(Contact: Epoch 5 Public Relations)

Bethpage Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce the appointment of five prominent Long Islanders to significant roles at the financial institution.   Robert F. Kelly, Chairman of the Bethpage Federal Credit Union Board of Directors, made the announcement.

Marie Ann Hoenings, a partner with L’Abbate Balkan Colavita and Contini, LLP; Lawrence Waldman, a partner with EisnerAmper; and Richard Cooke, a partner with Marcum LLP; have been appointed to Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s Supervisory Committee.  Deidra Parrish Williams, Executive Director of the NuHealth Foundation; and Anne N. Brigis, President and CEO, YMCA of Long Island; have been appointed Associate Members to the Board of Directors.

As members of the Supervisory Committee, Hoenings, Waldman and Cooke will support Bethpage’s adherence to the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) objectives and activities, monitoring policies and procedures and offering recommendations to safeguard the credit union’s assets.  As Associate Board Members, Williams and Brigis will serve as Bethpage volunteers and participate on various Board committees to aid and assist Bethpage in meeting its financial, corporate and government policies and obligations.  All officials were appointed on April 25, 2013, by the Bethpage Federal Credit Union Board of Directors.

“These five professionals have a broad base of experience to help maintain the stability of Bethpage and support our growing membership,” said Kelly.  “We are pleased to welcome them to the Bethpage family.”

A partner in the employment practice group at the law firm L’Abbate Balkan Colavita & Contini, LLP (Garden City, NY), Marie Ann Hoenings specializes in civil litigation, including commercial litigation and professional liability defense, and is admitted to practice in both New York and New Jersey.   She represents professionals, including architects, engineers, insurers, company directors and officers, as well as accountants in circumstances involving obligations to their corporate clients and audit work involving GAAP and GAAS.  She began her career in the New York County District Attorney’s Office and joined L’Abbate Balkan Colavita & Contini in 1989.  A resident of Saint James, she earned her J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law and frequently guest lectures on risk management and conducts Continuing Legal Education seminars.

Lawrence Waldman is partner-in-charge of Practice Development in EisnerAmper’s Long Island (Melville, NY) office. He brings more than 35 years of experience in public accounting to his role, including Managing Partner of the Long Island office of a Big 4 firm. A highly regarded leader in the Long Island business community, he serves as Treasurer of the Long Island Association and as a Trustee of the Long Island Power Authority.  He also serves as Treasurer and Board Member of the Long Island Angel Network and the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at SUNY Stony Brook.  He is equally well known for his contributions as a volunteer for charitable and civic organizations.  A resident of Roslyn Heights, Mr. Waldman earned both his MBA and B.S. from Hofstra University.

In his role as Assurance Services Partner based in Marcum LLP’s Long Island (Melville, NY) Office, Richard L. Cooke specializes in providing audit, review and merger and acquisition consulting services to clients across several industries.  He also is a member of Marcum’s National SEC and High Technology Industry groups.   In providing clients expert guidance through the compliance process, Mr. Cooke brings 20 years experience and in-depth knowledge of audit, due diligence and business consulting practices.  A resident of Saint James, Mr. Cooke joined Marcum LLP in 1997 after several years experience in regional accounting firms and earning his B.S. in Accounting from Fairfield University.

Deidra Parrish Williams is a marketing communications professional.  In 2010, she was appointed the founding Executive Director of the NuHealth Foundation, a nonprofit organization responsible for generating broad scale support for NuHealth, Nassau County’s safety net health system.  Previous positions held by Ms. Williams over her more than 20-year career include Director of Community Affairs for Newsday and principal at TWS Marketing Communications.  She started her career as a high tech editor at CMP Media and continues to pursue writing and journalism.  She earned her B.A. in Journalism and Media Studies at Fordham University and studied strategic corporate citizenship at the Boston College School of Management.  She has earned recognitions from many Long Island organizations for her volunteer work.  A resident of Valley Stream, she sits on the boards of the Energeia Partnership, the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center, and Project GRAD.

Her position as President & CEO of the YMCA of Long Island, Inc. has been a natural progression for Anne N. Brigis, who began her life’s work when a teenage volunteer at the Flushing YMCA.  She earned her college degree and embarked on a career on Madison Avenue, but returned to her calling at the YMCA coming out to Long Island in 1992, to become Associate, and then, Executive Director, of the Great South Bay branch.  In successive promotions, she became VP of South Shore Operations; SVP, Branch Operations; EVP and COO; and in 2012, President and CEO.  Over the years, she has raised the profile and funding of the YMCA of Long Island, including oversight of improvements and new construction in Huntington, Patchogue, and Glen Cove. Today, the YMCA serves 60,805 members, oversees after school programming for 1,400 students in 14 school districts, and operates youth summer camps focused on health and wellness. The Y is a cause driven organization with three areas of focus; Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility.  A resident of Sea Cliff, Ms. Brigis is the recipient of numerous awards in recognition of her leadership.

Bethpage Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative, existing solely to serve its members and has experienced rapid growth in recent years to become a strong alternative to banks.  Bethpage was approved for the largest federal community charter in the U.S. in 2003 and now is New York State’s largest credit union and Long Island’s primary community financial institution with 212,000 members, 26 branches and 60 shared service center locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties. As a financial cooperative, Bethpage offers the best-in-market rates, low fees and world-class service, and a full menu of personal and commercial financial services.

Bethpage maintains branch locations in Bay Shore, Bay Shore King Kullen, Bethpage, Central Islip, Commack King Kullen, Elmont, Farmingdale, Freeport, Glen Cove, Hempstead, Huntington, Levittown King Kullen, Lynbrook, Massapequa, Melville, Mineola, North Babylon, Patchogue, Port Jefferson, Riverhead, Seaford, Smithtown, Roosevelt, West Babylon and Westbury with over 425 surcharge-free ATMs including King Kullen, CVS Pharmacy, 7-11 and Costco locations throughout Long Island.  For more information, call 1-800-628-7070 or visit www.bethpagefcu.com.