In the passing of Al DelBello, Westchester lost a true statesman and native son. The loss of an individual of his stature is particularly difficult to accept because for so long he has been an omnipresent figure in the county.

While many people knew Al in his later years for his sage advice and encyclopedic knowledge of all things Westchester, he first came into the public eye as a young man some 50 years ago when he began his lengthy career in government and politics. Al was something of a boy wonder when he burst upon the scene in his hometown of Yonkers. He became the city’s youngest mayor and brought a youthful spirit and wisdom beyond his years.

But it was when he was elected County Executive in the 1970s that he hit his stride, the first Democrat to be elected to the post. It was often observed at the time that Al and his attractive wife, Dee, were Westchester’s Jack and Jackie. It was not an inaccurate characterization. As a young reporter working at the Westchester Rockland Newspapers (predecessor to today’s Journal News/lohud) I along with the entire newsroom quickly realized that the stodgy County Office Building in White Plains had taken on a feeling of Camelot as the dynamic duo put a focus on the arts, the parks and so much more. Their presence was felt in social as well as political and business circles. With the DelBellos there was a palpable feeling of liveliness and fun that was new to the county. We hadn’t had a “first couple” before.

Al, however, was no empty suit. He thought big and he thought creatively. Two prime examples of this were the creation of a unified bus service in the county, today’s Bee-line System, and construction of the garbage-to-energy facility at Peekskill, which some 40 years later remains a state-of-the-art solution to a vexing problem. And not to be forgotten is that the opening of that plant enabled the closing of the Croton Point landfill which was threatening to become Westchester’s Matterhorn. Al had the vision and the can-do attitude that took these projects from ideas to reality and today we all continue to reap the benefits.

I first met Al at the dedication of Muscoot Park on Route 100 in Somers. He was sitting at a picnic bench, wearing a pair of aviator sun glasses and chatting amiably with a group of reporters who pretty much followed everything he did. I was immediately struck by how at ease he was and how easily he mixed with everyone, young and old, wealthy and not so. He talked proudly about his ideas for the future of the beautiful Victorian era dairy farm with its extensive barn complex that today is one of the gems of the county’s expansive park system. At a Friends of Westchester County Parks event about a year ago, Al and I were chatting and I mentioned that long ago first meeting with him at Muscoot. As was often the case with Al, my remark prompted a question: “Do you know why we have Muscoot Farm today?”

I guessed that it had been bequeathed by the owner’s family but would have been too easy an answer. Al explained that the county had acquired the property and that the Parks Department had put forth a plan to create an ice skating center there, a Playland Ice Casino for the northern part of Westchester, as he put it. Obviously that never came to be and Al explained why.

“One afternoon I decided to drive up and look at the property myself and Dee was with me. When we got there she took one look and said: ‘This needs to remain a farm.’ She fell in love with the beauty and felt it should become an interpretive farm where children and people of all ages can learn not only about Westchester’s agricultural past but how our food is grown and raised. Dee gets the credit for saving Muscoot Farm and it all began with that one chance visit.”

Dee was ahead of her time in thinking about food sources and healthy eating, but then that was the kind of thing that typified Al and his first lady in those days. The county government that few people ever gave a thought to, suddenly become an epicenter of creative thinking and new ideas. It was indeed a spirited and heady time.

As the years went by, Al moved on to be elected lieutenant governor and subsequently to the private sector eventually joining with Al Donnellan and Mark Weingarten in forming the prestigious and influential law firm that carries his name. I left the newspaper to form Thompson & Bender at about the same time and it was then that I become friends with Al and Dee. And, of course, Dee and Al went on to buy the Westchester/Fairfield Business Journals and Westfair Inc. which Dee so ably oversees.

While I have enjoyed numerous business relationships with Al over the past 30 years, it was, however, another aspect of his life that I came to greatly admire in addition to his business and political acumen. Al not only liked visiting a farm like Muscoot, he created his own. Working in tandem with Dee, they took a wooded patch of ledge rock in a corner of northeast Westchester and created a remarkably tasteful and magnificent home and working farm. The first time I saw it, I was awestruck by the sheer beauty, style, décor and ambiance of their home. But that was only a precursor. What totally floored me was Al’s direct involvement in every aspect of the farm operation.

Turns out he loved operating a backhoe. He personally built the henhouse. He worked with the alpacas. And Al being Al, he understood their behavior. At the farm he was, quite simply, totally hands on. He was also handy and had the cleanest, best organized, most complete workshop I have ever set eyes on. That made me envious! Now I knew why Al would be the first to show up at evening events, and about the first to leave. He had farm chores to attend to.

So Al was a genuine renaissance man. But beyond that he was a good soul. My fondest memory of him was when my wife, Liz, and I had the pleasure of being invited to a dinner at the DelBellos’ home several years ago. As to be expected, this was a lovely affair with an intelligent and diverse group of guests. And, again nothing unusual, there was an added attraction. They had invited a husband and wife, she an opera singer and he her accompanist on an accordion, no less.

After dinner, we all settled into comfortable chairs in the large living room to listen to a performance. Four or five dogs of varying breeds and sizes were also a part of the evening, free to wander among the guests or lie in the middle of the floor as they wished. You see the DelBellos not only love dogs but they have rescued many from a wide range of often highly unpleasant and deeply sad situations. And they are full-fledged members of the household.

With the performance underway, I glanced around the room. And there was Al sitting at one end of a couch. One dog lay at his feet, one lay on the sofa next to him and the smallest was sitting on his lap – licking his Al’s cheek. Al was smiling. He was surrounded by friends.

In losing Al DelBello, all of Westchester has lost a friend.

Geoffrey Thompson

May 17, 2015

Photo caption from left: Anthony Justic, chairman of The Business Council Board of Directors; William J. Mulrow, secretary to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo; and Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of The Business Council of Westchester.

Westchester County, with its dynamic economy, burgeoning urban centers, open space, schools and diversity, is a microcosm of New York State and a harbinger of its direction, one of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s top aides told members of the business community on Friday, May 8.

Speaking exclusively to members of The Business Council of Westchester, William J. Mulrow, secretary to the governor, candidly covered a variety of topics including regional economies throughout New York, education, casino gambling, state regulations and ethics, among other topics. But it was his characterization of Westchester as a gateway to the state and epi-center of political power and strength that resonated with many people in attendance.

“In many ways, Westchester is a microcosm of New York,” said Mulrow. “Where Westchester goes, so does the state.”

In addition to citing many examples of Westchester’s position as a vital regional economy, Mulrow outlined major economic efforts undertaken by Gov. Cuomo that would affect the region, including:
• Allocating $1.28 billion in the current budget for construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge
• $1 billion in capital investments in transportation, including $250 million for the creation of four new stations throughout the Bronx
• $500 million investment in broadband in areas that do not have it
• Major plans to modernize and revitalize LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International, Republic and Stewart International airports
• Cutting corporate and manufacturing taxes and limiting the growth in property taxes.

As a result, a state deficit has been turned into a surplus; New York has created 640,000 jobs since 2011; and unemployment is down, Mulrow said.

In speaking of Westchester’s prominence, Mulrow, of Bronxville, noted that the governor was a Westchester resident, as are former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. He also said that five of the last 10 secretaries to the governor – a position charged with overseeing the day-to-day operations of state government – were Westchester residents.

“To me, it’s the greatest place to be,” he said of the county.

Mulrow also credited The Business Council as being the premier voice for businesses in Westchester County.

Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of The Business Council and a member of the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council, said Mulrow was “a man who gets things done.”

“The Business Council of Westchester has been with Gov. Cuomo since the very beginning,” she said. “We’re so proud to be a leader in economic development.”

After his remarks, The Business Council presented Mulrow with its 2015 Legislative Agenda, which is a list of its priority reforms that will help businesses grow and thrive in New York State.

RYE BROOK, N.Y. (May 2015) – Forty of Westchester County’s up-and-coming business leaders will receive the 2015 “Rising Star” Award from The Business Council of Westchester.

In unveiling the next class of winners, The Business Council is pleased to recognize individuals who work with some of Westchester County’s most vital companies, institutions and organizations. The honorees represent some of the finest young talents in the region, said Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of The Business Council.

“We are excited to celebrate this honor with our 2015 winners, who represent just about every industry and profession in Westchester,” said Gordon. “Our Rising Stars program shows that we have top-tier talent in the county — and this is an impressive class of winners.”

This year’s winners represent a wide-range of professionals from various backgrounds including marketing, advertising, public safety, government, media, health care, education, social work, hospitality and nonprofits, among others. The selection process was competitive and led by Maria Bronzi, Director at Altium Wealth Management. Bronzi, who is chair of the Rising Stars program, received “40 Under 40” honors in 2011.

Tara Rosenblum of News12 Westchester is returning as the event’s emcee. The anchor/reporter has more than 150 major industry awards, including 8 Emmy awards and 44 Emmy nominations. In 2014, she was the most nominated reporter in the state and broke an Emmy record for garnering the most individual craft reporter categories in award history. Rosenblum earned “40 Under 40” honors in 2007.
The winners will receive their Rising Star award during a ceremony on June 11 at 800 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook. 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 2015 Rising Stars are as follows:
• Jessica Antonette, CEO/Owner, JTonezMusic Corp.
• Jennifer Bannan, Director of Advertising & Marketing, Thompson & Bender
• Vincenzo Battaglia, Police Sergeant, White Plains Department of Public Safety
• David Buchwald, New York State Assemblyman
• Donvil Collins, Founder & President, VeeKast
• Andrea Contreras, Manager, Client Services, Altium Wealth Management
• Anthony D’Arpino, Founder & Owner, Harrison Wine Vault
• Andrew Edge, AVP – Business Banking & Commercial Lender, Sterling National Bank
• April Fatato Grundman, Onsite Owner and Educational Director, The Goddard School Yorktown
• Bonnie Fogarty, Executive Director, Community YMCA
• Megan Gann, Business Development Manager, Westchester Hills Golf Club
• Anna Geller, Director, Business Analysis & Acquisitions, Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits
• Richard Giacovas, Producer/on air talent, News 12
• Jeffrey Hogan, Energy & Sustainability Manager, Montefiore Hospital
• Kelvin Joseph, Chief Operating Officer, Steiner Sports
• Nikhil Kumar, Vice President, Undergraduate Enrollment Management, Manhattanville College
• Ashley Ley, Technical Director, AKRF, Inc
• Anthony Luisi, Associate, Cuddy & Feder LLP
• Kimberly Mallard, Senior Vice President, Executive Operations, Tommie Copper
• Anna Linda Marciano Romanella, Assistant General Counsel, Heineken USA, Incorporated
• Ryan McAuliffe, Vice President, M&T Bank
• Jaime McGill, Executive Director, Yonkers Industrial Development Agency
• Alan Murray, Chief Executive Officer, North Shore-LIJ CareConnect Insurance Company, Inc.
• Erin Nesbitt, Director, Program Management, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Jessica Oliva, CEO, Fit Mama 4 Life
• Jill Ortiz, VP Finance & Accounting, Diamond Properties
• Linda Parry, CEO, Product Launchers
• Christopher Phillips Senior Vice President, Product Platform and Technology, Mindspark Interactive.
• Regina Poniros-Simonetti, Controller, Robert Martin Company LLC
• David Putrino, Director, Telemedicine and Virtual Rehabilitation, Burke Medical Research Institute
• Amit Rajani, CEO, General Dentist, Yonkers Avenue Dental
• John Rubbo, Founder and “Brew-EO,” Yonkers Brewing Company
• Eliza Scheibel, Associate, Wilson Elser
• Timothy Schlauraff, Department Manager, Consolidated Edison of NY
• Jamell Scott, Dean of Scholars and Families/Athletic Director Amani Public Charter School
• Diana Seo, Owner, B Spa & Salon
• Nicholas Singer, Managing Member, Purchase Capital
• Loren Ward, Vice President, Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch
• John White III, Firefighter, City of Yonkers Fire Department
• Eleni Zimmerman, Social Work Advanced Clinician, New York Presbyterian Hospital – Eating Disorders Unit

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (May 2015) – Twenty five chefs from some of Westchester County’s best restaurants will exhibit their edible artistry as part of ArtsWestchester’s fun-filled ARTSBASH weekend on Friday, May 15th.

ARTSBASH will kick-off at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 15 at the ArtsExchange building — 31 Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains — featuring cocktails and a tasting menu created by leading chefs from 42, The Restaurant, Benjamin Steakhouse, Café of Love, Empire City Casino, Crabtree’s Kittle House, Sofrito, and many other dining destinations from throughout the county.

Following the Friday fundraiser, there will be a free Family ARTSBASH day on Saturday, May 16 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., featuring children’s arts workshops, art exhibitions and open artist’s studios. The workshops cover a variety of interests from Kaleidoscope to Clay Creations to LEGO Animation and Model Making.

The latest exhibition, 50 for 50: New Works, which showcases works by ArtsWestchester’s “50 for 50” awardees, will also be on display in the gallery.

“ARTSBASH weekend has something for everyone. Fourteen years in the making, we’re pleased to tease the palettes of our guests with spoonfuls of caviar, Oysters on the half shell, meatballs & ricotta, Eggplant Marino, USDA Prime, Dry-Aged porterhouse bites, assorted sushi rolls, salads and sweets. Also featured on the menu are Retro treats from Lulu Cake Boutique, Dark Chocolate fondue from Chocolations and mini biscotti from Cathy’s Biscotti,” said Janet T. Langsam, CEO of ArtsWestchester. “The pairing of exceptional cuisine with original art throughout our historic downtown building makes this one event not to miss.”

The event is part of ArtsWestchester 50th anniversary celebration, which is a year-long celebration of the arts in Westchester County.

Caviar Served on a Spoon

Adults interested in the Friday evening fun will enjoy a wonderful array of food, such crispy pork belly tacos with corn tortillas, dry-aged porterhouse bits, local baby Kale salad with sustainable Scottish salmon and Churrasco skewers as well as retro-style desserts, Ben & Jerry’s New Jimmy Fallon flavor, Raspberry Greek Frozen Yogurt and more.

“Without the arts, there is no source of creativity,” said Leslie Lampert, owner of Cafe of Love in Mount Kisco. “Whether you’re in finance, hospitality, the medical industry or education, inspiration is derived, wittingly and unwittingly, from Fine Arts and the visual interpretations of our cultures. I’m so pleased to be part of this event in support of the arts.”

These cupcakes are just one of many delicious retro-style treats that will be served at ARTSBASH.

“This is our second year participating in ARTSBASH. We completely fell in love with it last year,” said Thiphakhoun “Tipi” Vyrasith, Director of Food & Beverage at Empire City Casino. “Supporting the arts community is important. We believe it is the perfect marriage to showcase the best of art and the best of food! Our chefs are so excited to participate.”

To learn more, visit www.artswestchester.org.

Westchester resembled the Great White Way earlier this week as The Business Council of Westchester held its version of the TONY Awards at its annual dinner event honoring some of the region’s most successful enterprises.

More than 600 people turned out to Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle on April 21 for The Business Council’s Business Hall of Fame Awards, which included a Broadway-themed celebration complete with a Playbill styled red-carpet, a Liza Minelli look-a-like and performances by singers from the Westchester Broadway Theater – all overlooking the scenic Long Island Sound.

As part of the main act, The Business Council inducted a world-renowned technology developer, a leading holiday decorator, one of the nation’s oldest medical colleges, an affordable housing developer, a full-service insurance company and a family-owned funeral home that has operated for three generations.

New to the Business Hall of Fame this year was the addition of Chairman’s Recognition Award as well as announcing the winner of the Ron Volper Family Scholarship Fund for Business Excellence, which was given to Brian Patrick Fontana, who is pursuing an MBA at Pace University. The Business Hall of Fame, which is in its 14th year, has inducted more than 70 Westchester businesses.

“These winners represent all that is great in Westchester’s business community, its economy and its future,” said Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester. “We have it all here — large corporations, family-owned businesses and leading technology companies. We are pleased to induct these companies into the 2015 Business Hall of Fame, and we’re so happy to help our future business leaders gain the tools they’ll need to succeed.”

County Executive Robert P. Astorino

County Executive Robert P. Astorino congratulated the winners for joining an exceptional roster of inductees and for their great achievements. He also thanked them for their contributions to Westchester’s economy and its communities. The master of ceremonies was News12 anchor Scott McGee. The event co-chairs were Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson of Thompson and Bender and Thomas Lalla of Pernod Ricard.

The winners in their respective categories are:

Corporate Citizenship: New York Medical College in Valhalla. Dr. Robert Amler, vice president for government affairs and professor of public health, accepted the award.

Entrepreneurial Success: Mindspark in Yonkers. Erik Esterlis, co-president, accepted the award.

Small Business Success: York International Agency, LLC in Harrison. Robert Kestenbaum, CEO, accepted the award.

Women in Business Success: Rella Fogliano, president of MacQuesten Development in Pelham. Fogliano accepted the award.

Family Owned Business: American Christmas in Mount Vernon. Fred Schwam, CEO, accepted the award.

Chairman’s Recognition Award: Beecher Flooks Funeral Home in Pleasantville. William Flooks Jr., funeral director, accepted award.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (March 6, 2015) – Joined by artists, community leaders and members of County Executive Robert P. Astorino’s Administration, ArtsWestchester today unveiled the lineup for one of the largest and most impressive arts festivals in Westchester County’s history.

Called ARTSEE: A Festival of New Work, it will celebrate the creative spirit in Westchester. The festival is packed with dance, film, theatre, art exhibitions, concerts, open studios, poetry readings and more. ARTSEE encompasses 70 events with 40 organizations over 5 months starting in March and running through July.

The festival is part of ArtsWestchester’s year-long 50th Anniversary in 2015 and includes some of Westchester most iconic arts institutions such as Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, Emelin Theatre, Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, Katonah Museum of Art, Music Conservatory of Westchester, Sarah Lawrence College, SUNY Purchase and the Taconic Opera, among many others.

“ARTSEE celebrates the arts in its many forms,” said Janet Langsam, CEO of ArtsWestchester. “Featuring new artistic work created within the last three years, this festival will highlight the county’s growing reputation as a hub of innovation and creativity. ARTSEE includes a robust and diverse array of arts events for residents and visitors.”

Deputy County Executive Kevin Plunkett praised the wide breadth of arts and cultural events featured in the festival.

“Westchester County has become a regional destination for the arts, and this festival is further proof Westchester is a place where new work is created and enjoyed,” Plunkett said. “ARTSEE enriches our cultural and is great for our economy as well.”

To kick off ARTSEE, ArtsWestchester is hosting Crossing Borders: Memory and Heritage in a New America at its gallery in White Plains on March 17. One of the opening exhibits and a major part of the festival, Crossing Borders highlights the work of new and first-generation American artists who use their autobiographies and family history as an artistic tool to explore universal concerns of memory, heritage and identity.

Major festival support from Entergy; First Niagara; Westchester Medical Center; New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; Westchester County Government, with the support of Robert P. Astorino and Westchester County Board of Legislators; National Endowment for the Arts and Con Edison. Media sponsor support from: The Journal News, News 12, Pamal Broadcasting’s 100.7 WHUD and 107.1 The Peak, WAG, Westchester County Business Journal and Westchester Magazine.

For a full calendar listing of ARTSEE events, click here. The brochure can be viewed by visiting http://artsw.org/artsee.

WHITE PLAINS, NY (February 2015) – Showing its influence and understanding of how government policies affect businesses across New York State, The Business Council of Westchester was in Albany Wednesday as part of an all-day lobbying effort to reforms laws that are hurting New York.

As part of the visit to the State Capitol, BCW members met in-person with New York State’s new Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul and members of Westchester’s delegation including Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Yonkers, Senator George Latimer of Rye, Senator Terrence Murphy of Yorktown, Senator David Carlucci of Ossining, Assemblywoman Sandy Galef of Ossining, Assemblyman Steve Otis of Rye, Assemblyman David Buchwald of White Plains and Assemblywoman Shelly Mayer of Yonkers. The group also met with key industry leaders including Gavin Landry, executive director of Tourism for New York State; Mike Elmendorf, president and CEO of Associated General Contractors of New York State; E.J. McMahon, president of Empire Center for Public Policy; and Robert Harding of Greenberg Traurig.

“Public policies have an enormous impact on a businesses’ bottom-line and its ability to serve its stakeholders,” said John Ravitz, executive vice president and COO of The Business Council of Westchester. “Reforms in Albany — either enacted or ignored — are directly related to the fiscal health of our state. That’s why The Business Council’s Government Action Council takes such an active role in speaking to leaders and lobbying on behalf of our members. With our legislative agenda in hand, we will ensure that Westchester County’s business community is heard at all levels of government.”

During its trip, The Business Council also presented lawmakers with its 2015 Legislative Agenda, a 30-page booklet that outlines reform priorities regarding spending, energy, education and transportation that include:

• Fiscal reforms, mandate relief and spending controls, which encompasses:
o Making the pensions system more predictable and affordable for municipalities and school districts
o Redefining the arbitration system so that the state considers the ability of localities and taxpayers to pay for such union arbitration awards
o Reducing the cost of construction by reforming the Scaffold Law and Public Construction Act and repealing the Wicks Law
o Establishing minimum health insurance contributions for employees and retirees.
• Energy, which includes:
o Passage of a law that would provide incentives extend natural gas distribution lines in New York
o Eliminating burdensome energy taxes such as 18-a, a 2 percent tax on electricity bills that was introduced in 2009 as a temporary revenue generator
o Reforming the Energy Vision, or REV, by promoting efficiency, renewable energy production and utilizing micro-grids, on-site power supplies and storage
o Support the continued operation of Indian Point Energy Center, which provides 25 percent of energy used in the New York Metropolitan area.
• Education, which includes:
o Focusing on high quality assessments aligned to Common Core standards
o Supporting passage of Education Investment Tax Credit to increase charitable donations for education-related entities
o Enhancing BOCES Aid.

Download a complete copy of the 2015 Legislative Agenda at www.westchesterny.org.

In addition to meeting with decision makers, Nick Reisman, a senior Albany reporter from Capital Tonight on Time Warner Cable News, provided members with the scoop of what’s going on in Albany and beyond. Members wrapped up the day with dinner at one of Albany’s legendary restaurants, Jack’s Oyster House.