“The Ellis Island Medal of Honor Awards allow us an opportunity to honor the best in America – those who lend their talents, time and energy to making our country a better place for us all. Arcadio Casillas is not only an outstanding businessman, but someone who has dedicated his life to helping others. He exemplifies all that is great about America.” – As stated by William Denis Fugazy, Chairman of the Ellis Island Medals of Honor Gala Ceremony.
There are only two medals sanctioned by the United States Congress, the Medal of Honor and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Past recipients of the Ellis Island Medals of Honor include six presidents of the United States, members of Congress, Nobel Prize winners, justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, prominent scientists, business people, entertainers and military heroes.
Colin Chisholm Class of 2007 is an executive of the TNC Networks Inc, the Connecticut based company that brings server-based interactive educational and skills assessment services currently only available in North America to customers in emerging-markets like China, India, Vietnam, and Mexico.
For North American developers, TNC offers a secure, IP-protective distribution channel to new markets. For our distribution partners, TNC offers internationalized and localized ready-to-sell educational and assessment services. For students, faculty, trainers, and human resource staff in emerging markets, TNC offers the very best of North American development.
Rosemary Clemens Class of 1999 is a CEO of New York Childrens's Vision Coalition, the non-profit, educational, and advocacy organization dedicated solely to assure comprehensive eye care for all New York’s children.
The Coalition brings together educators, healthcare professionals, private industry, philanthropists and political leaders to solidify a common commitment to the preservation of sight and quality of life. With high profile public awareness campaigns, ongoing advocacy with city and state governments and healthcare education agencies. The Coalition seeks to insure accessibility to vision care for all regardless of their ability to pay, and works to insure early detection and treatment providers for each and every child. It has a mobile vision van that provides direct care to children at schools, Head Start programs,day care & summer day camp programs.
Peter Connors Class of 1982 is a partner of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLPOrrick consistently ranks among a handful of global law firms with the breadth and caliber of practice to serve the complex needs of a discerning client base.
With 21 offices in Asia, Europe and North America, we offer our clients a local understanding of business and the law combined with a global perspective, and we assist our clients on issues in well over 100 countries.
We advise financial institutions, public and private companies, emerging businesses and state and regulatory bodies on the largest and most complex corporate transactions, novel finance, litigation and tax matters.
Kayhan Civelek Class of 2003 Dentist
Rosemary Clemens Class of 1999
Our member Rosemary Clemens, PhD who works for New York Children’s Vision Coalition and, for the club has successfully chaired our “Eyeglass Campaign,” and our “Endow a Tree in Central Park” has just done something really interesting
Marie Otelia Costales - Class of 2007
Our member Rosemary Clemens, PhD who works for New York Children’s Vision Coalition and, for the club has successfully chaired our “Eyeglass Campaign,” and our “Endow a Tree in Central Park” has just done something really interesting
Marie Otelia Costales - Class of 2007
Marie Otelia Costales was born and raised in Manila and attended the University of the Philippines, where she earned her bachelor's and medical degrees, as well as a master's degree in Public Health. In 1979, about a year after graduating, she married her classmate Antonio Costales.
Early in her career as a physician, Maritel joined the Philippines Department of Health, where she ultimately became the Department's Director of Maternal and Child Health Services and the Division Chief of the Expanded Program on Immunization/Acute Respiratory Infection Program Division. Along the way, she and Antonio were blessed with three children: Victoria, Matt, and Herrard. The family lived in the Philippines until 2001, when Maritel was hired as the Senior Health Advisor for the Polio Eradication Program at UNICEF in New York City. UNICEF is the UN organization that focuses specifically on children and young people, working with others to eliminate the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. In that position Maritel oversaw UNICEF's global polio program and coordinated with its partners, who include Rotary International. Two years ago, she became the Senior Health Adviser of Accelerated Disease Control (ADC), leading the professionals who manage the ADC's programs for polio, measles, yellow fever, and meningitis. When she isn't working, Maritel loves reading, gardening, and cooking. She is so grateful to have wonderful children and a happy marriage and a job that she enjoys. She and her husband share the hope that their children might have the same blessings that God gave them. Right now Victoria, their eldest, is a medical student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY. Both of their sons graduated from college last May--Mark with a BA in Economics from Rutgers and Herrard with a BA in Finance from New York University Stern School of Business. Two accomplishments in which Maritel takes particular pride date back to her tenure as the Philippines' Immunization Manager from 1989 to 1995. The first was helping her country reach the Universal Child Immunization target in 1990. The second was the eradication of polio in the Philippines. From 1993 to 1995, she organized multi-antigen National Immunization Days (NIDs) in the Philippines, in whose success the Philippines Rotarians played a vital role . Since the first round of NIDs in 1993, there have been no more reported polio cases. It is her dream to see polio eradicated globally.
Early in her career as a physician, Maritel joined the Philippines Department of Health, where she ultimately became the Department's Director of Maternal and Child Health Services and the Division Chief of the Expanded Program on Immunization/Acute Respiratory Infection Program Division. Along the way, she and Antonio were blessed with three children: Victoria, Matt, and Herrard. The family lived in the Philippines until 2001, when Maritel was hired as the Senior Health Advisor for the Polio Eradication Program at UNICEF in New York City. UNICEF is the UN organization that focuses specifically on children and young people, working with others to eliminate the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. In that position Maritel oversaw UNICEF's global polio program and coordinated with its partners, who include Rotary International. Two years ago, she became the Senior Health Adviser of Accelerated Disease Control (ADC), leading the professionals who manage the ADC's programs for polio, measles, yellow fever, and meningitis. When she isn't working, Maritel loves reading, gardening, and cooking. She is so grateful to have wonderful children and a happy marriage and a job that she enjoys. She and her husband share the hope that their children might have the same blessings that God gave them. Right now Victoria, their eldest, is a medical student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY. Both of their sons graduated from college last May--Mark with a BA in Economics from Rutgers and Herrard with a BA in Finance from New York University Stern School of Business. Two accomplishments in which Maritel takes particular pride date back to her tenure as the Philippines' Immunization Manager from 1989 to 1995. The first was helping her country reach the Universal Child Immunization target in 1990. The second was the eradication of polio in the Philippines. From 1993 to 1995, she organized multi-antigen National Immunization Days (NIDs) in the Philippines, in whose success the Philippines Rotarians played a vital role . Since the first round of NIDs in 1993, there have been no more reported polio cases. It is her dream to see polio eradicated globally.
