Westchester County’s district attorney, a regional certified public accounting firm and a leading elder law attorney will be honored for their contributions to enhance the quality of life for seniors at the 18th annual Golden Harvest Awards Breakfast on Oct. 8 at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown.
The prestigious awards are presented by the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services to recognize outstanding and lasting contributions to individuals and corporations to Westchester seniors.
District Attorney Janet DiFiore will receive the Jim Curran Leadership Award; O’Connor Davies Munns & Dobbins (ODMD), a CPA and consulting firm, the Corporate Award, and attorney Steven A. Schurkman, the Humanitarian Award.
County Executive Andy Spano said the honorees should be applauded for their exceptional contributions to help seniors.
“They set an example for other individuals and corporations in the county about how to make a difference,” Spano said. “It is fitting that we recognize their achievements in this special way.
The partnership is a coalition of government, business and voluntary service agencies that have joined forces to develop resources and services so that seniors can remain independent and active members of the community.
Proceeds are earmarked for programs and services that support transportation and other quality-of-life services for seniors, said Mae Carpenter, Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS). Funds will be used to help provide transportation for seniors to educational and social events and for intergenerational volunteer programs.
“Transportation is so vital for seniors to sustain a quality of life in the community,” Carpenter said. “It’s the link that reduces social isolation.”
DiFiore has dedicated her long career to public service as both a former judge and prosecutor in the county. She has served on Westchester County’s Domestic Violence Council where she was involved in many cases of violence against women – especially older women.
In 2003 she was appointed to serve as the supervising judge for the criminal courts in the 9th Judicial District with oversight responsibility of the criminal courts of Westchester, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland and Putnam counties. She resigned from this position in 2005 to run for Westchester District Attorney, and was sworn in the following year.
DiFiore has also served in many positions designed to promote the fair administration of justice. She was appointed to the New York State Task Force on Wrongful Convictions, the New York State Motor Vehicle Theft and Insurance Fraud Prevention Board and the New Work State Juvenile Justice Advisory Group. DiFiore received the 2009 Susan E. Kupferman award from the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York for outstanding contributions to juvenile justice services.
O’Connor Davies Munns & Dobbins (ODMD), one of the largest certified public accounting firms in the tri-state area, was founded in 1891 and has local offices in White Plains and Harrison. Over the past 10 years, it has been a sponsor of Golden Harvest and taken part in many of the programs that the Public/Private Partnership offers.
CPA Allan D. Rosenberg, a partner in the firm, is chair of the Public/Private Partnership. Rosenberg is a past president of both the Hudson Valley Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and the Estate Planning Council of Westchester County. He received the Accredited Estate Planner designation from the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils.
Schurkman, a partner in the White Plains law firm of Keane & Beane, is a former chair of the Public/Private Partnership. He has practiced law for more than 25 years and recently received the “Above the Bar Award” from the Westchester County Business Journal and Pace Law School as the “most socially conscious attorney.”
Schurkman is also chair of DSPS’ annual Senior Law Day and has made many presentations to senior groups throughout the county. He serves on the board of directors of the Hudson Valley/Rockland/Westchester, New York Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and chairs its Development Committee. He is also a board member of the Westchester Estate Planning Council and serves on its Executive Committee. Schurkman is the immediate past chair of the Elder Law Section of the Westchester County Bar Association.
Through a grant from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Schurkman authored “Elder Law Q & A: Answers to Questions about Estate and Financial Planning, Health Care Planning and Elder Abuse.”
Over the years, the Public/Private Partnership has raised more than $5 million to benefit DSPS programs. The Partnership publishes the “Senior Services Directory of Westchester Public and Private Resources.” To advertise in the directory and obtain tickets to the awards breakfast, use the online application form. The deadline for accepting ads for the directory has been extended until Sept. 18.
For more information about Golden Harvest, call (914) 747-0519 or send an e-mail to cappaconnection@earthlink.net.
