Board of Directors
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. |
A Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors since 2003, Marianela Jordan is 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. |
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. |
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 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.
|
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 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.
|
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 being nominated to serve 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 being nominated to serve 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. |
Paige Johnston Charles Ms. Charles has been a member of the Nassau County Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. since 2005. She attends Second Baptist Church in Baldwin where she has served as the Corresponding Secretary and Co-Treasurer of the Scholarship Committee, and as the Assistant Director of the Praise Dance Ministry. In 2008 Ms. Charles was inducted into the Links Incorporated, Long Island Charpter. A graduate of Morgan State University in Baltimore with a B.S. in Biology, Ms. Charles is Assistant Vice President of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in Brooklyn. She and her family reside in Baldwin Harbor. |
Dr. Agnelo Dias 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 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. |
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 |
A graduate of Siena College with a BBA in Accounting, Allison is currently a Senior Manager with KPMG LLP. Allison resides in West Hempstead with her husband Joe and their four children, Bridget, Patrick, Thomas and Emily. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
Vilma Osborne was elected to serve as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors in A graduate of St. Francis College, Ms. Osborne also received her MPA from New York University. She has enjoyed a long career in the field of health care administration and is currently the Licensed Nursing Home Administrator of Oak Hollow Nursing Care Center. Ms. Osborne is the Vice President of the Stearn's Park Civic Association in Freeport where she lives. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
Leslie Segrete 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. |
Diane M. McFarlane, Esq., President
Marianela Jordan, Executive Vice President
Diane White, Vice President
William Mays, Vice President
Eric Rogers, Treasurer 
Donna Ceravolo, Executive Director/CEO




Anthony J. Edelman
Allison Kasson
Miriam Lopez
Betty Monroe
Domenique Camacho Moran, Esq.
Cathy O'Reilly
Vilma Osborne
Christopher J. Pendergast
Brian Rothschild 




