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- Master of Ceremonies -
Fred Schwam
Vice President, Board of Directors
- Boys & Girls Club of Mt. Vernon Video -
- Mayor Shawn Patterson-Howard -
- Alumni Honoree -
Jack McArdle
VP, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
- Corporate Citizen Award -
April Horton
External & Government Affairs, Verizon
- Lowes Moore -
Consultant, Boys & Girls Club of Mt. Vernon
- Mel Campos -
Chief Professional Officer
- Youth of the Year Award -
Jhaydan DeVaughn
- Fund a Need -
Dan Levy
Grandstand Sports & Memorabolia Inc.
- Leadership Award -
Robert P. Weisz
President & CEO, RPW Group
- Lifetime Achievement Award -
Pat Simone
Founder, Simone Development Companies
(Posthumous)
- Closing Remarks -
Laura Lavan
Executive Committee, Gala Co-Chair
- Master of Ceremonies -
Fred Schwam
Vice President, Board of Directors
- Boys & Girls Club of Mt. Vernon Video -
- Mayor Shawn Patterson-Howard -
- Alumni Honoree -
Jack McArdle
VP, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
- Corporate Citizen Award -
April Horton
External & Government Affairs, Verizon
- Lowes Moore -
Consultant, Boys & Girls Club of Mt. Vernon
- Mel Campos -
Chief Professional Officer
- Youth of the Year Award -
Jhaydan DeVaughn
- Fund a Need -
Dan Levy
Grandstand Sports & Memorabolia Inc.
- Leadership Award -
Robert P. Weisz
President & CEO, RPW Group
- Lifetime Achievement Award -
Pat Simone
Founder, Simone Development Companies
(Posthumous)
- Closing Remarks -
Laura Lavan
Executive Committee, Gala Co-Chair
Pat Simone was born in East Harlem in 1927 to immigrant Italian parents and got his first business experience as a young helper on his father’s ice delivery trucks during school holidays and summer vacations. That “apprenticeship” was interrupted by his enthusiastic desire to join the Navy as World War II was entering its third year. After several months in the Pacific Theater, he was on a ship headed for Japan in August of 1945 for what was thought to be a final battle of World War II when the war came to its climatic atomic bomb end.
Pat rejoined his father’s ice business as a route driver after WWII. Then with the demand for ice rapidly decreasing in the 1950s, Pat’s own entrepreneurial ambitions and talents kicked in: First, a general trucking business; next a junk yard in the Bronx; and in the mid-1960s he, as both the landowner and main construction worker, built a small commercial building on the site of the junk yard, and as his own leasing person quickly achieved 100% occupancy.
Pat’s new focus became real estate, and he quickly gained a reputation as one of the few people who saw the inherent geographic-related value of commercial properties in Hunts Point and other South Bronx areas. Soon he was also using his vision and energy to buy, build and/or fix-up, and find tenants for properties in Mount Vernon and other cities in Westchester County. The past-owner of a “little junk yard in the Bronx” was now a real estate developer, and he and his family were residents of Mount Vernon.
Then in the mid-70s, Pat became aware of what modern-era junk yards had become – immediate disassemblers of vehicles and distributors of auto parts – and he and his young sons started a business called Hunts Point Auto Parts. Both of the Simone businesses – real estate and auto parts – moved forward successfully during the 80s and 90s, and then in the late 1990s, a Nasdaq-listed Chicago-based automotive parts distribution business known as LKQ wanted to enter the New York market area. LKQ bought the well-known Hunts Point Auto Parts business and the name as its tri-state area flagship.
Immediately after the 1999 sale of Hunts Point Auto Parts, the Simone real estate business started on an even-greater growth trajectory. Today some 150 Simone-brand properties totaling 6.5 million square feet are in the tri-state combination of New York City, the New York counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam and Orange, and nearby counties of Connecticut and New Jersey.
Pat tended to do a shrug-of-the-shoulders and humble-faced “C’mon, what are you talking about?” reaction when cited for his business successes. But his humbleness quickly turned to great pride about how a few tri-state real estate families have worked collaboratively with the Simone Organization in acquiring and developing several tri-state properties, most especially the Hutchinson Metro Center in the Bronx.
He also expressed great comfort about the future of the Simone Development Companies because of the role of Joe Simone, his son, and the active involvement of two granddaughters and the current and next-generation members of the collaborating partners and their families.
Robert P. Weisz has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of RPW Group since he founded it in 1980. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Robert Weisz arrived in the United States in January 1977 and started a career in the furniture industry. In 1979, he purchased his first warehouse to house his furniture company; and by 1980, Weisz was intent on creating his own commercial real estate business. Several acquisitions followed, and RPW Group was born.
RPW Group is the umbrella organization of several real estate holding companies owning in excess of 3 million square feet of commercial space. Robert is the largest private owner of Class “A” office buildings in Westchester County, having acquired over 60 properties and has been in business for the past 40 years. RPW has experienced tremendous growth due to Weisz’s exemplary leadership, the team’s unwavering dedication, and the company’s commitment to integrity and first-rate customer service.
Weisz is considered one of the most knowledgeable executives in the industry and is a highly sought-after speaker for lectures and other speaking engagements. Moreover, thanks to the extraordinary success of RPW, Weisz is an important and well-respected figure in the Westchester community. He has been the recipient of numerous recognitions as well as receiving an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Commercial Science from Mercy College in 2014. Most importantly, Weisz contributes his influence, time and resources to noteworthy causes, actively supporting a number of philanthropic organizations, participating in various city and town committees and serving as a member of the Board of Directors of Westchester County Association, Reaching U and the Inner-City Scholarship Fund of the Archdiocese of New York City.
April D. Horton is a Government and External Affairs professional. She leads all government affairs and legislative activity in the NY Midstate region, The Bronx and Manhattan. In this capacity, she is responsible for securing Verizon’s short-term objectives and advancing its long-term legislative goals by communicating with key internal and external stakeholders and positioning the company’s strategic direction in public policy, along with progress towards targeted goals and advances in products and services. She is also responsible for philanthropic strategy, grant-making and initiatives in the Foundation’s issues areas of education, healthcare, and sustainability.
Born and raised in the Bronx, April earned her BA from Fordham University and holds a MA from Columbia University. During her more than 20 years of service for Verizon, Ms. Horton has served in a variety of positions ranging from Customer Service, to Wholesale Markets and External Affairs. She has also managed a multi-million dollar Verizon NY Foundation program. Prior to joining Verizon, Ms. Horton worked at Waterhouse Securities, a brokerage firm where she oversaw mutual funds compliance.
Ms. Horton is active in civic and community affairs. She is a member of the Bronx Democratic County Committee, serves on the Board of the Business Council of Westchester, Bronx Chamber of Commerce, Hostos Community College Foundation, Bronx Children’s Museum, Business Council of Westchester and MBD Housing. She is also a member of The Greater Bronx Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. She has served as the Co-Chair for the Young Professionals Advisory Group of A Better Chance, which under her leadership exceeded its targeted financial goals.
She has been honored by the Bronx Democratic County Party, Bronx Chamber of Commerce, and YMCA. April has been recognized as one of the 25 Influential Women in the Bronx by the Bronx Times Reporter and recognized by City and State as one of the Bronx Power 100. She is a recipient of the Business Council of Westchester 40 under 40 award.
Ms. Horton’s diversified experience in the private sector has fueled her passion for “giving back”. She is passionate about inspiring children to think outside of the box and uplifting women. She believes public and private partnerships are the key to healthy and thriving communities.
Jack grew up in Mount Vernon, New York, and now resides in Ardsley.
Jack earned a B.A. and an M.B.A. from Iona College. Jack has had a 40-year career in insurance and is currently a vice president at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., an international insurance brokerage firm. He holds the designation of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU). Jack is a licensed Broker, Adjuster and Educator. He is a board member and past president of the Westchester-Chapter CPCU Insurance Society. As an adjunct professor at Westchester Community College, he teaches insurance and risk management to continuing education students.
For the past 18 years, Jack has been an active board member and past president of the Mount Vernon Boys & Girls Club. Previously, Jack served as an elected trustee and deputy Treasurer to the Ardsley Board of Education. He also served on the board of the NYS Hospitality & Tourism Association.
Jack is a past Westchester County Honoree by the Archdiocese of New York for his work with Youth Organizations. He served on the boards of the Great Hunger Foundation and Camp Spears Eljabar YMCA. He was Chairperson for Sisters of Mercy Annual Golf outing.
Jhaydan DeVaughn is a 16-year-old who has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon for 11 years. When he first joined the Club, he was reluctant to attend. He preferred to stay at
home where there were few rules. Jhaydan quickly realized that the Club was a place where he could not only have fun but could grow as a young man.
Jhaydan has an engaging personality and is a leader in the Club community. He is polite, respectful, and serves as a role model for all Club members. Jhaydan participates in Passport to Manhood,
Keystone Club, assists younger members with homework, and serves as a Junior Staff member. He volunteers at the Club and offsite community service projects for more than 1,500 hours since 2017.
He also works as a staff member during the summer.
Jhaydan is a junior at Mount Vernon High School and plans to attend college to pursue a degree in Fine Arts. He has a passion for acting and aspires to become a professional composer and conductor. He is a member of Young at Arts, a performing arts educational organization dedicated to helping young people expand their horizons. He starred in two productions of Beauty and the Beast, playing the lead in the Amani Charter School Production. He serves as Master of Ceremonies for the Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon end of Summer productions.
Jhaydan looks forward to representing Mount Vernon in the Boys & Girls Club of America’s Youth of the Year Competition for the State of New York. He credits the many positive male role models at the
Club with helping him go from an angry kid to a responsible young man.
Jhaydan tells anyone who asks “The Club means so much to me. It has helped me in many ways. I have met many wonderful people including staff, Board Members, and celebrities like JB Smoove and Denzel Washington. I love the Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon; it is my second home.”
