For Immediate Release
March 31, 2014
Suffolk Community College Foundation Annual Gala: An Engine That Funds Education With Scholarships and Loans.
Five distinguished Long Island labor leaders, including posthumous recognition of one who sought and won elective office and distinguished himself as a Suffolk County legislator and as the legislature鈥檚 presiding officer, will be honored by The Suffolk Community College Foundation at its annual Salute to Excellence Gala The Year of Labor whose proceeds will be used to fund need and merit-based scholarships, emergency student loans and quality academic enrichment programs. The Foundation distributed $500,000 in scholarships last year.The Year of Labor celebrating these outstanding labor leaders 鈥� John R. Durso, Richard C. Iannuzzi, Richard O鈥橩ane, Ellen Schuler Mauk and posthumous recognition of former Suffolk County Legislator William J. Lindsay, Jr. -- will be held on April 24 at the Hilton Long Island in Huntington.
鈥淲e will celebrate and recognize five great labor leaders from Long Island whose advocacy for the middle class advanced the most important engine in creating the American Dream and a better life for each generation,鈥� said 糖心Vlog President Dr. Shaun L. McKay.
鈥淭he mission of the Foundation is to reduce the economic barriers to higher education and foster student success. The Salute to Excellence Gala is the College鈥檚 single largest event held annually to generate financial support, community awareness and most importantly make a difference in the lives of our students,鈥� said Executive Director of the Suffolk Community College Foundation Richard C. Guarino. The celebration will begin at 7 pm.
John R. Durso of Bellmore has served as the President of Local 338, RWDSU/UFCW, since 1999 and
represents more than 19,000 men and women working in New York City, Long Island,
Westchester, Putnam and Hudson counties, as well as into New Jersey.Local 338鈥檚 members include: supermarket and drug store employees, health care workers, pharmacists, delivery workers, dairy workers, and employees at warehouses and numerous other retail food services. Durso is also the President of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, the fourth largest central labor council in the United States, representing 250,000 union members in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Durso serves as an International Vice President of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Vice President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), an affiliate of the UFCW, and a Vice President of the New York City Central Labor Council. In addition, John holds positions on the Towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead Labor Advisory Boards, and the Town of Hempstead Workforce Investment Board.
He is a lifetime member of the New York branch of the NAACP, a board member of the Long Island Association, Vision Long Island, Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, and is also the Chairman of the United Way of Long Island. Durso also serves on Governor Cuomo鈥檚 Regional Economic Council, as well as the Advisory Boards of the ENERGEIA Partnership, the Long Island Community Development Corporation, the Rauch Foundation, John Thiessen鈥檚 Children鈥檚 Foundation, the Queens Chapter of the American Cancer Society, and is the Chairman of the Nassau County Living Wage Advisory Board.
Durso and his wife, Peggy are the proud parents of four grown children; John Jr., Michael, Jessica, and Jim and also the also the proud grandparents of two. Peggy was herself a 27-year member of Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW.
Richard C. Iannuzzi, of Smithtown has served as president of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) since
April 2005, leading the union through a period of tremendous growth, with membership
now at more than 600,000.A leading voice in the labor movement at both the state and federal levels, Iannuzzi serves as a vice president of the American Federation of Teachers and of the New York State AFL-CIO. He also serves as delegate to the national AFL-CIO, co-chair of the New York State Labor-Religion Coalition and a member of the board of directors of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, one of the world's foremost human rights organizations.
With nearly 500 full-time employees, NYSUT represents a diverse membership that includes in-service and retired members in New York's public schools, colleges, universities and health care facilities, as well as dozens of private schools and colleges, non-profits and government agencies. Its programs are provided from 16 offices around the state; its more than 1,000 affiliates bargain collectively for benefits, working conditions and professional improvements.
Richard and his wife, Joanne, have three grown children, including daughter Deborah, a NYSUT member who teaches English at Central Islip High School.
Richard 鈥淒ick鈥� O鈥橩ane of Brightwaters was unanimously elected President of the Nassau-Suffolk Building
and Construction Trades Council in January 2013 and took office in July of the same
year. Prior to his election as the union鈥檚 president, O鈥橩ane served the council as
a delegate, trustee and executive board member.Prior to his current position O鈥橩ane was a proud 43-year member of Iron Workers Local 361 where he held the position of Business Manager/Financial Secretary Treasurer for 13 years. O鈥橩ane also served the membership as president, vice president, recording secretary, executive board member, sergeant-at-arms, and delegate to the international convention. In addition, he was the co-chairman/trustee to the Iron Workers Local 40, 361 & 417 Union Security Funds and was also a Delegate to the NY State District Council of Iron Workers and in later years was the organization鈥檚 financial secretary.
Prior to serving in the office as business agent and then business manager, he worked in the field as an apprentice, journeyman, foreman, assistant foreman, general foreman