Leadership

Go Red For Women National Chair & Leadership Council:
Lisa Bisaccia
Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
CVS Health

2019 Long Island Go Red For Women Event Chair:

Maria A. Grasso
Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Flushing Financial Corporation and Flushing Bank

Maria A. Grasso is Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Secretary of Flushing Financial Corporation and Flushing Bank. She joined the Bank in 2006 as Chief Operating Officer and was elected Corporate Secretary in 2007. Maria has managed the Retail Bank, Ethnic Markets, Business Banking, Government Banking, Internet Banking, Human Resources, Marketing, Sales and Operations of the Bank. Recently, she assumed responsibility for several of the company’s strategic initiatives including process reengineering, expense management, customer service and corporate-wide change management. Maria has been in the banking business for 30 years, beginning her career with Chase Manhattan. Prior to joining Flushing Financial, she held the title of Senior Vice President and Division Head of The Bank of New York for Long Island and Queens, overseeing an organization that served the personal and small business banking needs of customers throughout 102 branches.

Maria is currently a member of the National Board of the American Kidney Fund, President of the Hofstra University Zarb Business School Alumni Association, and a former Chair of United Way of Long Island’s Board of Directors and former chairperson of the Retail Banking Division Committee for the New York Bankers Association. Charitable organizations have benefited from Maria’s leadership and support. An advocate of volunteerism, she has volunteered for the March of Dimes, Long Island Care, Bias Help of Long Island, Women’s Fund of Long Island, the American Cancer Society, and Long Island Association for AIDS Care and Long Island Network of Community Services. Maria recently received the Anthony J. Stupore Memorial Live United Champion Award at the United Way Long Island Luncheon. Maria has a BBA in Finance from Hofstra University and an MBA in Marketing from Adelphi University.

2019 Long Island Go Red For Women ELT Chair:

Anthony (Tony) Dalessio
Executive Director of Graduate Business Career Relations
Hofstra University Frank G. Zarb School of Business

Anthony (Tony) Dalessio has been named executive director of Graduate Business Career Relations, a newly created position at Hofstra University Frank G. Zarb School of Business, effective October 1, 2018. 

A 1980 graduate of the Hofstra School of Business, Tony returns to Hofstra after a distinguished 38 year career in public accounting, auditing, advisory, and international accounting standards. Most recently, he was managing partner for KPMG LLP on Long Island, responsible for the strategic direction and growth of the office. 

“Returning to Hofstra as an executive director is full circle from my time as a student, Beta Alpha Psi officer, and undergraduate assistant to the chairman of the accounting department,” said Dalessio. “I’m honored to bring my Hofstra background and career experience to contribute to the quality educational experience Hofstra provides students, and reinforce the importance of lifelong learning.” 

Tony also served as deputy director general of the International Federation of Accountants and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  His extensive civic involvement includes serving on the Long Island Association and the Port Washington Library Foundation boards, the Tilles Center Council of Overseers, the Metropolitan Club’s Membership Committee in New York City, the Northwell Health Department of Medicine Leadership Circle, and the Hofstra University Alumni and Advisory Council of the Frank G. Zarb School of Business. 

Tony was named a David Rockefeller Fellow for the Partnership for New York City, and was a member of The Energeia Partnership at Molloy College Class of 2012.  He also served as an Instructor of Accounting and Continuing Professional Education at Hofstra University, and Adjunct Professor of Auditing and Accounting Information Systems at Baruch College (CUNY).

My Why is my Mom, my immediate Family and Myself.

Executive Leadership Team:

Joseph R. Ficalora
President and Chief Executive Officer
New York Community Bancorp 

Joseph R. Ficalora is the President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of New York Community Bancorp--the 24th largest bank holding company in the nation--and of its subsidiaries, New York Community Bank and New York Commercial Bank. Under Mr. Ficalora’s leadership, the Company has evolved from a mutual savings bank with seven branches in Queens and Nassau Counties to a publicly traded multi-bank holding company with 253 branch offices serving consumers and businesses throughout Metro New York, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, and Arizona, including 223 branches of the Community Bank, the largest U.S. thrift.

A graduate of Pace University with a degree in business and finance, Mr. Ficalora provides leadership to several professional banking organizations. He currently serves as a Member Director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, a member of the American Bankers Council of the American Bankers Association, a member of the American Bankers Association’s Government Relations Council Administrative Committee, and is a director of the New York Bankers Association, also serving as Chairman of its Metropolitan Area Division. Mr. Ficalora also serves on the Board of Trustees of Pace University, as well as on their Investment/Pension Committee, the Boards of Directors of the New York Community Bank Foundation, the Richmond County Savings Foundation, Pentegra Retirement Trust, and Peter B. Cannell & Co., Inc., an investment advisory firm. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Pentegra Services, Inc.

Mr. Ficalora also is an active participant in community affairs. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Queens Chamber of Commerce since 1990, and previously served on its Executive Committee. In addition, Mr. Ficalora serves on the Boards of Directors of the Foreign Policy Association and Flushing Cemetery, the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, and the Development Committee of New York-Presbyterian/Queens, the Board of Trustees and the Finance and Audit Committee of the New York Hall of Science, and the Advisory Council of the Queens Museum of Art.

Mr. Ficalora is the former Vice Chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, a former member of the Board of Directors of the American Bankers Association, the Thrift Institutions Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Thrift Institutions Advisory Panel. He is also the former Chairman of the New York State Savings Forum for Operations Audit Control, the former Chairman of CBANYS, as well as the former Chairman of CBANYS' Auditors and Comptrollers Forum, the former Chairman of the SBLI Fund, the former Director of Computhrift Corporation, and past President and Director of the MSB Fund. In addition, he has previously served as President of the Queens Library Foundation and as Chairman of the Board and of the Administrative Committee of the Queens Borough Public Library.

My WHY is it will benefit all.

Demetrios Frangiskatos, CPA
Commercial Assurance Managing Partner, Greater New York
BDO USA, LLP

Demetrios is the Commercial Practice Office Managing Partner. In this role, he oversees the many elements of Assurance, including, auditing, accounting, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) services, global services, quality control, and independence. He has over seventeen years of experience providing accounting, auditing and business advisory services (all with BDO). Since joining BDO, he has extensive experience advising clients on initial public offerings, follow-up on offerings and debt transactions. He has also been involved in numerous merger and acquisition transactions for both domestic and international entities. He is the Leader of BDO New York’s Technology and Media Practice. 

His professional background includes engagements from high emerging growth to Fortune 1,000 companies, both publicly and privately held businesses, across a multitude of industries, with his primary focus on life sciences, medical device, manufacturing & distribution and technology companies. He has experience servicing his clients on financial statement and internal controls over financial reporting audits, agreed upon procedures, technical research, business process analysis and providing recommendations for operational improvement for growth stage companies. 

Vincent LaManna 
First Vice President
CBRE

Vincent LaManna is a New York State licensed real estate broker specializing in tenant representation, and currently serves as First Vice President with CBRE.

With nearly 30 years of real estate experience, Vince has developed a practice based on hard work and informed advice, proudly serving the fiducial interests of his long-standing clients. Mr. LaManna expertly translates his client’s qualitative and quantitative needs across the various local, national and international markets they operate in. He is a trusted advocate with a keen ability to negotiate and close transactions for clientele that includes corporations, partnerships, sole proprietors and not-for-profit organizations. Vince has built a reputation of high integrity that has earned him the respect amongst those he negotiates against in the landlord community.

Prior to his tenure with CBRE, Vince was the President of LaManna Real Estate Advisors, Inc. He began his professional career in banking, as an Asset Manager in the Real Estate Owned Department at the Greater New York Savings Bank. Vince is a proud father of four children, two of whom serve in the United States Army.

Keith Lawlor
SVP, Regional Vice President
TD Bank

Keith Lawlor is SVP, Regional Vice President for TD Bank's Long Island Market.  Keith has 15+ years of banking experience all of which has been with TD Bank. He is primarily responsible for the leadership, coaching and management of the Suffolk region with a focus on the bank’s recognition in the community through the profitable growth of deposits, loans, treasury management, FX, and international products while enhancing the TD brand.

After graduating college, Keith was hired by TD Bank as a credit analyst trainee and was formally trained in 2003.  Keith quickly was promoted to Senior Credit Analyst in 2005 and received the 2006 TD Bank WOW Award for Credit Analyst of the Year.  In 2006, Keith was promoted to Credit Section Manager where he supervised, trained and coached credit analysts.  The following year, Keith was promoted to Assistant Vice President of Commercial Lending and then in 2010 received the TD Bank CEO WOW Leadership Award for Lender of the Year.   In 2011 Keith was promoted to Vice President/ Relationship Manager for the Regional Group and then in December 2015 was promoted to VP/ Senior Relationship Manager on the Middle Market team.  In May 2018 Keith was promoted to SVP, Regional Vice President for the Long Island Market.

In addition to working at TD Bank, Keith is a board member of the Risk Management Association- LI Chapter, a member of the RMA Young Professionals Committee, a member of the LIA Young Professionals Committee, a member of CIBS, a member of the Long Island Food Council, and a board member of the Child Care Council of Suffolk.  In recognition of Keith's effort on Long Island, he received the Long Island Business News 15th annual 40 under 40 award in 2013 and the CIBS Associate Member of the Year award in 2015.

Keith is a graduate of Hofstra University, where he earned his BBA & MBA in Banking and Finance.  Keith is supported by his wife, Charlene and their three children, Nicholas, Jack & Alex.

Anthony Perrone, CPA
Senior Associate - Audit
KPMG LLP

Anthony Perrone is a Senior Associate in the audit practice of KPMG LLP. He joined KPMG in 2013 as an intern and started fulltime in the fall of 2014 in the Long Island office after graduating from Fordham University with both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Anthony plays an integral role in the New York Business unit, serving as Chair of the Senior Associate Advisory Board, a leader and mentor in the Long Island office, and a KPMG Team Captain for the Long Island Heart Walk.

The American Heart Association is a special organization to me as heart disease has affected my family, like it has millions of other families. My Uncle passed away suddenly from a heart attack about 4 years ago. Uncle Jimmy (aka Godfather) was a special member of our family and was loved by everyone he met, but most of all by his family. As time goes on people get busy and schedules fill up, but every year the Heart Walk is marked on our calendars and everyone comes together to remember Uncle Jimmy along with many others and to bring awareness to the terrible effects of heart disease.