NRCCS to Celebrate Community Champions

The New Rochelle Council of Community Services (NRCCS) will hold its annual Celebratory Breakfast on Friday, June 5th at 8:30 am at the Davenport Mansion (400 Davenport Avenue in New Rochelle). The event celebrates volunteers who have given outstanding service, dedication and commitment to the people of New Rochelle, and this year’s “Community Champions” are Tony and Liz Aiello, Leslie M. Demus and Ally Gallin. In addition, the NRCCS will award a $1,000 scholarship to a deserving junior at one of New Rochelle’s high schools.

The NRCCS is the umbrella organization for all of the non-profit organizations in New Rochelle, including the health and human service agencies, religious institutions and educational facilities. The group meets regularly to assess and address the vital needs of the community. NRCCS President Karenann Carty says the Annual Awards Breakfast “is wonderful from start to finish. The spirit in the room reflects the very best of our beautiful city.” Scholarship Committee chair William Ianuzzi noted that the NRCCS Scholarship was designed to assist students in furthering their education, either through college, technical school or vocational training.

Tickets cost $50; to purchase tickets or place a journal ad go to https://givebutter.com/NRCCSBreakfast2026

There will also be a Journal with ads priced at $50 for a quarter page, $100 for a half page, $200 for a full page, $300 for one of the inside covers and $500 for the back cover. Please email journal copy to: nrccsbreakfastcommittee@gmail.com.

The Breakfast event is being chaired by Linda Fosina with a committee that includes Karenann Carty, Jennifer Lanser, Theresa Kump Leghorn, Denise Link, Ann Spindel, Stephanie Tomei and Arleen Zuckerman.

Meet the Honorees:

Liz and Tony Aiello

Liz and Tony Aiello believe in getting involved and giving back to their community. They moved to New Rochelle from Eastchester in 2003, seeking a diverse and neighborly place to raise their twin sons Anthony and Robert.

Liz was an active PTA mom at Barnard and Trinity, helping organize Valentines Day bingo, Halloween parties, and staff appreciation lunches. Her six years working for Martha Stewart helped Liz refine her love for adding beautiful touches to special events and everyday living. Those amazing peacock centerpieces at the NRPL Foundation gala a couple years ago? Liz spent months making several dozen crafted from the folded pages of books. The awesome Halloween Festival during last year's Haunt at Wildcliff Manor? Liz took the lead organizing and booking vendors. And just this past Christmas season, she was asked to create a special Christmas Tree for the Bartow-Pell Mansion. She has volunteered her special touch to many such events.

Liz has enjoyed a distinguished career at SiriusXM Satellite Radio. She's an active member of the Hudson Park Children's Greenhouse Board and an avid mahjong player. She's also a proud veteran, serving in Japan and Sicily with the U.S. Air Force.

Tony Aiello is "man about Westchester" for CBS New York. He's a well-known supporter of the arts, having served as board secretary of the Westchester Philharmonic and a trustee of ArtsWestchester. Tony donates his time as emcee for events sponsored by a wide range of groups including the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation, the NR Fund for Educational Excellence, The New Rochelle Council on the Arts, The Danny Fund and the Italian Welfare League. He volunteers with the HPCG and promotes good things happening in New Rochelle every chance he gets on CBS News New York.

Tony is a proud graduate of Indiana University, shocked but delighted it is now known as a football school. He's in his 24^th year at CBS New York.

Leslie M. Demus

Leslie M. Demus has been a member of the New Rochelle Public Library “family” for more than 25 years. As a member of the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation, Inc. she has contributed as a fundraiser, spokesperson, and creative thinker to modernize technology, create quality programming, develop special projects, and ensure quality service for library patrons. Leslie also served two 5-year terms on the Board of Trustees for the New Rochelle Public Library; she was elected as both the Board’s President and Vice-President during that time.

Leslie’s passion for music led her to help develop a project called Cantiamo Insieme! (Let’s Sing Together!) with the Grimes Performing Arts Magnet School in neighboring Mt. Vernon. The project brought Lincoln Center performers to the school stage to introduce inner city children to opera. As part of the program, Leslie created an afterschool Italian program. The 3 -year project culminated in the student production of an original opera.

Leslie is also a member of the Board of the New Rochelle Council on the Arts and served for a number of years on the African-American Arts & Cultural Appreciation Council. She is President of The Billy Strayhorn Foundation, Inc. which celebrates the music and life of composer, arranger, and pianist Billy Strayhorn. The foundation supports this purpose through live music performance, lectures, symposia, and scholarships. Leslie received the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year-Community Service award in 2007.

Leslie believes that it is important to volunteer. “ Volunteering gives you the chance to share something special about yourself ..your love of reading or music or dance or sports or quantum physics….with someone else. Volunteering allows you to provide opportunities for others to experience moments of wonder. Volunteering is a gift. A gift that you give yourself.”

A graduate of Barnard College and Columbia University School of Law, Leslie spent almost 20 years in advertising and was a Vice President/Senior Attorney at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide.

Ms. Demus met her husband, Ralph C. Dawson, in law school. Ralph is a retired partner in the law firm of Norton Rose Fulbright, and the couple have two sons.

Ally Gallin

Ally Gallin is a Licensed Master Social Worker and nonprofit champion who currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Foundation of Open Door Care Network and as Governance Chair of Family Services of Westchester, now part of the Open Door Care Network. The Foundation was established as a nonprofit to raise funds for Open Door and in support of local community health initiatives. Open Door is a Federally Qualified Health Center that serves everyone regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status. Ally is a longtime volunteer for the United Service Organization (USO) and several other nonprofits.

Ally previously served on the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Steering Committee, Corporate Outreach and Development Committee of Volunteer New York! In 2020, the Gallin family was honored for their commitment to encouraging deep community engagement in service and received the Legacy Award.

Ally earned an MSW from Adelphi University and holds numerous post-graduate and professional certificates including the Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University, the Servant Leadership Certificate from Cornell University, and the Advanced Assessment and Diagnosis Post-Master’s Certificate from New York University. She has completed hundreds of hours of training focused on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.), Suicide Risk Assessment and Prevention, Prolonged Grief Disorder, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. The majority of these certificates were granted by Columbia University. She earned the Certificate of Nonprofit Board Consulting from BoardSource. She holds memberships in the National Association of Social Workers, New York State Society for Clinical Social Work, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, and the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress in collaboration with the National Center for Crisis Management where she also earned Diplomate Status.

Ally previously worked as a social worker with children and families in the fields of inpatient adolescent psychiatry, outpatient pediatric physiatry, rape, sexual assault and incest, and domestic violence.

The Gallin family founded a national nonprofit in 2011 called Stars for Cars. The mission of Stars for Cars is to raise awareness of the sacrifices that military families make when a loved one is called to service or who has died while in service to our nation. 100% of all funds raised by Stars for Cars go to the vital programs of the USO. In her efforts to continue the mission of Stars for Cars, Ally has walked 50 miles in one day, 200+ half marathons, many full marathons, and she and her husband, Tom, walked 300 miles from the United States Military Academy at West Point to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia to honor a local fallen soldier who died in Iraq at the age of 20 and the sacrifice made by his family.

About the New Rochelle Council of Community Services

The New Rochelle Council of Community Services (NRCCS) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring together community leaders to assess and meet the vital needs of the community by identifying and working towards solutions through mobilization, advocacy, and networking. NRCCS is the umbrella organization for the health and human service agencies, religious institutions and educational facilities of the City of New Rochelle. The Council’s Board of Directors consists of representatives of many of these agencies as well as local residents. The NRCCS welcomes new community resources and seeks to build collaborations to strengthen our community and serve its ever-changing needs. For more information visit the website at https://www.nrccs.org/