New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce to Honor Alisa H. Kesten at Women of Excellence Dinner

On the evening of Wednesday, October 15th, Alisa H. Kesten, a long-time New Rochelle resident and celebrated community activist, will be the recipient of the 1st annual Muriel Zaukas Woman of Outstanding Achievement Award presented by the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce at the 12th annual Women of Excellence Dinner. Cocktails will begin at 6pm at Beckwith Pointe, and the dinner and awards celebration will begin at 7pm.

“This year the Chamber is proud of its four honorees, Alisa Kesten, Jackie Agudelo, Amy Parise and Maria Jose. These women all demonstrate an extraordinary amount of outreach, especially in the New Rochelle community. Each in her own right help people in a unique way and have touched many lives. We thank them and it gives us great pleasure to reward them at our Annual Women of Excellence Dinner,” said Jennifer Lanser, Director of Marketing and Communications for the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce.

Since January 2010, Alisa Kesten has been the executive director of Volunteer New York!. Her involvement with the organization (formerly known as The Volunteer Center of United Way) began in 2005, first as a graduate of Leadership Westchester, then as a board member and chair of the board, until becoming the executive director.

In 2014 alone, Alisa was cited by NonProfit Times as one of the top nonprofit executives who use Twitter, she was named one of Westchester’s “Best Bosses” by 914Inc Magazine, and, she became a grandmother for the first time.

“As our Executive Director, the staff of Volunteer New York! realize every day that we are lucky to work with a truly excellent woman – we are glad this award is in celebration of that, and all that Alisa is still to accomplish,” says Volunteer New York! Senior Director of Volunteer and Corporate Engagement, Jeanette Gisbert.

Originally from Cartersville, Georgia, Alisa moved to New Rochelle with husband Ted in 1985. She has an extensive background in nonprofit and volunteer management and communications as well as in early childhood education, receiving her MS in Early Childhood Education from the College of New Rochelle. Having been the senior director for Douglas Gould & Company, a communications firm for nonprofit clients, and a kindergarten teacher at Beth El Synagogue’s Nursery School for nearly a decade. She has also managed many successful Westchester county and regional election campaigns, has worked in the public affairs department of Bankers Trust Company and was a political analyst for American Jewish Committee.

Currently, Alisa is also a board member and the past president of the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation, a member of the Westchester Senior Housing and Services Coalition, member of the Marketing and Membership Committees of NonProfit Westchester, founding member of the Women’s Leadership Council of United Way of Westchester and Putnam, and member of the Advisory Board for Manhattanville School of Business for its certificate in Nonprofit Management. As an undergraduate she also co-founded the longstanding Delta Pi Epsilon sorority chapter at Emory University in Georgia, which has been active for 37 years.

Alisa has a stand-out active social media audience, you can connect with her on Twitter (@alisakesten) or Facebook, Google+, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About The Muriel Zaukas Woman of Outstanding Achievement Award

The wonderful legacy that Muriel Zaukas left when she passed away on July 11, 2008 and through her creation of “The Women of Excellence Program,” continues to live in the hearts and minds of the citizens of New Rochelle. Muriel and her husband, Al, moved to New Rochelle with their three boys, Edmund, Glenn and Andrew. Their family has now grown to include three daughters-in-law, Marie, Lynda and Barbara; and six grandchildren, Steven, Paul, Jeremy, Alyssa, Jack and Charlie. Muriel, Al and their family developed an unconditional love for New Rochelle. After 9/11, Muriel volunteered with the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce to raise funds for the victims and their families. Her work with the Chamber of Commerce ultimately led her to the achievement of her vision and creation of the Women of Excellence program.

We thank Muriel for the roads that she travelled, and for the legacy that honors her and her work.

In addition to the award in her honor, the Zaukas family will donate an annual scholarship in the name of Muriel Zaukas. The scholarship is for a woman demonstrating excellence in her schoolwork, extracurricular activities and community outreach. This year’s recipient is Lina Arboleda, who currently attends New Rochelle High School.