The Queens Courier and Queens Business will host the 3rd Annual Kings of Queens Awards & Networking Event presented by American Airlines. This event will recognize Queens’ most influential men in business whose achievements and participation in many community activities throughout the years has helped the city grow.
The event will take place Thursday, October 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Meet the honorees here:
John Buran
President & CEO
Flushing Bank
John R. Buran is a Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of Flushing Financial Corporation, holding company for Flushing Bank and Flushing Commercial Bank. He joined Flushing in 2001 as Chief Operating Officer and became a Director of the bank and holding company in 2003. In 2005, he was named President and Chief Executive Officer.
A seasoned executive, Buran’s career spans over 30 years in the banking industry, beginning with Citibank in 1977. He left Citibank to become Senior Vice President, Division Head for Retail Services of NatWest Bank and later Executive Vice President of Fleet Bank’s (now Bank of America) retail branch system in New York City, Long Island, Westchester and Southern Connecticut. Buran also spent time as a consultant and Assistant to the President of Carver Bank, the nation’s largest minority controlled bank.
Buran has been a board member of the Long Island Association, both the Nassau and Suffolk County Boy Scouts, Family and Children’s Association, EAS, Long Island University, the Long Island Philharmonic and Channel 21
His work in the community has been recognized by Family and Children’s Association, and the Gurwin Jewish Geriatric Center. He was also a recipient of the Long Island Association’s SBA Small Business Advocate Award.
Buran was honored with St. Joseph’s College’s Distinguished Service Award in 1998 and 2004. Today, he serves on the Board of Trustees of the College where he is a member of the Finance, and Nominating Committees. He also serves as Audit Committee Chairman and is former Board President of Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City. He is a Board member of The Korean American Youth Foundation. He is also currently Vice Chairman of the New York Bankers Association as well as the Chairman of New York Bankers Service Corporation.
Michael Clendenin
Director of Media Relations
Con Edison
Michael Clendenin, a lifelong resident of Queens, is director of Media Relations at Con Edison, where he has worked for the past 10 years. He supervises a 24/7 press office handling news inquiries on company issues, broad energy topics and emergencies. His office also produces news releases, general information on the company web site (https://www.coned.com/newsroom/), and manages Con Edison’s use of new social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook and flip-cam videos.
Prior to joining Con Edison, Clendenin worked 10 years in the New York City Council press office, serving as Communications Director for Council Speaker Peter F. Vallone, Sr.
Clendenin was born and raised in Queens Village, attending Our Lady of Lourdes School and St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Northeastern University in Boston, MA.
In addition to his other job experience, Clendenin has worked in both print and broadcast media, including WEEI-CBS radio in Boston, Gannett-Westchester Newspapers, The Quincy Patriot Ledger and the Associated Press. He is a member of the New York Press Club, and also serves as a Board Member on the Lifeline Center for Child Development in Bellerose.
He and his wife, Lynn, live in Hollis Hills and have three children: Matthew, Carolyn and Marla. He enjoys golf, roots for the Mets, and sees every movie.
Leonard T. D’Amico
Partner
The D & F Development Group, LLC
Leonard T. D’Amico, determined to be a successful businessman like his father, made a decision in 1982 that changed his life. He decided that the best way to achieve this goal would be to enter the Real Estate industry.
After 22 years, and many successful Real Estate ventures, D’Amico co-founded The D & F Development Group, LLC in 2004, and has been co-owner since then. As Co-CEO of D & F, D’Amico’s responsibilities include Senior Management oversight, Strategic Planning and Finance.
In the last 10 years, The D & F Development Group has developed projects with a combined total of over $200 million. D & F owns and manages over 1,600 residential units and employs over 80 persons in the NYC region.
This year, D & F, as part of a joint venture, St Albans Village, has been named the designated developer by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to redevelop their 55-acre campus in NYC. The project entails building several medical facilities as well as residential housing.
Over the years, D’Amico has involved himself in many political, educational, cultural, civic and charitable causes. He was appointed in 1998 to the Queens Borough Public Library Board of Trustees, where he served as Board President between 2006 and 2008. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Queens Centers for Progress, formerly Queens Cerebral Palsy and is a member of the Board of Directors of Queens Economic Development Corp.
D’Amico attended Queensborough Community College at night, where he received his AS degree in Business Administration. He continued his education at St. John’s University where he received his BS in Finance. Obtaining his real estate license he developed his knowledge of LP partnerships, coop conversions, managing distressed properties and initiating new projects.
D’Amico resides in Nassau with his wife Wendy, who has worked by his side for over 20 years. He has two successful daughters, Amanda and Lauren. He is also proud to recognize his mother, Gloria D’Amico, who is the first woman to be the Clerk of Queens County, NYC.
Peter G. Florey
Principal
The D&F Development Group, LLC
Born and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Peter Florey holds a BA from Connecticut College in Urban Studies and a Masters in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania.
After completing graduate school in 1982, Florey worked for the City of New York’s Division of Real Property and Department of Housing Preservation and Development, where he helped to develop the Integrated Property Information System, a real estate tracking program that is still in use by numerous city agencies. In 1986, he joined The Dime Savings Bank (now JP Morgan Chase) as Vice President of Community Development where he underwrote many affordable housing transactions.
In 1988, Florey joined Benjamin Development Co. Inc., where he rose to the level of Executive Vice President in charge of Management and Development. While at Benjamin Development, he spearheaded numerous affordable housing projects in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, the Bronx and Queens. Some of the more notable projects included a new 3,000-seat cathedral and a 300-unit affordable senior project in partnership with Allen AME Church. He was the lead project manager for the 128-acre smart growth development known as Arverne by the Sea in the Rockaways.
Florey formed The D & F Development Group with his partner, Leonard D’Amico, in 2004 and has since completed nine affordable residential projects and has another five underway.
He is a board member of Friends Assisting Nassau Seniors (FANS) and a founding board member of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH).
In 2006 he was honored by the Interfaith Nutritional Network (INN) as their Humanitarian of the Year; in 2007 he and D’Amico received the Guest of Honor Award from SHAREing & CAREing, Inc.; and in 2009 the pair received the Guest of Honor Award from the Education & Assistance Corporation (EAC).
John A. Golden
President & Managing Member
Martin A. Gleason Funeral Home LLC
John A. Golden is the President and managing Member of the Martin A. Gleason Funeral Home. As a licensed New York State funeral director, Golden not only owns, but is also involved in the day-to-day care at the Gleason’s Funeral Homes, where he has come to know so many members of the Queens neighborhoods.
Among his community contributions, he is an active member of Bishop DiMarzio’s charitable Coat of Arms Club for the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens; was recently promoted to Commander with a Star in the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre; Past President of Flushing’s First Friday Club; Third degree Knight of Columbus in the Joyce Kilmer Council in Flushing; and past member of Flushing Hospital’s Internal Review Board.
His B.A. in Economics from York College in Jamaica has served him well and prepared him to meet the challenges of the Queens business community.
Happily married and enjoying one son and two grandsons, Golden feels that he owes his happiness and success to the supportive environment in which he was raised in Queens.
Edward Horn
Director of Sales Marketing
& Community Affairs
St. Michaels Cemetery
Edward Horn has lived in many places, but being born in the city, he has called New York home for most of his life. A graduate of Long Island University, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.
He was a special aide to the Comptroller of the State of New York and worked on the successful senatorial campaign for Robert F. Kennedy. Additionally, Horn has authored many political commentaries which have appeared around the nation.
Horn is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, which honored him with their Keep it Personal Award. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Variety Boys & Girls Club of Long Island City and of the Central Astoria Local Development Coalition.
Joining St. Michael’s Cemetery, he assumed the position of Director of Sales, Marketing & Community Relations in 2003. He led the effort to create the Queens FDNY memorial to the 76 Firefighters lost at the Twin Towers. He then insured that the officers of the New York Police Department and Port Authority Police Department had a monument dedicated to their losses of September 11. Working with community leaders and elected officials these accomplishments were acknowledged by Congressmember Carolyn Maloney.
Horn is always reaching out to the community and the citizens of the City of New York, insuring that St. Michael’s is an active and welcome member to families and organizations.
He is the father of eight and devoted to his wife Valerie. His friendships extend across the nation and are decades old.
Howard Koeppel
CEO
Koeppel Auto Group
Howard Koeppel was born in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. He served two years in the United States Military, stationed in Alaska, and upon returning in 1959, he became involved in his father’s Chrysler auto dealership.
Koeppel was born into an automotive family. His father, Nathan Koeppel, owned Airport Motors, a Chrysler dealership in Jackson Heights. After he passed away, Koeppel opened Koeppel Porsche and Audi. In 1983 he joined up with Mark Lacher and they purchased a Datsun (now Nissan) dealership. In 1990 they opened Koeppel Infinity.
And in 1994 Koeppel and Lacher opened Koeppel Volkswagen, followed by Koeppel Mazda in 2003, both in Woodside, and Koeppel Subaru in 2009 in Long Island City.
They also own and operate a substantial pre-owned car operation in addition to their four new car franchises. The various businesses are located in Woodside, Jackson Heights and Long Island City neighborhoods.
Other lifetime achievements for Koeppel are appointments to many honorary and directorial offices in New York City. He is an honorary Police Commissioner of New York City, an Honorary Fire Commissioner of New York City and a representative on the board of trustees of Carnegie Hall, first in 1994 representing Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, then Speaker of the City Council, Gifford Miller and currently Speaker Christine Quinn. Past appointments include Chairman of the New York City Marshalls, as well as on the Taxi and Limousine Advisory Board.
Eduardo Marti
Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges
City University of New York
Eduardo J. Martí was appointed President of Queensborough Community College on July 1, 2000. An experienced educator who has led several community colleges with distinction for more than 25 years, Martí previously served for six years as President of Corning Community College of the State University of New York (SUNY), and for eight years prior, as President of SUNY’s Tompkins Cortland Community College. Martí also served as Executive Dean of Tunxis Community College and Acting President of Middlesex Community College, both located in Connecticut.
An advocate for community college education, high standards and traditional values of education, Martí serves on, among others, the Board of Teachers College at Columbia University, as well as the Community College Research Center Advisory Board of Columbia University, and on the Excelsior College Board. At Teachers, he is a member of the Trustees Advisory Board for the Campaign for Educational Equity. Additionally, he serves on the Board for the Hispanic Educational Telecommunications System (HETS) and the Board of Governors of the Council for Aid to Education. Recent appointments include The College Board’s Commission on Community Colleges and The California Community College Collaborative at the University of California, Riverside (C4).
Active within each community of which he was a part, Martí has held positions as President of the United Way of Tompkins County, member of the Private Industry Council of Steuben, Schuyler and Chemung Counties, and honorary member of the Ithaca and Corning Rotary Clubs. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Queens Chamber of Commerce and past member of the Board of Directors of the Queens Symphony Orchestra. Martí serves on the Board of the Queensborough Community College Fund, Inc., QCC’s primary fundraising organization that opens the Bayside campus to the community by sponsoring numerous educational and cultural events and programs.
Jose Rey
Attorney
Law Office of Jose Rey
After finishing high school in Cuba, Jose Rey came to the United States in 1960 as a political refugee.
After several menial jobs, he opened two jewelry stores. He sold the stores and with the profits, he enrolled in St. Johns University in Jamaica, where he majored in political science.
Four years later, in 1969, he was accepted into New York Law School’s night program so he could work during the day and pay his tuition. He received his Juris Doctor degree in March of 1975 and opened a store-front practice in Jackson Heights, — the first Hispanic attorney in the area.
Within four years, he cultivated a very large practice and hired two Hispanic attorneys to serve the clientele. He began representing businessmen and traders in the community who introduced him to foreign real estate investors from Venezuela, Mexico, Spain and other Hispanic countries.
At that time he became involved in many civic and charitable organizations, donating his time and money to less fortunate Hispanics in the community. He also became the attorney for the first Hispanic bank that opened in New York.
Thereafter, he became involved in the political arena by befriending elected officials and donating money to various campaigns, being invited on several occasions to the White House to the meet the President.
He has continued practicing in Jackson Heights and focuses on personal injuries, real estate, bankruptcy, divorces and immigration.
John Vogt
Regional Director of
Restaurant Operations
White Castle Management Co.,
John Vogt was born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens. He attended P.S. 89 and J.H.S 73 before moving to Whitestone, Queens where he transferred to J.H.S. 194 and then attended Bayside High school.
When Vogt started work behind the counter at the White Castle in Jackson Heights on Northern Boulevard, he expected to spend a few months in the quick service restaurant to earn some extra cash on his summer vacation.
That was 40 years ago, and today he leads the efforts of the management team responsible for 48 White Castle restaurants throughout New York, with over 1,500 employees focused on serving up that one of a kind steam grilled taste of White Castle hamburgers.
Acknowledged as a no nonsense leader with a focus on “making it happen,” Vogt has been at his present post as Regional Director of Restaurant Operations since 2002. In 1995, he was honored by induction into White Castle’s prestigious 25-year club.
Vogt also serves as White Castle’s unofficial historian and is as comfortable quoting sales figures on a specific restaurant site, as he is in pointing out General Washington’s rambles around the city during the Revolutionary War.
Despite managing a 24-hour operation on behalf of White Castle, he is chair of the LaGuardia Community College Foundation, chair of the Sunnyside BID, past president of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce and is involved in numerous other civic and charity efforts.
Vogt is also “married with children.” He presently resides in Lindenhurst, Suffolk County with wife Candida, and their three children, Nichole, Robert and Emily. Vogt affirms they are all beef eaters and White Castle Cravers.
Given an apparent pledge to forgo sleep, his hobbies include, boating, fishing and model trains.
