Officers
Mary Hauptman, President
Mary Hauptman is Founder/President of MRL Realty Corp, a commercial real estate management and investment firm. Her broad expertise and experience includes overseeing the daily administration of shopping centers, office complexes, and multifamily developments. Hauptman directs all contractual management relationships for MRL’s holdings and interfaces with prospective and current tenants.
As a Long Island native, Hauptman’s dedication to her community and clients includes her association with the Long Island Center for Business and Professional Women, Huntington Chamber of Commerce, Long Island Association, National Association of Commercial Real Estate, Commercial Industrial Brokers Society, LIBOR, and Long Island Association. In addition, she is a very proud member of the Women’s President Organization- a prestigious group comprised of women presidents owning and managing Multimillion-Dollar Companies.
SUSAN GRUEN HELSINGER, DIRECTOR
By the time Susan Gruen Helsinger was twenty five, she was a founding partner of Gruen Optika Corporation of New York City. With a newborn son, she and her husband went on to build the business into the premier optical company of the metropolitan area. She traveled the world to find the most stylish of products. At thirty five, Susan and her friend, Heidi Grijnsztein, went on to open Hi-D and Su-Z Toys of Great Neck. It all came to an abrupt halt when her son, Jason, died suddenly of I.H.S.S. and Cardiomyopathy and her husband left two months later. She negotiated a buy out of both companies and started on a new journey.
Susan, a former nurse, went back to school. She received a degree as a paralegal from Adelphi University and became licensed as a Notary Public and a Real Estate Broker. Susan and her late husband, Jay Helsinger, founded the Custom Real Estate Group and JSC Building Corporation. In 2004, Susan took over sole ownership. Recently the Custom Real Estate Group was acquired by Douglas Elliman Real Estate.
Susan Gruen Helsinger is the Founder and CEO of The Jason Gruen Foundation.org, a not-for-profit organization named for her late son. The foundation is instrumental in building the Children’s Heart Centers at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and Cohen Children’s Hospital at Northwell Health. The foundation contributes equipment on an ongoing basis to many hospitals and facilities in need. The foundation made history nine years ago when it started offering cardiac screenings to eighth grade students in school systems on Long Island.
Ms. Helsinger will be installed on January 1, 2017 as Vice President of the Long Island Board of Realtors, the third largest board in the United States. She serves on the Board of Directors of the New York State Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. Susan serves on the Board of Directors of the L.I.B.O.R. Federal Credit Union and is the Parliamentarian for the Women’s Council of Realtors. Susan has served as a guest lecturer at Molloy College speaking about marketing in business. She has been chosen to be recognized as a member of the NYSAR Realtors Honor Society for the past eight years.
Ms. Helsinger was named Merrick’s “Woman of the Year” in 2000. In 2001, she was nominated by Senator Charles Fuschillo and bestowed the great honor of “Woman of Distinction” by the New York State Senate at a ceremony in Albany. In 2004, Susan was chosen as “Small Business Person of the Year” by the Nassau Chambers of Commerce from Merrick. In 2006, Ms. Helsinger was honored with the “Woman of the Year” award from United Cerebral Palsy of Nassau County, and the “Humanitarian of the Year” award from the Long Island Board of Realtors, as well as the 2008 “Spirit Award.” In March 2012, Susan and her best buddy Mary Hauptman, were bestowed the Humanitarian Award from “Best Buddies of America”, an organization founded by the Kennedy/Shriver families. In Spring 2016, Ms. Helsinger was honored with the Community Service award by the PTAs of Long Island followed by receiving the Nassau County Kiwanis Community Service Award in July. In November 2016, the National Association of realtors awarded Susan their highest honor, The Good Neighbor Award. Susan had the added distinction of being the first New Yorker to receive this award.
Susan was brought up by parents who believed that giving to others is an important part of life. Her parents, Cornelius and Jeanette Schneider were active in the Jewish War Veterans and her mother, Jeanette Schneider was a National President of J.W.V.A. Carrying on that tradition, Susan served as President of the State of New York J.W.V.A. Susan is a Past President of the Kiwanis Club of Merrick and serves as Chairperson of their largest fundraiser “Holiday Gift Wrapping for Charity” program which has raised over $400,000 for community and children’s charities. She sits on the board of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce and the Advisory Board of the Department of New York J.W.V.A. She is a proud member of the Long Island Center for Business & Professional Women, the Women’s Presidents Organization, and serves as a Trustee of Temple Emanuel of Great Neck.
Susan is thankful to have her son Connor Helsinger, sister Edna Schneider, and niece Jacie to be there to help give her strength to look forward into the future.
RACHAEL J. DOUKAS, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Rachael is an entrepreneur who masterfully marries creative vision and strategic execution to deliver thoughtfully-targeted advertising campaigns that instill trust and generate conversions for her clients. She founded her namesake agency, Doukas Media, in 2012 as a vehicle to deliver exceptional digital marketing services; today, she and her team serve numerous small and medium-sized businesses all across the country. Rachael holds an MBA from Stony Brook University and utilizes her educational background in innovation and marketing to lead and execute on transformative digital projects.
In addition to running her own business, Rachael is also a formally trained actor who has written, produced and performed in the short films “Stendhal,” “The Yolk Destroyers,” and “Rocket Man," and who has just finished writing her first feature film, The Ryan Express, with her sister and fellow creative. Her performing arts studies include a minor in theatre arts from Stony Brook University and the completion of writing and improv intensives at the Chicago branch of Second City and at the Michael Howard Studios. She has trained with such masters as Robert Sedgwick (scene study) and at the American Art Theatre under Rick Imberman (method technique).
A proud Long Islander and active member of the community, Rachael serves as the Executive Vice President of the Long Island Center for Business & Professional Women. She enjoys skiing, traveling, and reading. She particularly enjoys reading about entrepreneurs of the past such as Milton Hershey and Walt Disney.
Lina Gottesman, Director
Lina Gottesman was introduced to the construction business early on through a Long Island-based stone and masonry company run by her father and uncles. In 1989, Lina returned to her roots and founded Altus Metal & Marble Maintenance. Altus, the Greek symbol of excellence, demonstrates the company’s commitment to high quality workmanship.
For over 29 years, Altus, a certified WBE (woman-owned business enterprise) based in Smithtown, L.I., has performed restorations for numerous prominent commercial, residential and historic buildings in the metropolitan area: World Trade Buildings 1 and 2 following the terrorist bombing of 1993 – a project that established Altus’ reputation; Grand Central Terminal; The Port Authority Bus Terminal; Columbia University; Carnegie Hall; The Empire State Building; The New York City Public Library; and Macy’s Herald Square. Altus is certified as a WBE with many major public agencies such as New York City Small Business Services; the Port Authority of NY & NJ (PANYNJ); the MTA; New York Empire State Development Corp., the NYC School Construction Authority and WBENC (Women’s Business and Economic National Council)
Lina applied her business acumen, she honed and developed through Altus, to a new venture: RN Nurses Evolve PLLC (professional limited liability corporation). A Registered Nurse who attended St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing, St. John’s University and NYU, Lina created the company to provide Contract Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to the industry in response to the unprecedented demand for Nurse Practitioners and Registered Nurses, and the growing challenges of today’s healthcare environment.
Lina and Altus are widely recognized throughout the New York and New Jersey area. She has been honored by such groups as the Regional Alliance for Small Contractors and the PANY/NJ at the Competitive Edge Conference. Lina serves on the board of the NY Women’s Agenda; is the Chair of the NY Women’s Chamber of Commerce; St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association, Treasurer; Board Member at the Long Island Center for Business and Professional Women, and is an active member of the Women’s Presidents’ Organization.
Stony Brook, L.I., residents for over 30 years, Lina and her husband, Robert, Vice President of Altus, have three grown children and four grandchildren.
LAURA DOUKAS, Director
Laura Doukas is Manager of MRL Realty Corporation, a commercial real estate investment and management firm based on Long Island, New York. In this capacity, Laura oversees profitability, deliverables, timelines and budgets of the firm. In addition, she develops expansion strategies and evaluates opportunities for the acquisition of new assets nationally.
Currently, Laura is directing MRL’s initiatives behind several multifamily development and renovation projects in Northwest Florida.
Laura is also 1/2 of the writer-producer-sister team behind Doukas Pictures. Doukas Pictures, an independent film production company that is currently developing a family drama alongside James V. Hart (Hook, August Rush, Tuck Everlasting) entitled The Ryan Express. She has acted in cable television shows like The Perfect Murder and has performed original works at noteworthy performing arts centers such as The Second City (Chicago).