Two of the community’s most respected civic leaders will be honored at Residents For a More Beautiful Port Washington’s 2016 Gala. Honorees Jennifer Rimmer and Laurie Scheinman are recognized for their commitment to strengthening the quality of life in Port. The gala is on Friday, April 8, at Leonard’s of Great Neck. The theme, Destination Port Washington, is designed to reinforce excitement in all that Port Washington offers. Residents Director of Development Lisa Grossman said, “Port boasts an impressive list of people who are considered visionary and dedicate a good deal of their time to bettering our community. Yet few have the level of energy, foresight or devotion as Jennifer Rimmer and Laurie Scheinman.”
Jennifer Rimmer
Rimmer has been an active member of Residents for 20 years as a volunteer, and then as executive director from 2000-07. She has been a board member of Residents since 2007 and chairs the Model Blocks committee. She is director of strategic initiatives and sustainability for AECOM, a Fortune 500 firm. As the first sustainability officer in NY State, she has held positions at Sustainable Long Island, Nassau County and New York State’s Empire State Development Corp. She joined the Women’s Roll of Honor for the Town of North Hempstead in 2004, was recognized as a Trailblazer by Nassau County and received NY State’s Woman of Distinction Award and Diamond Award from American Council of Engineering Companies for an AECOM project.
During her tenure at Residents, Rimmer led projects including Baywalk, creation of the Port elementary schools’ environmental programs, the Port visioning process and the passage of the Main Street overlay zoning and Main Street revitalization initiatives. She is on the Village of Flower Hill Planning Board, cochairs ULI’s Infrastructure Council and serves on the boards of HorseAbility and the Long Island chapter of the League of Conservation Voters. She is a member of the Energeia class of 2010, NYS-Long Island Regional Economic Development Council’s Environment and Infrastructure Working Groups, the 3rd Track Task Force and an advisory committee member for the Long Island Index.
Laurie Scheinman
Laurie Scheinman, a child and family therapist for almost 30 years, decided on a whim in 2012 to create a philanthropic boutique in Port. Scheinman donates 100 percent of profits from wit & whim to charity each month. Wit & whim has received national recognition as one of Home Accent Today magazine’s 50 Retail Stars for 2015 and by 1010 WINS radio as one of NY’s 50 best small businesses. In December, Scheinman hosted a “Hands Across the Water” window display initiative. She encouraged participation from schools and senior centers from around the globe to help with the window decorations. Scheinman invited participants from the Port Senior Citizens Center for lunch in her shop and to see the display. She is also a great supporter of local artists, and hosts art exhibits.
Aside from managing wit & whim and continuing her work as a therapist, Scheinman is also a benefactor and member of the Board of Advisors of the Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution at the ILR School at Cornell University. She is a consultant to the LI Gay and Lesbian Youth Network, where she helped organize the first gay PTA in the U.S. and served as its first copresident. She is a member of the creative team that developed the LI Children’s Museum’s “Tot Spot.” She serves on the board of the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce and is a Lion Benefactor for the UJA-Federation, for which she lectures for a parenting series. In 2015, she became a May Newburger Women’s Roll of Honor inductee.
New honoree categories
The Residents gala will now also honor people who have demonstrated devotion to the Port community. The 2016 Community Service award honoree will be Barbara Faticone for her omnipresent volunteer work. Chuck Idol will receive the Environmental award based on his leadership role in the fight to ban pentachlorophenol, a known carcinogen, from being used to preserve Port’s utility poles.
For information about Residents, call 516-767-9151 or email info@pwresidents.org.
