Promotions, Announcements & Appointments

ABOVE: Christine Persichette, Leo Horey & Edward Grayson

Persichette to Anchor Catholic News Program

New York native Christine Persichette has been named the anchor of Currents News, New York’s nightly news program from the Catholic perspective.

“After a long search, it became clear Christine was the right person for this unique and important job,” said Vito Formica, executive director of news content and development at DeSales Media Group, the non-profit that produces the newscast.

Persichette’s experience and connection to New York and, more specifically, the Diocese of Brooklyn, brings additional credibility to an award-winning newscast.

Her journey to the anchor desk at Currents News brings her full circle. She began filling-in during the fall of 2019 when Formica was auditioning several candidates for the role. Then in February, news of the coronavirus started to dominate the headlines.

“Christine connected with the audience and guided viewers during the peak of the crisis with calmness and empathy,” said Monsignor Kieran Harrington, president of DeSales Media.

Persichette said the opportunity to join Currents News came at the right time, and the new position feels like home.

“It showed me how important Catholic journalism is nowadays, especially how people’s faith and the stories we’re telling can really provide a source of comfort,” she said.

Persichette was born and raised in Long Island City, where she was a parishioner and student at St. Rita’s Church. She went on to attend St. Francis Prep High School in Fresh Meadows.

“I am really happy to continue my career here,” Persichette said. “It is where I am from.”

Persichette lives in Rockland County and is a marriage prep coordinator with her husband at St. Francis of Assisi parish in West Nyack. They have three sons.

Before joining Currents News, she worked as a morning anchor for FiOS1 News. She also did stints at WNYW Fox 5 in New York City, News 12 Long Island, and stations in Elmira and Rochester, New York.

Horey Joins Cord Meyer Board

Leo S. Horey III, former chief administrative officer of AvalonBay Communities, Inc., has been appointed to the board of directors of Cord Meyer Development, one of the oldest and largest developers in the New York metropolitan area.

According to Cord Meyer president and CEO Matthew Whalen, Horey’s appointment marks the first time in its 116-year-history the company has appointed an individual to serve on the board who was not already employed by the company or a family member.

“In addition to bringing a new and vibrant approach to the Cord Meyer Board of Directors, Leo Horey is a real estate innovator whose depth of experience will benefit this organization for years to come,” said Whalen. “His reputation for achieving results is known throughout the real estate industry and will be felt on the board as we explore new growth opportunities in Queens and beyond.”

At AvalonBay, Horey’s leadership responsibilities extended to information services, revenue management, data analytics, human resources, strategic initiatives, and retail leasing, among other areas central to the success of the real estate investment trust.

Horey received his Master of Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Economics from Duke University.

“His unique perspective as a new voice on an established board will be met with enthusiasm by his fellow board members,” said board chairman Richard W. Meyer, Jr.

Grayson to Take Helm at DSNY

Middle Village native Edward Grayson has been named acting commissioner of the Department of Sanitation (DSNY). Grayson, currently the director of the Bureau of Cleaning and Collection, began his DSNY career in 1999.

“Edward Grayson is the kind of experienced, steady hand New York’s Strongest needs to lead the department through this transitional period,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I’m grateful for his service, and I look forward to working with him to give New Yorkers the safe, livable communities they deserve.”

Grayson is a 21-year veteran of DSNY, and was appointed four-star chief and director of the Bureau of Cleaning and Collection in September of 2017. He has held a range of positions throughout the department, including overseeing snow removal during the 2016 Jonas Blizzard, the largest snowstorm in New York City history.

As director of the Bureau of Cleaning and Collection, Grayson oversees day-to-day operations for DSNY, including the collection, recycling and disposal of more than 12,000 tons of waste per day and efforts to keep the city’s communities healthy, safe and clean.

He has implemented new technologies to improve snow removal and reform frontline operations, and has been a leader in the department’s implementation of the city’s aggressive zero-waste goals.

His father was a life-long DSNY worker and supervisor and his mother was recycling outreach coordinator during the rollout of the groundbreaking citywide recycling program in the 1990s.

“When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a sanitation worker, because my dad was one,” said Grayson. “Every single member of this department is someone’s family, but during these unprecedented times, we are each other’s family, too, and I promise to never forget that.”

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