Page 20 - The BCW - 40 Under 40 - Rising Stars 2020

40UNDER40 | RISING STARS OF WESTCHESTER
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MATT SLATER
Town Supervisor
Town of Yorktown
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
Walking into 2020 I hung this quote up in my office and it seems to have fit perfectly. “If you’re going through hell, keep going,” Winston Churchill.
What do you enjoy most about your chosen profession/industry?
The ability to affect positive change and help people in need is the greatest reward of public service.
What is your most cherished hobby?
My most cherished hobby is fishing with my son, Charlie.
MARCO TOLISANO
Senior Sales Analyst & Director of Oil Operations
Original Energy
Who would play you in a screen play of your life?
I would choose Keanu Reeves to play me in a screen play of my life. He is left-handed, has the hair down and
is one of the most interesting men in the world.
What was the best business or personal advice ever offered to you? The best personal and business advice I was ever given was simple: show up. Possibilities in this life are endless, but if you don’t put yourself in position for something to happen, nothing ever will.
Name one habit of a highly successful person.
One habit of a highly successful person is always being prepared. In business, not everything will unfold exactly how you envisioned. Being prepared allows you to identify, manage and correct problems immediately or before they happen.
JENNIE VALLES
Neurologist
Burke Rehabilitation Hospital
Provide one networking tip.
Be genuine. Authenticity is key.
Provide one example from your educational experience that has led to your business success
I went to high school in a lower- income neighborhood, where the curriculum was not the best quality. High success in this type of setting was comparable to “average” success in more affluent areas. This meant, that when I attended college and higher education, I had to try twice as hard as my peers who had access to better quality education in their earlier years. I think being the academic “underdog” really humbled and pushed me. It instilled a sense
of work ethic in me and level of discipline, that I don’t know I would have had otherwise.
Name one of your unusual talents.
Maybe unusual isn’t the word, but perhaps uncommon? I know how to hula/Hawaiian dance.
JULIETTE VENDRYES
Administrative Director, Cardiology & Pulmonary Services
NewYork Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital
What is the most exotic place you’ve ever traveled?
Brazil is one of the most exotic countries I have ever visited. Between the people, the food, the music you will be in awe by what it has to offer.
What was the best business or personal advice ever offered to you? The best advice ever offered to me was to never assume that you are incapable of performing a task or incapable of taking on a new role.
Name one habit of a highly successful person?
A highly successful person is an optimist and accepts setbacks as a part of the journey. With nothing but the end goal in mind, he or she will try again until they succeed.
S20 | WESTCHESTER COUNTY 40UNDER40 | 2020