For Immediate Release
March 30, 2015

Foundation Gala Honors Financial Leaders to Raise Scholarship Funds

Four distinguished business leaders will be honored by The Suffolk Community College Foundation at its annual Salute to Excellence Gala  “Financial Leaders Making a Difference”  on  May 7. The celebration at the Hilton Long Island in Melville will begin at 7 p.m.

The gala proceeds will be used to fund need and merit-based scholarships, emergency student loans and quality academic enrichment programs at Suffolk County Community College.  The Foundation distributed more than $550,000 in scholarships last year.

This year’s honorees: Bill Brown, Executive Vice President, US Head of Network, HSBC Bank USA, N.A.; Gregory S. Garritano, founder of G.S. Garritano & Associates and chief financial officer of The Lauro Group; The Honorable John C. Cochrane, Sr., vice president, First National Bank of Long Island and Captain, United States Navy, Retired and David L. Calone, Founder, Long Island Emerging Technologies Fund, LP

Tickets to the gala and donations can be made at the Foundation’s website: www.sunysuffolk.edu/Gala.

 “We will celebrate and recognize four business leaders whose success, and commitment to higher education and our region are unparalleled” said Suffolk County Community College President Dr. Shaun L. McKay.

 “The mission of the Foundation is to reduce the economic barriers to higher education and foster student success,” said Executive Director of the Suffolk Community College Foundation Dr. Sylvia Diaz.

About the honorees:

Bill Brown
Executive Vice President, US Head of Network, HSBC Bank USA, N.A.

Bill Brown leads the U.S. RBWM Branch Network ensuring the effective implementation of a Wealth Management-led Premium Bank strategy to drive and grow profitable Premier and Advance relationships while continuing to support and enhance the bank’s retail client base. Bill has been with HSBC for 18 months and has a keen focus on employees and employee development.  He represents US and Canada on the Global RBWM People Strategy Steering Committee and was chosen to other senior members of the bank to form the HSBC US People Committee.

Bill is also the Executive Sponsor of the HSBC Veterans, Military, Families and Friends Network ERG. Bill sits on the Board of Directors of Accion USA (a micro-lender focused on supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs) and is a member of the Retail Banking Committee of the New York Banker Association. 


David L. Calone
Founder, Long Island Emerging Technologies Fund, LP

David L. Calone is the CEO of Jove Equity Partners LLC, a venture capital firm that helps start and build technology companies. He serves as a director of six privately-held companies located throughout the country and is a co-inventor on 18 issued U.S. patents relating to internet messaging and to optimizing medical treatment based on comparative treatment effectiveness data. He helped organize the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the U.S. House of Representatives, through which he has been a leading advocate for federal policies that promote job creation through the development of start-ups and other small businesses. In this capacity, he helped create “Start Up Day Across America,” connecting federal and state officials with early stage companies in their region. He is also the founder of the Long Island Emerging Technologies Fund which has helped provide initial funding to launch six early stage companies based on technology developed at Long Island’s research institutions. He serves as founding National Board Chair for Patriot Boot Camp, a 501(c)(3) that helps veterans and active duty service members from around the country start businesses. He was also recently named a 2015 Truman National Security Fellow.

 Since 2008, Mr. Calone has served as the Chairman of the Suffolk County Planning Commission and has led the Commission to focus on land use policies with regional impact.  He spearheaded the LI Unified Solar Permitting Initiative which has since been adopted as a model for permit streamlining across New York State and for which Suffolk County was awarded a National Association of Counties’ 2012 National Achievement Award. Most recently, he developed an agriculture equipment financing program for new farmers that has been endorsed and funded by NY State; and he created one of the country’s first geothermal energy permitting codes.

 Mr. Calone is an honors graduate of Harvard Law School and has an economics degree from Princeton University where he was named a USA Today College Academic All-American, served as a White House intern, and was the first person in Princeton’s history to be elected twice as student body president. He lives in Setauket, New York with his wife, Kate, a Presbyterian minister, and their three young children.

Hon. John C. Cochrane, Sr.
Vice President, Commercial Banking and Investment Operations, The First National Bank of Long Island


John C. Cochrane, Sr., is a lifelong resident of the Bay Shore/Brightwaters community  and is currently Vice President of First National Bank of Long Island.

From 1956 to 1984, John served as President of Cochrane and Craven Insurance Agency in Bay Shore and also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the First National Bank of Bay Shore, Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company and Fleet Bank.

 John was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1972 and was re-elected 10 times. John held various leadership and committee positions and became the ranking Republican member of the New York State Assembly Ways and Means Committee from 1983-1993 and served as a member of the New York State Public Authorities Control Board.  While in Albany, John fought for and won community grants to re-develop Main Street in Bay Shore, improve the Southwest Sewer District and clean up the Great South Bay. 

John served three terms as Suffolk County Treasurer beginning in 1993 and was chairman of the Government Financial Officers Association for the Long Island Region.  He has been a member of the Suffolk County Audit Committee, the Second Congressional District Military Academies’ Review Board, past chair of both the Suffolk County and Islip Town Republican committees, and Executive Director, New York State Strategic Center for Port and Maritime Security – S.U.N.Y Maritime College. President George H.W. Bush appointed John to United States Department of Transportation Navigation Safety Advisory Control Board.

John attended the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland and was active in the U.S. Navy from 1951-1955 until transferring in 1956 to Naval Reserve status. Currently retired Captain of the USNR, he has been a Naval Academy Blue and Gold Officer, counseling over 20 candidates a year for more than 23 years.  During that time, 60 midshipmen from our community were admitted to the academy with John’s assistance.

John and his wife, Betty raised four children in Bay Shore/Brightwaters – Susan, Betsy Mayo (Richard), John, Jr. (Katie) and Jim (Regina).  He is also the proud grandfather of Katie Macaluso (Dr. Matthew), Christian Heinen (Jennifer), Johnny and Connor Cochrane, Robert Mayo, Charlotte, Seamus, Tucker Cochrane and two great grandsons Matthew and William Macaluso.

Gregory S. Garritano, CPA, CFO ‘77
Founder:  G.S. Garritano & Associates, CPAs, CFOs,
CFO:  The Lauro Group


Gregory Garritano is a 1977 graduate of Suffolk County Community College. He  was born and raised on Long Island and is the founder of G.S. Garritano & Associates, CPAs, CFOs that has served Long Island and beyond for more than 30 years.

“Suffolk County Community College provided an excellent and affordable education,” Garritano said. Garritano continued his education after Suffolk and earned a bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University and a Master of Business Administration in Accounting from Hofstra University.

The evolution of G.S. Garritano & Associates, CPAs, CFOs led to his vision, Diamond CFO™ -- CFO services offering a cost effective, customizable, financial solution for clients. While the Firm provides outsourced CFO services to several clients, Garritano also serves as principal and CFO in The Lauro Group and its affiliates, which provides consulting services in civil land use, site planning, entitlement and project management.

The Lauro Group primarily services national tenants seeking a presence or expansion into the northeastern region of the United States.

Greg’s passion has been to help young adults find their passion by providing them with information and perspective. Greg works as an advisor to Suffolk County Community College and interacts with students, faculty and other advisors.

“Health, Happiness and Family are all that matter,” is Greg’s philosophy. He has been blessed with five children and he enjoys the expansion of his family with his son-in-law and two grandsons.