Schneps Media hosted the inaugural Queens Power List on Thursday, Oct. 27, at Terrace on the Park, where more than 400 people gathered to honor and celebrate the most influential individuals in Queens.
The honorees also spent a lot of time networking with each other to further grow their businesses.
“It’s nice to be recognized amongst your peers,” St. Johns Episcopal Hospital Executive Vice President of External Affairs Renee Hastick-Motes said. “To be recognized among excellent community leaders, business owners and others is truly an honor. This event presents such a great opportunity to get our community’s name out there.”
Business people, community leaders, healthcare leaders, local politicians, educators and more were included on the 2022 list for their incredible contributions to Queens over the past year.
“Port Authority runs LaGuardia and JFK, so the Queens community is enormously important,” Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Rick Cotton said. “We want to make sure the neighborhoods surrounding the airports benefit from the rebuilding that’s going on. This event brings so many Queens people together and I think it’s a wonderful celebration of Queens. It’s a very important community event.”
Also lauded were Queens lawmakers, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, District Attorney Melinda Katz and many others. Those in attendance were pleasantly surprised when New York City Mayor Eric Adams made an appearance and addressed the formidable crowd.
“[Schneps Media] is a great New York City institution for acknowledging the bread and butter of the people in the city,” Adams said. “Companies are opening every day in this city. New York City is where the American Dream comes alive. And it becomes alive because of all of you, who we’re honoring today. Let’s show the country and the city our resiliency.”
The Power List began on Long Island close to 20 years ago. Over the past two years Schneps Media has added the Bronx Power List and the Dan’s Power List of the East End events. Schneps Media, founded in Queens, is thrilled to add Queens to the Power List recognition program.
“I believe the Queens community needs to know that we provide a wide variety of service to the community,” NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens Chief Executive Officer Neil Moore said. “The ability to network with others both inside and outside the medical community is very important to our organization.”
Schneps Media, publishers of The Queens Courier, the Bayside Times, Jamaica Times, Flushing Times, Caribbean Life, El Correo and 80 other publications, produces over 25 events a year to publicize, connect and celebrate those who make meaningful contributions to business and the community.
“An event like this is really important to all the organizations represented here,” JFKIAT President and CEO Roel Huinink said. “We’re bringing communities together by creating jobs and supporting the community. We really believe that giving back is part of our essence, part of our life. We really want to show that we have a broad approach to supporting the community.”
“Queens has extraordinary people and they dedicate themselves to the future of this great borough,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “Queens is an attitude and we like that attitude. And we respect it and use it. This power list is made up of so many individuals who know the great power of this world.”
“Our business has a long history here in Queens and our roots are here,” Cord Meyer President and CEO Matthew Whalen said. “We’re very focused on doing business locally and [events like this] are the right kinds of things for us. Cord Meyer has been around since before Queens was a borough. I like to say we’re the oldest company nobody knows about, but I’d like to change that. These are the kinds of events where we can do that.”
Each honoree received a trophy as well as a citation from New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. and from New York State Senator Leroy Comrie.. In addition to recognizing the honorees the event also included a raffle, with all of the proceeds going to The Family Legacy Foundation Inc.
The 2022 Queens Power List includes the following:
Leonard Achan: President and CEO: LiveOnNY
Hon. Adrienne Adams: Councilwoman, District 28: Speaker, New York City Council
Hon. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.: NYS Senator, 15th District
Rokeya Akhter – Advocate for Equality and Human Rights: Community Leader
Gina Argento: President and CEO: Broadway Stages
David Aronov: Special Adviser, Community and External Relations: UJA Federation of NY
Helen Arteaga Landaverde, MPH – CEO: NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
Winnie Benjamin: Founder and Chief Operating Officer: Stewardship Masters International Inc.
Seth Bornstein: Executive Director: Queens Economic Development Corp.
Alexander Camarda: Director, State Government Affairs: Charter Communications
Lorraine Chambers Lewis, PA-C, MBA, FACHE: Executive Director: Long Island Jewish Forest Hills-Northwell Health
Derek Chan: President and CEO: Greater Hudson Financial
Wellington Chen: Executive Director: Chinatown Partnership
Yi Andy Chen: Queens Executive Director: Coalition of Asian-Americans for Civil Rights
John J. Ciafone, Esq.: Trial Attorney: Law Offices of John J. Ciafone
Hon. Leroy Comrie: NYS Senator, 14th District
Rick Cotton: Executive Director, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Martine Duphrezin: Principal, RCGA+DM Architects
Michael Faltischek: Founding Partner, Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C.
Bruce J. Flanz: President and CEO, MediSys Health Network
Hon. James F. Gennaro: Council member, District 24
Debra-Ellen Glickstein: Founding Executive Director, NYC Kids RISE
Yvette Greene-Dennis: Executive Director of Program Management, Crescent Consulting
Renee Hastick-Motes: MPA Vice President, External Affairs, St. Johns Episcopal Hospital
Hon. Carl Heastie: Assemblyman, 83rd District, Speaker, New York State Assembly
Tyquana Henderson-Rivers: Founder and President, Connective Strategies
Christopher F. Herman, M.Ed: Head of School, Garden School
James Ho, MD: Regional Medical Director for New York City, Sun River Health
Roel Huinink: President and CEO, JFKIAT
Joey Jackson: Principal and Founder, Joey Jackson Law PLLC
Hon. Letitia James: Attorney General, State of New York
Patrick B. Jenkins: Founder: Patrick B. Jenkins and Associates
Dr. Berenecea Johnson Eanes: President, York College
Hon. Melinda Katz: Queens District Attorney
Nabaraj KC: President, College Point Civic and Taxpayers Assoc.
Paula Kirby: Managing Director, Plaxall
Ingrid Lewis-Martin: Chief Adviser, Office of the Mayor
Hon. John C. Liu: NYS Senator, 11th District
Msgr. Alfred LoPinto: President and CEO, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens
Mike Luba: Co-President, Madison House Presents
Dr. Christine Mangino: President, Queensborough Community College
Bruno Marques: General Manager, Terrace on the Park
Phil Matcovsky: Chief Operating Officer, Federation of Organizations
Joseph Mattone Sr.: Chairman: Mattone Investors, LLC
Renee McClure: Manager, Community and Customer Management, National Grid
Hon. Gregory Meeks: Congressman, NY’s Fifth Congressional District
Hon. Grace Meng: Congresswoman, NY’s Sixth Congressional District
Neil J. Moore: Chief Executive Officer, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens
Dr. Jasmin Moshirpur: Chief Medical Officer, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
Khenrab Palden – Executive Director: Tibetan Community of NY and NJ
Asila Park – Branch Manager: Flushing Bank
Joseph Pistilli – Chairman of the Board: First Central Savings Bank
Dr. Beverly Raudales – Senior Vice President: Communilife Inc.
Hon. Donovan Richards – President, Borough of Queens
Justin K. Rodgers – President and CEO: Greater Jamaica Development Corp.
Michael N. Rosenblut – President and CEO: Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation
Laura Rothrock: President, Long Island City Partnership
Hon. James Sanders Jr.: Chairman of the Senate Committee, NYS Senator, 10th District
Frank Scremin: Chief Executive Officer, LaGuardia Gateway Partners
Amir Sobhraj: Managing Partner, Zara Realty Holding Corp.
Neofitos Stefanides, MD: Orthopedic Surgeon, All Island Orthopedics
Michelle Stoddart: Vice President of Community Development and Public Affairs, Resorts World New York City
Hon. Tom Suozzi: Congressman, New York’s Third Congressional District
Kennis Tong: Senior Home Loan Consultant, Valley Bank
Eric Ulrich: Commissioner, NYC Department of Buildings
Dr. Miriam Vega: Chief Executive Officer, Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center
Hon. David Weprin: Assembly member: 24th Assembly District
Matthew B. Whalen: President and CEO, Cord Meyer Development Company
Michael Woloz: President and CEO, CMW Strategies
Frank Wu: President, Queens College
Sofia Yagudaev: President of Operations, Boulevard Home Care Associates
To learn more about the honorees please visit queenspowerlist.com. For more information about Schneps Media’s upcoming events please visit SchnepsEvents.com or reach out to Demetra Mattone, director of corporate events, at dmattone@schnepsMedia.com or at 718-260-4512.
