On Thursday night, the Mansion at Oyster Bay didn’t need to light the luxury locale with PSEG Energy. The Power List winners did it with their presence.
Since my company acquired the Long Island Press, we also acquired a respected and celebrated event created 15 years ago at the relaunch of the beloved and renowned newspaper.
Since its inception, the event has been an annual tradition, an exclusive party celebrating those sought-after elites that made the cut. And it was at last year’s party that the baton of ownership was transferred from Morey Publishing to Schneps Communications.
Often people will lobby to get on the list, only to find out that’s not how it works. Only the truly influential make it and I appreciate our committee that determines the Power List.
For example, there was PSEG’s new President Daniel Eichhorn, politicians, academics, philanthropists and leaders of companies, some that are household names and some unknown, but all making an enormous impact on our world. In fact,they have the future of Long Island in their hands. The attendees are the Who’s Who of Long Island and I, along with Diane Macedo of WABC-TV, joyously presented them each with a crystal ball in keeping with the tradition of crystal as a symbol of a 15th anniversary.
It was such fun to see the joy on the faces of the family and friends who accompanied our Power Listees. It was a night to cherish for me and them.
Visiting Albany
The gathering of members of the New York State Press Association is always a powerful few days offering me new insights on my industry and gathering awards for my writers. This year, I’m proud to say, we won several awards for our insightful and investigative coverage by the Long Island Press and Queens Courier.
Albany, our state capital, is a city of grand architectural proportions from stunning, 18th century national historic sites to the massive, modernist Empire State Plaza. It includes Erastus Corning Tower, the tallest building in the state outside New York City. Every time I visit, I’m taken with the juxtaposition of the old with the new.
Although most of the buildings are built to house government offices, there are beautiful streets lined with handsome brownstone buildings. It’s a powerful city holding its place in history.
The conference was held at the Hilton but I was too late to get a room there so I stayed at the reasonably priced Holiday Inn Express only minutes from the meetings.
I’d never stayed at a Holiday Inn Express before and I was very impressed with the services they offered. I swim every morning and didn’t think I’d find a pool at the hotel, but there was an indoor pool and a gym.
Most impressive was the free buffet breakfast. That was a feast. They even offered my favorite egg white omelets, turkey sausage, yogurt, fresh fruit, pancakes, juice and multiple cauldrons of coffee. It was a very great way to begin the day.
Michele Rea, who runs NYPA and the conference, always finds informed people to speak and I always walk away with new wisdom.
I’m excited to bring to my clients the skills I learned such as how to consult with them to help them build their business with a plan not an ad. In the changing media world, I must find a better way to get the message out that our websites get over two million page views a month. So my work has just begun — a new challenge, but what is life without them!
Barbara Bush, 1925-2018
It was sad to hear of the death of former First Lady Barbara Bush, a woman I totally respected for her devotion to her family.
I also remember the critical words she shared at a commencement ceremony at her alma mater, Wellesley College. She made the point that the critical part of our lives is to always remember to hug and love our children because they are the future and must come before all else in our lives.
What a monumental yet simple statement. Did you hug your child today?
