{"id":68812,"date":"2025-12-12T15:01:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T15:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/68812\/"},"modified":"2025-12-12T15:01:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T15:01:09","slug":"power-women-of-manhattan-honorees-shine-at-schneps-medias-december-3-celebration-amnewyork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/68812\/","title":{"rendered":"Power Women of Manhattan honorees shine at Schneps Media\u2019s December 3 celebration \u2013 amNewYork"},"content":{"rendered":"

On December 3, Schneps Media proudly hosted the 2025 Power Women of Manhattan celebration, an inspiring evening dedicated to honoring extraordinary women whose leadership, service, and vision are shaping the future of the city. For more than 30 years, Schneps Media has recognized and uplifted women across New York, and this year\u2019s Manhattan honorees continued that legacy with stories of impact, resilience, and transformative community leadership.<\/p>\n

The event brought together leaders across healthcare, finance, government, media, disability services, and more, each woman playing a vital role in strengthening Manhattan\u2019s communities and industries.<\/p>\n

Emma DeVito, President and CEO of VillageCare, reflected deeply on the significance of the recognition. \u201cThis is a real honor and privilege to be recognized among these women who are exceptional,\u201d she shared. \u201cTheir passion and the work that they have been doing is amazing. I am really thrilled and humbled to be part of the group.\u201d DeVito emphasized the importance of giving women a platform: \u201cEvents like this allow women to have a voice, to identify and express the importance of the work we are doing. I\u2019m thankful for Schneps for giving us that opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Jacquelyn Fass, Vice President of Residential Services at Life\u2019s WORC, the evening was both personal and energizing. \u201cI feel really honored as being the Power Woman, because every day you work really hard and it\u2019s nice to be recognized,\u201d she said. \u201cI love the intellectual disability field. I love serving the community in Manhattan\u2026 It\u2019s very encouraging to be around other women in a professional way and gather together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Leslie<\/a>Leslie O\u2019Connor, Managing Director & Underwriting and Portfolio Management Team Leader at Webster Bank, with supportersPhoto by East 27 Creative<\/p>\n

New to the Schneps community this year, Leslie O\u2019Connor, Managing Director and Team Leader in Underwriting and Portfolio Management at Webster Bank, spoke about how meaningful the event was in showcasing women\u2019s achievements across industries.
\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful opportunity to network with other women and create a sense of community,\u201d O\u2019Connor noted. \u201cI believe it\u2019s a great tool to recruit women into banking\u2026 to showcase that there are females in the finance industry and that there\u2019s a path forward.\u201d She added that meeting \u201ckind women who are supportive, collaborative, and empowering\u201d was her biggest takeaway.<\/p>\n

Paige McGovern, Chief Strategy Officer at OpAD Media, shared the \u201cPower Team\u201d Award with Chelsea Derrico, CEO and President,\u00a0 OpAD Media. McGovern celebrated the powerful sense of unity and shared purpose in the room. \u201cBeing a Power Woman of Manhattan means so much,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s indescribable to be propped up as women and to feel the support of so many women in a challenging industry.\u201d McGovern highlighted the role that Schneps Media plays in amplifying the work of women-led businesses. As a message to peers and the next generation, she urged: \u201cFind people who will support you\u2026 the more you ask, the more you\u2019ll receive.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Anita Zakiewicz, Senior Managing Director at Peapack Private, the recognition underscored the importance of raising women\u2019s voices, especially in industries that have been traditionally male-dominated.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s wonderful to be recognized by a company that elevates women,\u201d she said. \u201cIt inspires other women out there to pursue their dreams and careers\u2026 There\u2019s a spot for all women to be successful.\u201d She congratulated her fellow honorees, calling them \u201can inspiration to everyone out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Anita<\/a>Anita Zakiewicz, Senior Managing Director of Peapack PrivatePhoto by East 27 Creative<\/p>\n

Emotion filled the room when A\u2019Isha Torrence, Chief Financial Officer of ADAPT Community Network, shared her joy and gratitude.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m on my second year as CFO at ADAPT. It\u2019s my dream job, don\u2019t make me cry,\u201d she said, overwhelmed with emotion. \u201cI am honored to be nominated as one of Manhattan\u2019s powerful women.\u201d Torrence spoke of the attention the recognition brings to ADAPT\u2019s vital work supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the region. \u201cThe room is prestigious\u2026 the women beyond beautiful, smart, talented\u2026 leading Manhattan into greatness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leilani Irvin, Senior External Relations Client Manager at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, spoke passionately about how the honor connects to her leadership on the $10 billion Midtown Bus Terminal redevelopment project.\u00a0 \u201cAs a woman, it feels good to be recognized for my work,\u201d she said. \u201cTo be acknowledged by a well-respected organization such as Schneps Media is really inspiring.\u201d A proud lifelong Manhattan professional, she shared a powerful message: \u201cContinue to reach for the galaxy, the stars, the moon, the sun. I\u2019m proud of each and every one of you\u2026 I look forward to building a relationship with my new Manhattan sisters.\u201d<\/p>\n

The evening also welcomed New York City Council Member Julie Menin, who delivered heartfelt remarks celebrating the honorees\u2019 contributions.
\n\"POWER<\/a>POWER TEAM Award Recipient, Paige McGovern, Chief Strategy Officer at OpAD Media, with Vicki SchnepsPhoto by East 27 Creative\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate that Schneps Media is constantly uplifting women who are doing so much in our city,\u201d Menin said. \u201cWomen are the leaders in our communities\u2026 Congratulations to this incredibly powerful, diverse, amazing group of leaders. Thank you for everything you\u2019re doing to make our city better.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the night concluded, one theme was clear: the Power Women of Manhattan are not only leaders in their fields, they are trailblazers carrying Manhattan forward. Schneps Media\u2019s longstanding tradition of celebrating women continues to shine a spotlight on those who create stronger communities, break barriers, and inspire others to step into their power.<\/p>\n

The 2025 Power Women of Manhattan were:\n<\/p>\n

MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES \u2013 Monica Morales \u2013 Emmy Award Winning Reporter, PIX11
Dr. Lilian C. Azih \u2013 Founder and Lead Physician, Nuvueu Cosmetic Surgery and Aesthetics Center
Yenisei Bell \u2013 President, National Association of Women in Construction Greater New York Chapter #240
Janet Bernier, JD \u2013 Tax Market Leader, BDO
POWER TEAM Carolina Bravo \u2013 Founder, The 212Bravo Team
POWER TEAM Isabella Bravo \u2013 Co-Founder, The 212Bravo Team
ICON Mary Cheng \u2013 Director of Childhood Development Services, Chinese-American Planning Council, Inc.
Elsa Cosme, MBA \u2013 Chief Operations Officer, NYC Health + Hospitals\/Metropolitan
Jillian Crane \u2013 President & CEO, First Responders Children\u2019s Foundation
Clare Cusack \u2013 President & CEO, New York Bankers Association
Carol O\u2019Neil D\u2019Amato \u2013 President\/CEO, ALL DAZZLE
Elizabeth de Le\u00f3n Bhargava \u2013 President, Guttman Community College
POWER TEAM Chelsea Derrico \u2013 CEO and President, OpAD Media
VANGUARD AWARDEE Emma DeVito \u2013 President and CEO, VillageCare
Jacquelyn Fass \u2013 Vice President of Residential Services, Life\u2019s WORC
Tara N. Gardner \u2013 Executive Director, Day Care Council of New York, Inc.
Michelle Horne-Findley \u2013 Founder, Justice Forward Advocacy SOULutions, LLC
Gayle M. Horwitz \u2013 Chief Executive Officer, JASA
Cania Infante \u2013 Chief Marketing Officer, Municipal Credit Union
Leilani Irvin \u2013 Senior External Relations Client Manager, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
Savita Jones \u2013 Senior Vice President, Americas Operations
ICON Sharon Joseph \u2013 Chief Executive Officer, Harlem Commonwealth Council
Deniz Ko\u00e7ak \u2013 Turkish-American Entrepreneur & Owner, Turkuaz
Tricia Leid \u2013 Chief Operating Officer, God\u2019s Love We Deliver
Juanita O. Lewis \u2013 Executive Director, Community Voices Heard
Sussie Lozada \u2013 Secretary Treasurer, UNITE HERE Local 100
Monifa Maat \u2013 Founder & Creative Director, Be It Enterprises LLC
POWER TEAM Paige McGovern \u2013 Chief Strategy Officer, OpAD Media
Diana Mead \u2013 Co-President, Grassi Franchise Services, Grassi
Sabrina E. Morrissey, Esq. \u2013 Member\/Manager, Morrissey & Morrissey, LLP
Leslie O\u2019Connor \u2013 Managing Director, Underwriting and Portfolio Management Team Leader, Webster Bank
Lindsay Ornstein \u2013 Co-Founder, OPEN Impact Real Estate
Marjorie D. Parker \u2013 CEO and President, JobsFirstNYC
Katie Pelo \u2013 Senior Manager \u2013 Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability, Liberty Coca-Cola
Dr. Xellex Z. Rivera \u2013 Chief Program Officer, Housing Solutions of New York (HSNY)
ICON\u00a0 Zenaida Rodriguez \u2013 Executive Director, Regional Alliance for Small Contractors (RASC)
Juanita Scarlett \u2013 Partner, Bolton St. Johns
Mardi J. Schecter \u2013 Managing Partner, Younkins & Schecter LLP
Ashley Staggers \u2013 Director of the Fostering Youth Success Alliance, Children\u2019s Aid
RISING Madison Stern \u2013 Risk Associate, Risk Strategies
ICON Sheila Thorne \u2013 President & CEO, Multicultural Healthcare Marketing Group, LLC
Dr. Ellenmorris Tiegerman \u2013 CEO and Founder, Tiegerman
Josana Tonda \u2013 Senior Program Manager for Community Outreach, MSK\u2019s Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities
A\u2019Isha Torrence \u2013 Chief Financial Officer, ADAPT Community Network
ICON Ny Whitaker \u2013 Founder and Chief Strategist, PROJECT NYNE LLC
Valerie White \u2013 Head of National Housing Strategic Initiatives & Senior Executive Director, Local Initiative Support Corporation
Alice Wong \u2013 Executive Director, NYC Managerial Employees Association
Jessica Yoon \u2013 Managing Director, L+M Development Partners
Nicola Young \u2013 Senior Account Executive, Risk Strategies
Anita Zakiewicz \u2013 Senior Managing Director, Peapack Private<\/p>\n

\u00a0To learn more about the honorees visit PowerWomenManhattan.com<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

For nominations tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the 2026 Schneps Events visit SchnepsEvents.com<\/a> or contact Toni Cimino at TCimino@SchnepsMedia.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On December 3, Schneps Media proudly hosted the 2025 Power Women of Manhattan celebration, an inspiring evening dedicated…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":68813,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[75,84,83,9,24,63,13683,13684,5221],"class_list":["post-68812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-manhattan","tag-manhattan","tag-manhattan-headlines","tag-manhattan-news","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-power-women","tag-power-women-of-manhattan","tag-schneps-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68812\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}