhood of Temple Emanu-El in Long Beach.
Ms. Ceravolo is a National Delegate and served as a member of the Core Business Strategy Team for Girl Scouts of the USA, a group charged with devising new and relevant direction for the Girl Scout Movement in the 21st Century. She is also a member of United Way of Long Island’s Agency Executives Council.
Donna Ceravolo is an outspoken advocate for girls and frequently speaks to community groups on the critical issues facing girls today. Donna resides in Freeport along with her husband and son.
Members-at-Large
Tyra 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 serving as a Member-at-Large of Board of Directors and is currently 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 a 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.
Ruth Bigman, MSW,LCSW
Ruth Bigman is serving a second term as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors, previously serving from 2002 - 2008. She is an active member of the Community Relations Committee, and a past Chair of the Campership Campaign, championing the cause that every girl who wants to go to camp should have the opportunity. She is currently a Board Champion on a Strategic Learning Team for GSNC.
A social worker, Ms. Bigman recently retired as Director of Admissions at Wurzweiler School of Social Work/Yeshiva University in New York City and she also has a private psychotherapy practice. An MSW graduate of Adelphi University, Ruth resides in Glen Cove.
Christine R. Bonczyk
Christine Bonczyk, a resident of Hicksville, is serving a second term as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors. Ms. Bonczyk serves as the Health Benefits Administrator for the Nassau County Employees and is employed by The County Comptroller’s office. In her spare time she is giving back to her community. Christine started her career in Scouting as a Girl Scout Junior and continues today on the Girl Scouts Adult Recognition Committee, Walkathon Committee, Critical Issues Committee, Community Relations Committee and Human Resources Committee and is a Board Champion on a Strategic Learning Team. She is also a member of the Nassau Financial Credit Union Supervisory Committee and Nominating Committee.
Ms. Bonczyk received her Masters in Public Administration from Long Island University at CW Post, and describes herself as a pro-active, honest person who gets things done. Ms. Bonczyk is a resident of Hicksville.
JoAnne Bonke
JoAnne Bonke is serving as a
Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors. JoAnne is
a seasoned Operations Executive with 20+ years of
experience in the financial services industry. JoAnne
offers a unique blend of business acumen, global team
building, and strong operations improvement.
Currently, JoAnne is a Sr. Operations Project Manager at Bank of America. JoAnne previously worked at JPMorgan Chase in the Home Finance division and managed a customer escalation unit that focused on building, restoring and improving service and customer relationships. Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, JoAnne resided in Frankfurt, Germany and worked for American Express Military Bank.
Throughout JoAnne’s career, she has been an active
volunteer and mentor. She has a strong desire to add
value and improve relationships, and she is committed
to service excellence. JoAnne and her family reside in
Seaford, New York.
Dr. Agnelo Dias
Dr. Agnelo Dias is serving as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors. A member of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s Asian Task Force since 2003, Dr. Dias is dedicated to working with children. He received a Masters in Rehabilitation from St. John’s University and became a rehabilitation counselor for Catholic Charities of Far Rockaway. In 1997, while working at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital he received his Ph.D. in Counseling Education and dedicated his work to helping chemically dependent clients.
In 1994 he joined The Child Center of New York as the Director of the Asian Outreach Program and has helped grow the center to what it is today. In 2002 Dr. Dias graduated from Adelphi University with a Master’s in Social Work. Dr. Dias is the recipient of the Caring for Children Award given by the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families. Dr. Dias has presented workshops at GSNC’s CelebrAsian events. His wife and daughters are active in Girls Scouts. He and his family live in West Hempstead.
Anthony J. Edelman
Anthony J. Edelman is serving on the Board of Directors as a Member-at-Large. He became active in Girl Scouts in 2001 as the Cookie Manager for his wife and daughter's Girl Scout Troop, and continues to volunteer for many different assignments in the Hicksville Association, while still fulfilling his first job as the Troop's Cookie Manager. He is a recipient of the Girl Scout Appreciation Pin.
Since 2006, Mr. Edelman has served as a trustee of the Hicksville Union Free School District Board of Education and is Board President for the 2011/2012 school year. He also serves as an elected member on the Nassau Suffolk School Board Association Executive Committee, and remains very active in his community, church, and professional and charitable organizations.
A graduate of the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Mr. Edelman is an Assistant Vice President of Bethpage Federal Credit Union, a community-based, full-service financial institution, committed to providing their members with extraordinary value and service, anytime, anywhere. The Edelman family resides in Hicksville.
Debra Ieraci
Debra Ieraci is serving as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors. Previously a member
of the Board of Directors for 12 years, Ms. Ieraci is happy
to be returning to the Board after serving on the Council
Nominating Committee for a second time. A former
National Delegate, 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 Cadette. Ms. Ieraci
volunteers in her local community.
Wanda Jackson
Wanda Jackson is Senior Vice President, Human Resources for the National Urban
League. In addition to her Human Resources responsibilities, she manages programs and
activities in corporate diversity, employment, and corporate volunteerism. She is a graduate
of Boston University’s College of Communication and received an M.S. in Human Resources
Management from the New School.
As a member of Girl Scouts Ms. Jackson serves as Troop Cookie Manager for two Cadette Troops. Ms. Jackson is serving as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors after serving a two-year term on the Council Nominating Committee. An active community volunteer, she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta, a public service sorority, and Jack and Jill of America, and has served as the Commissioner of Girls Rookie Basketball for the Baldwin Police Activity League. Ms. Jackson is also a member of the Diversity and Disparities Committee for the Eastern Region of the American Cancer Society.
Steve Kitchener
Steve Kitchener is serving as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors. He served on the Council Nominating Committee from 2009 - 2011. Mr. Kitchener and his wife coached GSNC’s Ice Breakers, the winning team of both the 2009 FIRST Lego League competition on Long Island and the 2011 FIRST FTC Hudson Valley Tournament. Their team went to Atlanta to participate in the World Lego League Championship in 2009 and will be participating in the World FTC Championship in St. Louis this year. 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.
Miriam Lopez
Miriam Lopez was elected as a Member-at-Large for the Board of Directors in 2007 after serving on the Council Nominating Committee. She is a member of the GSNC Hispanic/Latino Task Force and was Honorary Co-Chair of the 2005 National Latina Conference. She was a chaperone at the past two National Latina Conferences and in the summer of 2004 served as interpreter and chaperone at the WAGGGS Western Hemisphere Meeting in Costa Rica.
A resident of Rockville Centre, Ms. Lopez is a Guidance Counselor at Roosevelt Middle School, where she also leads a Girl Scout Troop. She holds a BA in Spanish/Education from Adelphi University and an MS in Guidance Counseling from C.W. Post, Long Island University. Ms. Lopez is a Board Member of the Long Island Arts Council in Freeport.
Beth Meixner
Beth Meixner is the Founder & President of Moxxie
Network - an innovative women’s business community
launched in 2008. As an avid networker with a passion
for people, Beth’s vision was to create a unique women’s
organization that promotes generations of women in
business. Prior to Moxxie Network, Beth was the Director of Sales & Marketing for Target Group Media, one of NY’s
most creative multi-media graphic design firms.
Beth received a BS from SUNY Oneonta and an MBA
from Adelphi University. In 2010, she received the
ExecuLeaders Special Award for establishing Moxxie
Network, and was listed in LI Business New’s Ones to
Watch. Most recently, Beth was highlighted in LI Woman
Magazine and Friday Girl TV. In May 2012, Beth is being
honored by the National Association of Women
Business Owners with their Visionary Award.
Beth’s innate ability to unite and inspire has been evidenced
through her many volunteer activities which include the
American Heart Association and the American Cancer
Society and in 2008, Beth flexed her Moxxie muscles
when she participated as a fundraiser and boxer in the
LI Fight For Charity under the name “Mighty Mouse
Meixner”. Now that’s MOXXIE! Beth is serving as a Member-at-Large for the Board of Directors.
Betty Monroe
Betty Monroe was elected as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors in 2008
and is 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 of Nassau County 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 recently retired from her position as Director of the Defense Contracts Management Agency in Garden City.
Susanne May Morahan
Susanne May Morahan is serving as a
member of the Council Nominating Committee and as a
Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors. Being a Girl
Scout, herself, in the Valley Stream Association was not
enough for Susanne May. After eight years in Girl Scouts,
Susanne, along with her two sisters have all given back
as Leaders in their respective Associations here in New
York. Susanne began her Adult involvement 15 years
ago, as a Brownie Leader, followed by eight years as
CAV, capped by four years as Delegate Chair in the
Rockville Centre Association where she lives with her
family. As CAV, Susanne was responsible for doubling the
size of the Association membership Troops and Family
Partnership. Recipient of the Council Volunteer Pin in
2008, Susanne has been involved in the Critical Issues
Committee on the Anti-Bullying Task Force as well.
Susanne holds a B.A. in Political Science from Hofstra
University, an M.A. in English from St. John’s University
and is a Certified Corporate Paralegal. Currently working
at The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America,
she is in the Law Department as a Senior Corporate
Compliance Specialist where she is Lean Six Sigma
trained. Susanne’s efforts are primarily based around
Operational Excellence projects.
Susanne’s daughter Caitlin Morahan earned her Gold
Award in 2010.
Domenique Camacho Moran, Esq.
Domenique Camacho Moran would like to give back some of what Girl Scouting has given her. Serving as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors and chair of the Fund Development Committee since 2007 allows her to do just that. Currently Ms. Moran is a partner at Farrell Fritz, P.C., where she heads up the firm's labor and employment practice. She is a graduate of the State University of New York, Stony Brook and a 1993 graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School. At Notre Dame she received the Kraft W. Eidman Award presented by the American College of Trial Lawyers for Excellence in Trial Advocacy and was the Lead Notes Editor of the Journal of College and University Law.
Ms. Moran recently served as a committee member for the Long Island chapter of the National Association of Mothers’ Centers in planning its Annual Long Island Work/Life Conference. Ms. Moran and her husband, Bill resides in Rockville Centre with their daughter Emily and her son Joseph. Ms. Moran is a Leader of Emily’s Daisy Troop.
Cathy O'Reilly
Cathy O’Reilly is serving as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors. Ms. O’Reilly has been active with Girl Scouts of Nassau County for the past three years. Community service plays an integral part in the way she lives her life. In 2008 Ms. O’Reilly accepted the Girl Scouts of Nassau County Making a Difference for the Youth of Long Island Award on behalf of her employer, DHL. Through Ms. O’Reilly’s leadership, DHL has provided the transportation for boxes of Girl Scout Cookies® to the military through GSNC’s Operation Cookie. Operation Cookie brought to light the fact that many Iraqi children and families were in need of shoes. When the Girl Scout community donated 3000 pairs of shoes, Ms. O’Reilly was there to see that DHL delivered them to our military for distribution in Iraq. Ms. O’Reilly has also been one of the driving forces in DHL’s annual Trees for Troops Program which delivers Christmas and Chanukah cheer to our servicemen and women.
In 2007 Ms. O’Reilly received the DHL CEO Award for Corporate Citizenship. She has also been recognized for her work by the Town of Hempstead, Veterans of Foreign Wars and its Ladies Auxiliary, and has received commendations for her support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, including a US Flag flown in her honor over the multi-national headquarters in Iraq. Ms. O’Reilly has been active in supporting the Lustgarten Foundation, which is committed to increased research for the treatment and prevention of pancreatic cancer. Ms. O’Reilly is a native Long Islander, a member of the Keystone Yacht Club in Woodmere and the Ladies Ancient order of Hibernians Division 3 in Cedarhurst. She is a graduate of St. John’s University, and an aunt to five nieces and nephews. Ms. O’Reilly resides in Hewlett.
Christopher J. Pendergast
Christopher Pendergast is serving his first term as a Member-At-Large of the Board of Directors. The father of a Gold Award Recipient and spouse of an active Girl Scout volunteer, Mr. Pendergast is very familiar with the positive influence Girl Scouting can have on girls and woman.
Mr. Pendergast is the Chief Information Officer for Marchon Eyewear. He has also developed and taught professional development programs in Information Technology for more than 15 years at Hofstra University’s College for Continuing Education.
Mr. Pendergast is committed to youth programs and is an active member of the board of Farmingdale Soccer Club. Mr. Pendergast has volunteered in many roles in the community and in his church. Mr. Pendergast resides in Farmingdale with his wife Ursula and their two children. Mr. Pendergast is a graduate of Hofstra University and holds both a B.B.A and M.B.A. degree.
Bonnie L. Porzio, Esq.
Bonnie Porzio is serving as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors. She served on the Council Nominating Committee from 2009 - 2011. Ms. Porzio actively supports the Council’s
fundraising events. She has co-chaired the committee for the concession stand at the U.S.
Open. Ms. Porzio is also a member of the Fund Development Committee and is currently
a Co-Chair of the Corporate Committee for the First Annual “Girls Go the Distance”
Walkathon. Ms. Porzio recently accepted a position as General Counsel for Triumph
Construction Corp. Prior to joining Triumph Ms. Porzio was a Senior Associate at Rivkin
Radler, LLP for 10 years. She also 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 has been 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 children. She lives with her husband, Josh, and two children, Reilly and Aidan, in West Hempstead.
Brian Rothschild
Brian Rothschild is serving as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors. A staunch advocate for education, Mr. Rothschild feels that working with children is the most important work that can be done. As the Assistant Dean of the School of Business at Adelphi University, he provides personalized academic and career advising to graduate business students and prospective applicants. Since joining Adelphi in 2003, he has expanded Adelphi’s ties to the Long Island business community and increased the number of internships and employment opportunities for students. Mr. Rothschild holds an endowed chair at the Turnaround Management Association, is on the board of the Young Professional's Chamber of Commerce, which is a subsidiary of the Huntington Chamber of Commerce. He is a founding member and sits on the board of the Organizational Development Network of Long Island.
Mr. Rothschild has extensive experience in higher education and technology, having served as director of Internet Strategies at Fordham University and having taught as an adjunct professor at Dowling College, John Jay College, and Iona College. He holds an M.B.A. and B.A. in economics from Iona College and an M.S. in education from Fordham University. A former Cub Scout, Mr. Rothschild lives in Long Beach.
Deborah Schiff
Deborah Schiff is serving as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors. She is also a Board Champion on a Strategic Learning team for GSNC. As a health care administrator and the mother of a daughter, she is committed to promoting the health and well being of girls in our community. As Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for the North Shore LIJ Health System, Mrs. Schiff is responsible for developing strategies to expand and build relationships with the Health System’s network of more than 9,000 employed and community physicians, and provide greater opportunities for North Shore-LIJ ambulatory programs to enhance services to the more than seven million people in the Health System’s coverage area throughout Long Island and NYC.In addition, she serves on the board of directors of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, Carol’s Cause and Hispanic Counseling Center.
Mrs. Schiff strives to establish meaningful partnerships with communities, which she believes will assist in understanding how healthcare can best be delivered in the communities where people live and work”. Her work has been recognized by numerous community-based organizations such as the Coalition for Community Well Being, Soroptimist International and The March of Dimes. Mrs. Schiff is a resident of Dix Hills.
Dr. Laura Schramm
Dr. Laura Schramm is serving her first term as a Member at Large of the Board of Directors.Dr. Schramm is a tenured Associate Professor in the department of Biological Sciences at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. Her research on the regulation of cancer cell growth has led to many peer reviewed publications and her research is currently funded by the National Institute of Health. Prior to joining St. John’s University in 2003, she was a Research Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at NSU-LIJ. Dr. Schramm completed her postdoctoral training at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Before earning her doctorate in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Dr. Schramm taught high school chemistry and physics.
Dr. Schramm has taken an active role in Girl Scouting, developing a scientific workshop for the GSNC in collaboration with St. John’s University to promote the Girl Scout’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) initiative. In the last 3 years, over three hundred and fifty Girl Scouts from Nassau County, from Daisies to Ambassadors, have participated in the workshop held at St. John’s University.
Recently, Dr. Schramm has moved to Garden City, with her husband Michael and her daughters Hailey, aged 7, and Gabriella, aged 4. Dr. Schramm is a Brownie Troop Co-Leader for Hailey’s Troop and hoping to volunteer as a Daisy Troop Leader for Gabriella next year.
Barbara Murphy Schwaner
Barbara Murphy Schwaner is a Licensed Clinical Social
Worker and Board Certified Diplomate. Ms. 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 and has a private
practice in Mineola.
Ms. Schwaner volunteers as an Ambassador and Senior Girl Scout Troop Leader and Trainer of Relational Aggression for Girl Scouts of Nassau County. Her articles on Relational Aggression have been published in social work newsletters locally and nationally. As a parent of a teenager, Ms. 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. Schwaner served a two year term as a member of the Council Nominating Committee and is serving as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors. Her daughter earned her Gold Award this year.
Leslie Segrete
A former Nassau County Girl Scout, Leslie was elected to serve as a Member-at-Large
of the Board of Directors in 2008. As a member
of the Fund Development Committee, Ms. Segrete co-chaired the committee for the concession
stand at the U.S. Open. She is also the chair of volunteers for the first “Girls Go the
Distance” Walkathon. When not helping out our girls, Leslie works as a home improvement
expert with an eye for design and the skills to get the job done. She has worked hard
making design dreams become reality as a carpenter and designer for TLC's hit series
“Trading Spaces” and “While You Were Out.” She was also the designer for WEtv’s “The
Ugliest House on the Block” designing dramatic exterior makeovers that benefit the whole
community. Ms. Segrete is currently in production on a new series for A&E called “$100 Makeover” helping families create a fresh look at home using what they’ve already got right in their own homes. In addition to television, Ms.
Segrete co-hosts “The Money Pit,” a nationally syndicated home improvement radio program heard on over 237 radio
stations around the nation.
Ms. Segrete has shared her talents with the Girl Scouts of Nassau County helping girls earn badges, learn new skills and get creative. She helped 100 girls earn their Sew Simple badge, making pillows for themselves and “cage comforters” for many animals at the New York Center for Animal Care and Control. Ms. Segrete also shared her knowledge and talents with our Adult Volunteers during Oktoberfest weekend. In 2007 Ms. Segrete received the Juliette Low Award of Distinction from Girl Scouts of Nassau County. Leslie is a mom to Henry, wife to Edward and lives in Garden City.
Priscilla Wong
Priscilla Wong is serving as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors. She currently serves on the Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s Asian Task Force. Her two daughters are currently Girl Scouts and on the Asian Task Force. Mrs. Wong was a Girl Scout Troop Leader for two years and also volunteered her time for three years as a Den Mother in Boy Scouts. She has a son who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 2009. She is a lifelong resident of Nassau County and was a Girl Scout as a young girl.
Ms. Wong has traveled extensively throughout the world. A graduate of St. Johns University in the School of Pharmacy, she has worked in many different areas as a pharmacist. She would like to see a more national involvement of GSNC as an educational opportunity for budding young American female leaders. She believes belonging to GSNC strengthens the personality and leadership values of the girls.