Eight Prominent Business Leaders Elected To Westchester County Association Board

Westchester County Association directorsWHITE PLAINS, NY (September 28, 2009) — The Westchester County Association (WCA) has announced the election of eight prominent business leaders to the organization’s Board of Directors. The new directors were approved via an electronic vote of the membership.

The new directors are:

  • Andi Gray, President and founder of Strategy Leaders, Inc., a management and business consulting firm based in Chappaqua. Since 2004, Ms. Gray has authored a weekly business advice column, “Ask Andi”, for Westchester County Business Journal, Fairfield County Business Journal and HV Biz.
  • Lew Hoff, President of Bartizan Connects, a developer of hardware and software used for electronic data collection, Yonkers. He is also the chairman of Addressograph Bartizan, the world’s largest manufacturer of credit card data recorders, based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
  • James A. Kirsch, President and CEO, Abigail Kirsch, Catering Relationship, Tappan Hill, Tarrytown. Since Mr. Kirsch became CEO and President of the family-owned business in 1994, the Company has more than quadrupled in size.
  • Tara Meenan Lansen, founder, President and CEO of Compufit, Inc., an information technology services company in Pleasantville. Since Compufit’s founding in 1995, Ms. Lansen has directed the company’s growth to become one of the notable providers of end-to-end network solutions for many small-and medium–sized businesses in the region.
  • Rick Rakow, President and CEO of Rakow Commercial Realty Group, Inc., White Plains. Since starting the company 25 years ago, Mr. Rakow has directed the company’s growth as one of the area’s leading, full-service commercial real estate firms, meeting the needs of more than 1,000 tenants, buyers and sellers.
  • Linda Rey, Principal, Rey Insurance Agency, Inc., Sleepy Hollow. Ms. Rey joined the family business in 1985 to provide comprehensive insurance solutions primarily to family-owned and operated businesses. In 2005, she won the Business Woman of the Year Award by the Westchester Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
  • Fenton N. Soliz, Home Mortgage Consultant, Corporate Specialist, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A./Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Division, White Plains. A mortgage professional for more than 25 years, Mr. Soliz formerly held the prestigious position as President of the New York State Association of Mortgage Brokers of which he was a founding member.
  • George Strayton, President and CEO, Provident Bank, Montebello. Since he was named President and CEO in 1986, Mr. Strayton has led Provident Bank’s growth from six branches with $288 million to a public company with 33 branches and $2.8 billion in assets.

Alfred B. DelBello, WCA Chair and a partner with the law firm of DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise Wiederkehr, LLP, White Plains, said: “These new board directors continue a proud tradition of the WCA in consistently attracting the highest caliber individuals who are leaders in both their respective areas of business and in their communities. They also represent the changing dynamics of the county with its growth in professional and entrepreneurial companies. It is my pleasure to welcome them and to wish them great success in helping to continue fulfilling the WCA’s 60-year mission as Westchester’s voice of business.”

The Nominating Committee was chaired by Kenneth R. Theobalds, Entergy Nuclear. The committee members are: Nancy Gold, The Gold Standard; Sandra Miller, Consolidated Edison; John Ravitz, American Red Cross; Keith Safian, Phelps Memorial Hospital; Louise Valiquette, Law Office of Louise Valiquette

The Westchester County Association (www.westchester.org) is the preeminent business membership organization in Westchester County. The Association is committed to business advocacy, economic vitality and to providing a strong and clear voice for the interests of businesses on the regional, national and international levels. Its key objectives are: promoting positive economic development in the region; fostering business development; and providing its members with access and interaction with key public and private sector individuals, agencies and organizations.