ANTOINETTE BIORDI

in order to steer and control a sailboat on the Hudson River.

During her time at News 12 Westchester, she also worked on a series called “Wasted Youth” where she went undercover with police as they busted an underage drinking party.

As the story progressed, undercover surveillance video discovered that several convenience stores were selling beer to underage kids. A year later she did a series called “Westchester Teens: Life in the Fast Lane” where she exposed parents who were hosting underage drinking parties for their own kids and their friends.

The drinking epidemic continued the next year in a series called “When Mommy Drives Drunk” as she found dozens of mothers were driving drunk with their own kids in the car. Those series combined with her daily stories won her several distinguished awards including Edward R. Murrow Awards, Deadline Club Awards, New York Press Club, AP awards, AEGIS award, Gold Aurora Awards, New York Festivals, Telly Award and a Videographer Award.

In 2010 Antoinette transitioned to News 12 Long Island where she is now a weekday Reporter and weekend Anchor.

During Superstorm Sandy in 2012 she not only reported on the devastation of many south shore com- munities that had been ravaged by the storm surge, but she also had the difficult task of telling countless heartwrenching stories of survival and how many communities started to rebuild.

Since then Antoinette has reported on everything from court cases, crime, community issues, societal concerns, health and wellness, to heartwarming profile stories about the resiliency and tenacity of Long Islanders. In 2017, Antoinette won her second NY Emmy after she did a twopart series about “Wiccan” a growing religion in New York that featured practicing witchcraft on Long Island.

Antoinette has been a positive force in business by also representing News 12 at countless community events that have enhanced our connections with Long Islanders.

In 2020 during the pandemic, Antoinette continued to go out into the field and report on Coronavirus cases, and how Covid changed all of our lives. Two months into the pandemic, she started a series called “We’re Open” that highlighted businesses on Long Island that were forced to pivot to our new normal.

Seeing the need to put a spotlight on these businesses earned her another NY Emmy Award.

Antoinette has been a positive force in business by also representing News 12 at countless community events that have enhanced our connections with Long Islanders.

In 2022, Antoinette earned her 4th Emmy in the category of Business and Consumer News for a series called “Road Trip Close to Home” that features fun and entertaining places to go and things to do in the tri-state area.

Antoinette was born in Brooklyn, moved to Corona, Queens and then moved to Nassau County. She continues to live there with her husband, son, and her dog Pepper.

In her spare time, she teaches Spin and Bootcamp classes, loves to read, travel, workout, cook, make her home-made wine, take pictures and play several musical instruments including the accordion..

As president and CEO, Terri Alessi-Miceli leads the activities and initiatives for HIA-LI, one of the recognized voices for Long Island business and a powerful force and economic engine for regional development.

Its member companies represent tens of thousands of business professionals. For nearly 45 years, the organization has provided a forum for business leaders to problem-solve, collaborate, and obtain advice on critical issues facing their businesses.

The organization is headquartered in, and advocates for, one of the largest industrial parks in the northeast, with over 55,000 em- ployees and 1,300 companies giving back over 13 billion in economic output.

Through a sustainability study performed by the Suffolk IDA and the RPA, the Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge represents 58% of tradeable sectors on Long Island, infusing dollars into the local economy, deeming it a major economic hub.

Under Alessi-Miceli’s leadership, HIA-LI is playing a vital role in combatting Long Island issues with transportation, workforce development, and affordable living in the Innovation Park.

HIA-LI initiatives promote strate-

PRESIDENT AND CEO | HIA-LI

gic partnerships, information sharing, and business advocacy. It has active committees that provide business programs and services to help its members thrive.

HIA-LI also hosts the Annual Business Trade Show and Conference, which sets records for business participation and is a major economic engine on Long Island.

Alessi-Miceli had previously served as managing director of Dale Carnegie Training for more than 18 years where she was responsible for the profitability and productivity of the instructional and sales teams for Long Island and New York at this premiere corporate education organization.

Alessi-Miceli is a current board member of Discover LI, the region’s official organization representing tourism, and is also a former board member of the Long Island Regional Planning Council, the New York League of Conservation Voters, and the Suffolk County Girl Scout Council.

In 2006, she was honored with the Harry Chapin Humanitarian award for HIA-LI’s work with Long Island Cares as the second largest contributor to their annual food drive as well as her personal work with the Dress for Success program, training women in interviewing skills and boosting their self-confi- dence.

She was twice honored as one of Long Island Business News’ (LIBN) Top 50 Women Professionals on Long Island, earning her a spot in the Hall of Fame. Alessi-Miceli has been a recipient of LIBN’s Top CEO Award. Schneps Media – publishers of the Long Island Press – named her one of Long Island’s “Top Power Women” as well as to its “Long Island Power List.”

Alessi-Miceli’s community involvement has included a commitment as a religion schoolteacher and working with the Big Brother/Big Sister organization.

How do you see your business evolving due to changing times?

Virtual communication tools have increased significantly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trend towards remote work and virtual meetings has been gaining momentum in recent years, and the pandemic has only accelerated this shift.

I believe we will continue to explore and adopt new technologies that facilitate virtual communication and collaboration, such as video conferencing, collaboration platforms, and project management tools.

They can increase productivity, save time and money, and allow for greater flexibility in how work is done. Overall, businesses that are able to adapt quickly to these changing times and leverage new technologies to their advantage will be the ones that thrive in the post-COVID world.

What advice would you give other business owners?

In today’s rapidly changing business environment, collaboration has become more important than ever before.

With virtual work becoming increasingly common, it’s crucial for businesses to find ways to work together effectively and efficiently. Companies and organizations that prioritize collaboration will be better equipped to adapt to changing market conditions and seize new opportunities.

Collaborative efforts can lead to increased creativity, improved problem-solving, and better decisionmaking.

By working together, teams can leverage each other’s strengths, share knowledge and expertise, and drive innovation. Moreover, having a five-year plan can provide a roadmap for future collaboration efforts and guide the organization toward achieving its long-term goals.

Eric Alexander is the Director of Vision Long Island, the areas downtown planning organization. Eric has over thirty years of experience in housing, transportation, community development and coordinating community projects. Specifically, Eric has advanced downtown planning, infrastructure investment and mixed use development through lobbying the Federal, State, County levels while working with municipalities to develop and implement smart growth policies, regulations, and projects. His work at Vision Long Island has resulted in over 150 downtown and infrastructure projects supporting over 16,000 units of Transit Oriented Development across LI.

In 2019 Eric founded the LI Main Street Alliance which represents 45 downtowns across Long Island and has been an advocate for local businesses assisting them with accessing public grant dollars through the Coronavirus recovery as well as planning and lobbying for downtown grants.

In 2021 Eric became the host of LI Main Street News and internet based TV show that has interviewed over 500 local community, business and government leaders. The show now hits the road to promote downtowns and events around Long Island that strengthen our communities.

In 2020 Eric partnered with the Pink Tie Foundation to form the Pink Tie Delivers program to bring food and financial assistance to local food pantries across Long Island. To date over 175 deliveries have been made to 55 pantries from Greenport to Valley Stream.

In 2002 Eric organized Long Island’s first Smart Growth Awards event and led its first Smart Growth Summit. The Summit, now held annually, had over 1,300 attendees before Coronavirus and develops a policy agenda for downtown redevelopment and infrastructure. Over the last twenty five years Eric has made over 3,500 individual and