Commissioner Carrie Meek-Gallagher, from the Suffolk County Department of Environment and Energy, delivered the keynote address on the future of “green” employment opportunities in the county.

Two dozen successful women business owners and professionals also attended the event, working alongside the girls as mentors throughout the day’s activities and exercises. The program included a marketing project, a goal-envisioning exercise, an introduction to personal finance and budgeting, and discussions with the mentors about their own experiences in the “real world” of business.

Conference sponsors included the Suffolk County Women’s Bar Association, Molloy College, the Bank of Smithtown (Rocky Point branch office) and Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare.

One of the mentors for the day was Lisa M. Strahs-Lorenc, director of community relations for Long Island Works, a Division of Goodwill Industries of Greater NY & Northern NJ. Also serving as mentors were: Pamela Bedford, New York State Department of Labor.; Berta Cevallos, president, BML Language Consultants LLC; Amy Dowling, vice president, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives; Doris Fritz, president, UP Solutions Group; Sheila Giordano, president, Weight Loss 101; Lori Green, president, CPR for Kids; Paula Klee Parish, president/CEO, Performance Solutions, Inc.; Alyse Parise, president, Power Outcomes; Kalpana Patel, president/CEO, Unique Comp Inc.; Maria Perez-Lent, director, Suffolk County Stop DWI; Lisa Renee Pomerantz, Esq., attorney at law; Officer Lola Quesada, Suffolk County Police Department; Tami Racaniello, certified personal trainer, It’s Time to Get Fit!; Deborah Randolph-Price, president, DRP Enterprises; Virginia Russell, president, VIP Basket Store; Dawn J. Strain, DJS Events; Peggy C. Sutherland, president, Long Island Science; Mary Thomas-Clarrett, realtor, Peluso Realty Company; Louise Timms, branch manager, Bank of Smithtown (Rocky Point); Janice Tinsley-Colbert, deputy CEO, Suffolk County Water Authority; Janessa Trotto, Esq., attorney at law; Margery Weinroth, Esq., attorney at law; and Deborah Yelvington, president, Dynamic Design.

To view photos of this event, click on http://www.liworks.org/dsp_photogallery.cfm?psid=45

The Suffolk County Executive’s Office of Women’s Services is a county agency that serves women in all walks of life, at all times and passages in their lives, through a number of services and programs.