The Trustees of Seamen’s Society for Children and Families held its annual meeting earlier this month and its first virtual annual meeting as a result of the novel coronavirus. During the meeting, three new board members were elected: Laurie Guinta, Vice President/Area Manager for Northfield Bank; Tashanna Golden, Director of Housing at Legal Services NYC; and, Robert Vidal II, Employee Benefits Specialist at Hilb Group/Bentson and Company.
“Laurie, Tashanna and Robert each bring unique perspectives, qualities, and specialties to the organization,” said Board Chairperson Laura L. Volsario. “We welcome them to the Seamen’s Society family and thank them for their commitment to helping children and families.”
A native Staten Island resident, Ms. Guinta has been with Northfield Bank for more than four years and prior to that was with JPMorgan Chase. She received the Vito J. Titone Award from Staten Island Legal Services for her community work that benefited domestic violence survivors. She is a member of the Verrazano Kiwanis Club, Soroptimist of Staten Island, and Staten Island Business Council.
Ms. Golden is also a native Staten Islander. She attended St. John’s University, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in English, summa cum laude, in 2005. She went on to study law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where she graduated in May 2008. Upon graduation she began her career at Weil, Gotshal and Manges where she practiced Securities Litigation for five years. After leaving Weil, Gotshal & Manges, she spent some time as a solo practitioner, handling various civil litigation matters before transitioning to Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, where she worked on bankruptcy litigation matters. In June 2015, she began working as a staff attorney in the Housing Unit at Staten Island Legal Services, the Staten Island office of Legal Services New York City. In October 2018, she was named the Director of the Housing Unit, her current role. She is admitted to practice in New York State and the Southern District of New York.
Mr. Vidal is a Brooklyn native who has been living on Staten Island for the past decade. He has been with The Hilb Group/Bentson and Company since 2014, working in employee benefits. His experience also includes working for Professional Group Plans and being an entrepreneur, owning three Subway franchises. He received a bachelor’s degree from Pace University. He is on the board of the National Association of Health Underwriters. He an avid martial artist with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
In addition to electing three new members, the agency’s Board of Trustees re-elected Ms. Volsario as Chairperson. Also re-elected were Ericker Phillips-Onaga, Vice Chairperson; Evelyn Finn, Secretary; and Peter Tesoriero, Treasurer. All were elected for one-year terms.
“We would like to thank Laurie, Tashanna, and Robert, in advance, for their time and service,” said Seamen’s Society President and CEO David W. Gaskin. “Their talents and abilities will further enhance our Board and, as a result, our agency. I also want to congratulate and thank the Board’s officers for their continued commitment and stewardship.”
Founded in 1846, Seamen’s Society for Children and Families has always had the welfare of vulnerable children and their families at the forefront of its mission, which is to provide the highest quality services in the community to strengthen and preserve families so that children and adults have the opportunity to realize their full potential. Today, we accomplish that mission by serving 1,250+ children and 500+ families through our programs and services, including: foster care, adoption, family support services, daycare services, health and wellness services, health home care management services, domestic violence services, afterschool tutoring, and college/vocational school scholarships.