Applause roared from inside of the Colden Auditorium at Queens College during Richmond Hill High School graduation 2017.
Jay Sobhraj, Executive Vice-President of Zara Realty, just announced the names of two RHHS graduates who will be receiving a scholarship to study computer science at the college of their dreams.
Estrella Perez will be studying at the Borough of Manhattan Community College and Malik Assad will be studying at the New York Institute of Technology.
"We are so grateful to Zara for this opportunity," said Perez, who is passionate about computer science. "I will not let you down Mr. Sobhraj," Assad proclaimed, as photos were being taken of the two.
The relationship between Richmond Hill High School and Zara Realty began last year when Zara Realty donated a $125,000 computer lab to the school. The computer lab has been used by a plethora of students for everything from curriculum to extracurriculars.
“This is a model for building real community between the school and the private community,” Principal Neil Ganesh said. “We have future leaders in our program and we’re really excited about this new resource for us.”
Recently, Sobhraj and information technology specialist Naresh Singh returned to the school recently to see how the “seed turned into a plant with burgeoning fruit.” Not only have students been able to focus on their passion of computer science, but there has been a trickle down effect into the school’s robotics program.
They found that the computer lab helped Perez, Assad, and the rest of the robotics team focus on enhancing their computer science knowledge, engineering skills, and form a serious direction for their robotics team, Qubit. In just one year, the team has been able to achieve incredible success which includes building their own robot.
Sobhraj and Singh were so impressed with the focus and determination of the these RHHS students, that they decided to announce the plan to award two computer science college scholarships right then and there.
“I really want to give back,” said Jay Sobhraj. “Never forget where you come from and always give back to the community... that's what Zara is focused on.”
Richmond Hill High School offers several pathways, which include computer science and IT, art, criminology and forensics, business and engineering. As a supporter of computer science and IT, Zara Realty plans to grant one or two students with this opportunity each year.
"We are grateful to Mr. Sobhraj and Zara Realty for being an active community partner with their vision set on making a long term change," said RHHS Assistant Principal, Paul Wilbur.
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Elmhurst Hospital has made two new appointments focused on confronting the difficulties in responding to a pandemic.
Dr. Suzanne Bentley was appointed Chief Wellness Officer. In this newly created role, she will oversee the coordination, management, and implementation of wellness programming for hospital employees, including initiatives related to fostering emotional, physical, social, and mental health.
Bentley’s new role builds off of her work during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she coordinated and helped lead employee wellness and mental health support services.
“I am thrilled with the opportunity to support the amazingly hardworking and dedicated staff,” said Bentley. “I feel incredibly passionate about making sure that our healthcare workers get the support they need so that they can thrive and continue to heal others without ignoring their own mental health needs.”
BENTLEY
She will work closely with hospital leadership to design wellness programming tailored to fit the needs of a diverse workforce made up of close to 4,000 employees.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bentley led emotional support debriefs with staff throughout the facility. She led thousands of debriefs with staff, in groups and individually, offering her support and a safe space to allow for brave vulnerability and open sharing around the unique difficulties of providing care during the pandemic.
Dr. Bentley with psychologist Dr. Rachel Goldstein also helped lead the hospital’s Emergency Department Family Outreach Initiative throughout the first wave of the pandemic.
The team served as a lifeline to families, making more than 1,000 calls and offering updates, emotional support, and information and resources to for those hospitalized.
“Throughout the pandemic, Dr. Bentley has worked tirelessly to support our employees through their most trying and difficult moments,” said Elmhurst Hospital CEO Helen Arteaga-Landaverde. “We look forward to working with her as she implements new programs to support our healthcare heroes and ensure that they are getting the resources and attention they need to remain emotionally and physically healthy.”
Dr. Bentley is a graduate of Bucknell University, the New Jersey Medical School, and the Mount Sinai-Elmhurst Emergency Medicine Residency Program. She is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Medical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Meanwhile, Dr. Laura Iavicoli was appointed Deputy Chief Medical Officer. She will work closely with Dr. Jasmin Moshirpur, the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer, to oversee quality improvement, risk management, patient safety, and medical department service line operations.
“Dr. Iavicoli has shown an unwavering commitment to our staff and patients,” said Moshirpur. “No problem is too big or too small for her to tackle, and she approaches every issue with tact and compassion. I am beyond proud to work with her in this new capacity.”
IAVICOLI
Iavicoli is an experienced and seasoned board-certified emergency medicine physician with an expertise in disaster preparedness and pandemic response. She played a pivotal role in guiding the hospital through the first COVID-19 surge, using her background in disaster management to develop new and innovative procedures and treatment protocols. Iavicoli has a 20-year career at Elmhurst Hospital as an emergency medicine physician.
“I’m proud to call Elmhurst my medical home for 20 years, and to transition to this new role where I’ll be helping to further enhance the already high-quality care our patients receive every day,” said Iavicoli. “If the pandemic showed us anything, it was the resilience of this community and the dedication our staff have to our patients.”
Iavicoli has devoted much of her career to emergency management issues, with publications, trainings and seminars pertaining to disaster preparedness, including pandemic response, terrorism and mass casualty incidents. She has also been a disaster relief team member for more than 10 years for New York City and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
She is a graduate of Boston University. She received her Doctor of Medicine degree from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at the State University of New Jersey.
BERGER JOINS BOARD AT CORD MEYER
Martin G. Berger, managing member of Saber Real Estate Advisors and Saber Real Estate North, has been appointed to the board of directors of Queens-based Cord Meyer Development Company, one of the oldest and largest developers in the New York metropolitan area.
The appointment marks only the third time in Cord Meyer’s 117-year-history that an individual has been named to the board who was not already employed by the company or a family member. According to Matthew Whalen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cord Meyer Development Company, Mr. Berger brings outstanding real estate experience to the new post in such areas as financing and development of commercial, residential, and mixed-use projects.
“Marty has conceived, negotiated, and implemented development plans representing nearly $2 billion in completed value,” said Whalen. “I am confident Cord Meyer will benefit from Marty’s extensive real estate and development expertise today and as we look to the future.”
BERGER
Berger received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Northeastern University in Boston in 1980 and his M.B.A. in 1982. He went on to become vice president of Property Management at Diversified Holding Corporation before founding McCann Development Series II (Saber’s predecessor) in 1989.
McCann developed more than a dozen shopping centers, two Ritz Carlton resort hotels, Ritz Carlton condominium tower, and a large-scale health care operation. Berger is active in his local business community, and has been a featured speaker at business and economic development forums and a guest lecturer at New York University. He has been featured in prominent media and has been published in the Harvard Business Review.
“It is a privilege to welcome Marty to the Board of Directors,” said chairman Richard W. Meyer, Jr. “His firsthand development experience and keen knowledge of the New York real estate market will be greatly appreciated.”
