2019 Honorees
Rhonda Klch
The Equity First Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which services clients all over Long Island. Rhonda Klch started this foundation with the mission to offer services, resources and programs to consumers and small business that are facing financial distress.
This nonprofit is guided by a board of experts from the Long Island business community. They strive to educate the community so people can make financial decisions with knowledge and confidence. Some people they help through their workshops are those in women’s shelters, homeless shelters, veteran homes, at-risk communities, drug rehabilitation centers and senior centers.
Visit Equity First Foundation’s Website
Jamie Patrice Alpern
Jamie Patrice Alpern is a partner with Koeppel Martone & Leistman, LLC which is the leading New York State law firm devoted exclusively to real property tax assessment litigation with condemnation law. With her 35-year history at Koeppel Martone & Leistman Jamie has handled virtually every aspect of real property tax assessment litigation, involving a vast array of real property types and associated legal issues.
Jamie is a past Chair and Vice Chair of the Nassau County Bay Association’s Committee
on Tax Certiorari and Condemnation Law in which she is a long-standing member. She is also a member of the New York State and Suffolk County Bar Associations, and is an associate member of the Association for a Better Long Island (ABLI).
Jamie currently serves on the Ambassadors Council of the Long Island Crisis Center where she was involved for many years as a volunteer and member of the organization’s Board of Directors. In 2016 Long Island Crisis Center honored Jamie in their Life-Saving Circle of Friends, and in 2014 with the Linda Nadel Memorial Award for Community Service. From 2003 to 2013 Jamie volunteered with at-rist teenagers at Pride for Youth and was recognized as their 2011 Volunteer of the Year. From 2014 through 2016 she volunteered at Cove Animal Rescue/Animal Lovers League. Jamie is the proud recipient of a Citation from the Town of Hempstead for her charitable endeavours.
Jamie received her J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law, and her Bachelor’s degree from S.U.N.Y. at Albany graduating Summa Cum Laude and inducted as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
In 2016 Jamie adopted a senior rescue dog, Kenzie, who is the Koeppel Martone & Leistman mascot.
Jamie would like to express her gratitude to Mary Hauptman, President of the Long Island Center for Business & Professional Women for the nomination and recognition as a 2019 Achiever, and to her family, friends and colleagues for their unwavering support.
Michelle Zettergren
As president of MagnaCare’s Labor and Public Sector division, Michelle and her team work tirelessly to deliver personalized service and custom-fit joined MagnaCare in 2017 because of her desire to renew her career-long commitment to Labor with a trusted company that appreciates the value of delivering on its promise to its Labor clients.
Michelle brings over 20 years of experience in the health insurance industry, most recently as Chief Sales Officer at HPOne, and Senior Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for ConnectiCare, a subsidiary of EmblemHealth.
Michelle led ConnectiCare’s efforts in the commercial and Medicare segments, with ownership of sales, account management, product, underwriting, group reporting, marketing, communications, and public relations. Prior to ConnectiCare, Michelle spent nearly 14 years at Anthem BCBS in various leadership roles in sales and underwriting focused on labor.
Michelle completed Labor Relations training with the University of Connecticut’s Office of Labor Relations. She is a certified Mediator and has consulted in numerous Labor negotiations, and has serves on multiple local and national boards including the American Association of Payers, Administrators and Networks (AAPAN) and she proudly serves as co-Chair for Special Olympics Connecticut.
Vita Scaturro
Vita Scaturro was born in Montevideo, Uruguay to Italian parents she lived there till she was three years old before moving back to Italy. In 1973 at the age of 15 Ms. Scaturro moved to Woodside Queens with her family from Florence, Italy. She attended Mary Help of Christian Academy a private Salesian school in New Jersey and graduated in 1977. She enrolled at Baruch College and got her first banking job at Manufacturers Hanover Trust. She worked through college, going to school at night with support from the bank and then she worked her way up through the corporate ladder.
Ms. Scaturro is a Financial Industry Banker with thirty-eight-years of proven contributions to the areas of new business development, sales management and staff development. She is a results-oriented and motivational leader with a special talent for building cooperative and proactive work environments that foster achievement of corporate goals. Her areas of strength include relationship management, new business development, team leadership, sales and revenue growth. Currently she holds the position of Business Relationship Manager, VP at JPMorgan Chase.
Ms. Scaturro dedicates and spends most of her free time volunteering with several non-for-profit organizations in the town of Huntington where she lives.
She serves in different roles in the following organizations:
The Huntington Chamber of Commerce, Executive Board, since 2006 until present. Chair Elect.
The Townwide Fund of Huntington Inc. Executive Board, Treasurer 2008-2015. Current Grant Committee Grant Chair 2009- present and Finance Committee.
Moonjumpers Charitable Foundation Inc. 2012 until present, Executive Board 1st Vice President.
Lt. Det. Joseph Petrosino Association in America Inc. 2012 until present 2nd VP.
Leadership Huntington Foundation Inc.2013-2018 President. Currently Board Member.
Ms Scaturro has been consistently recognized in her community work and has received the following awards:
2013 Townwide Fund of Huntington Inc. Honoree Award-Leadership and Community Service.
2014 The Long Islander News recognized her as Person of the Year and awarded her has the First Recipient of the Larry Kushnick Memorial Award for Community Leadership.
2016 Italian American Museum Ambasciatore Award for promoting culture and community leadership.
2016 5th Senate District Woman of Distinction Award Senator Carl L. Marcellino-. Outstanding service and many contributions to the community
Ms. Scaturro lives in the town of Huntington with her children Daniela, Joseph and granddaughter Gabriella.
Dana Persico
Recognized as a leading authority on all aspects of beauty and style, Dana Persico, founder and chief executive officer of Long Island Nail Skin & Hair institute has brought her “science-based and trend-forward” sense of style and global insights to many of the industries’ most respected and global organizations. The New York-born beauty expert has committed her career to raise the bar on beauty industry standards. Thought her avant-garde educational
approach, thousands of aestheticians, nail technicians, waxers, and makeup artist had attained great success within the multi billion dollar beauty and medical spa industry.
Dana’s vision and commitment to our Long Island beauty school and her professional endeavours both domestically and abroad have enabled her students to gain first-hand industry related beauty experience during their course of study. Dana regularly designs runway looks for various designers and New York’s Fashion Week.
She has been featured in every leading beauty publication and has numerous TV and published appearances to her credit, including:
Fitness, Elle, Cosmo, Teen Vogue, Star, Lady’s Home Journal, Glamour, Essence, The New York Times, InStyle, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, Vogue, CBC, People, Lucky, Redbook, O Magazine, Nail Pro, Access Hollywood, NBC, ABC, CNN, Extra, Entertainment Tonight, Full Frontal Fashion, VogueTV.com