United Hebrew Appoints Two to Board of Directors

Rabia de Lande Long, a management consultant and executive coach with Chartwell Advisors, and Dorette “Dori” Gerspach, an artist and business owner, have been appointed to the Board of Directors of United Hebrew of New Rochelle, President and CEO Rita Mabli announced today. In their new roles, De Lande Long and Gerspach will provide insights into the needs of the elderly, as well as serve as ambassadors of the organization – a resource for people seeking high-quality eldercare.

Mabli said the new appointees have the passion needed to drive the organization forward while staying true to its nonprofit mission.

“We are fortunate to have individuals of such high caliber on our board,” says Ms. Mabli of de Lande Long and Gerspach. “Their commitment, passion, and experience mesh perfectly with our goal, which is to offer the best service possible and enhance the lives of the senior population in the region.”

About Rabia de Lande Long

Rabia de Lande Long brings over 25 years of consulting, strategy, operations and business transformation experience to her new role on United Hebrew’s board. Prior to launching Chartwell Advisors in 1997, she led projects in knowledge management, change management, and human capital for Ernst & Young. Previously, she helped found and grow the Organizational Change practice at Price Waterhouse, specializing in organizational strategy, structure, and culture, among others.

De Lande Long became involved with United Hebrew after she was brought on as a consultant in 2015 to support its new cultural change initiative called WOW, designed to create a culture of compassion to encourage employees to bring out the best in each other, and their residents. She helped to develop the training and staff development program to roll out WOW, now in its fourth year at United Hebrew of New Rochelle.

She says she was moved to accept the invitation to be on the board after that experience.

“I witnessed first-hand Rita’s extraordinary leadership and worked closely with every department head. It was an honor to be invited to join Rita, her leaders, and the board as UH enters its second century of caring for people like family.” ,

De Lande Long is a resident of New York City. She earned a master’s degree in public and private management, concentrating in marketing and organizational behavior from the Yale School of Management; and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Virginia.

About Dorette Gerspach

Dori Gerspach is an artist and a small business owner in Scarsdale, New York. She serves as a private drawing instructor, teaching adults and children how to communicate through drawing, and creates commissioned artwork via her businesses, “Picture Your Pet,” and “Picture Your Home.” She also creates commissioned portraits and landscapes. As a Juried Member of the Scarsdale Art Association, she has exhibited her work with the Town of Greenburgh Matters of the Heart exhibitions.

Gerspach was introduced to United Hebrew in 2015, when two of her family members were residents there – her mother-in-law, at the nursing home, and her brother-in-law’s mother, at Willow Towers Assisted Living and the short-term rehabilitation center. “We had a positive feeling about the care and the campus,” she says. “We had experiences at other residential care facilities, but this was by far the best we had come across.”

For families who can no longer manage caring for an elderly loved one, facilities such as United Hebrew offer a lifeline, Gerspach points out. “I see how the community and its programs make such a difference to elderly people and their families. They are more connected to each other, and the world around them. This work is so important, which is why I look forward to working with Rita and my fellow board members.”

Previously, Gerspach worked as a drawing instructor for the Edgemont School District, and as a graphic designer for Redbook Magazine. She studied fine arts and graphic design at St. John’s University and the School of Visual Arts. She also completed coursework at the Westchester Center for the Arts, the Theodore Young Community Center, and New York Botanical Garden.