The Business Council of Westchester Honors Rising Stars

The Business Council of Westchester honored 40 of Westchester County’s best young talents with the 2014 Rising Star Awards.

The awards were given out on June 12, 2014 during a ceremony at RPW Group at 800 Westchester Avenue in Rye Brook. This year’s winners represent a wide-range of professionals from various backgrounds including law, government, media, politics, education and the arts. The honorees are among the finest young talents in Westchester County and work with some of the region’s best companies and institutions.

During the event, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino told the winners that they are integral to Westchester’s economy and vital to its future. “Rising Stars are indeed the foundation upon which the future of Westchester will be built,” Astorino told the crowd. “You represent the technology sector, education, medicine, law, non-profits and everything in between.”

Maria Freburg, Senior Vice President at Webster Bank, is chair of the Rising Stars program. Freburg received “40 Under 40” honors in 2011.Tara Rosenblum of News12 Westchester, a 2007 winner, was the event’s emcee.

“It is gratifying to see such a wonderful group of people with such great talents,” said Dr. Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of The Business Council of Westchester. “This class, and the ones that have preceded it, are so very important to Westchester. It is clear that the county’s future is in good hands.”

The program is modeled after the national business recognition program “Forty Under Forty” and Rising Stars is specifically designed to recognize individuals under the age of 40 who exemplify leadership, foresight and a vision for the future of Westchester County. Winners were selected based on professional and/or entrepreneurial accomplishments, demonstrated leadership qualities and professional and/or business affiliations.

 The 2014 Rising Stars are:

·         Michelle Arbitrio, Wilson Elser

·         Jimmy Avari, New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Westchester Division

·         Adrian Berezowsky, IVI Telecom Services, Inc.

·         Nicholas Califano, Yonkers Brewing Co.

·         Joshua Caspi, Caspi Development

·         Won Choe, Consolidated Edison Company of New York

·         Eros Corpus, Batteries Plus Bulbs White Plains

·         Alexa D’Agostino, Mercy College

·         Laura Damiano, Laura Damiano Designs

·         Natalie Davis, eDocNY/Arc of Westchester

·         David DeMilia, Tomkins Mahopac Bank

·         Joseph Donato, Joey Shortkutz LLC

·         Stephen Dressel, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

·         Anthony Farsetta, PrimePay Inc.

·         Jenna Ferris, Peekskill City School District

·         Ian Flor, Hudson Health Plan

·         Jennifer Gray, Keane & Beane, P.C.

·         April Horton, Verizon

·         Nikola IIic, RPW Group, Inc.

·         Robert Kissner, The Digital Arts Experience

·         Antoinette Klatzsky, Eileen Fisher Community Foundation

·         Joseph Kwasniewski, Port Chester Carver Center

·         Dorothy Leone, Iona College

·         Jeremy Leventhal, Faros Properties

·         Francois Magnant, Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits

·         Luke Matthews, Tommie Copper

·         Theresa Motko, Entergy

·         John Pacifico, Abyrx, Inc.

·         Timothy Plunkett, McKenna Long & Aldridge

·         Sabah Rajput, Walison Corporation

·         Amanda Ready, Hope’s Door

·         Jenna Russo, News 12 Westchester

·         Tony Sayegh, Fox News

·         Ryan Schildwachter, Murphy Brothers Contracting

·         Richard St. Paul, Law Office of Richard St. Paul, Esq., PLLC

·         Hilary Sweeney, Westchester Circus Arts

·         Scott Tasch, Altium Wealth Management, LLC

·         Brian Van Riper, Reckson, a Division of SL Green Realty Corp

·         Britta Vander Linden, Office of the County Executive/ Westchester County Government

·         Marvin Vasquez, Multi Marketing USA