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FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES
Joe Pepe
CEO
Pepe Auto Group
Joe Pepe is dedicated to carrying on his family’s legacy in Westchester County. Coming from a long line of businessmen (his grandfather owned a construction com- pany and his father, Gene, started Pepe Auto Group), Pepe considers it imperative that his family name is synonymous with integrity. “I think it’s important to have a great reputation — not just good, but a great reputation in the place that you live,” he says. Growing up in the business, Pepe spent his summers as a child working and learning under his father until 1991, when he opened the family’s Infiniti dealership as general manager. In 1998, he transferred over to Mercedes-Benz of White Plains before becom- ing chief operating officer in 2011. In 2019, the responsibility of the entire operation shifted to Pepe in his new role as CEO. For Pepe, providing optimal customer service is the most rewarding part of the job. “This whole business is all about making sure our customers are comfortable and happy.” —CC
CEOs & Business Leaders
NONPROFIT — GENERAL
Joanne Dunn
Executive Director
Youth Shelter Program of Westchester
It takes a special soul to work as the executive director of a community not-for-profit. Joanne Dunn exemplifies that level of dedication, drive, and leadership, particularly when tasked with successfully navigating the difficulties faced during COVID-19. Dunn has not missed a beat, nor has she left any stone unturned in her fear- less pursuit of securing unprecedented funding, expanding services for youth, and leading the Youth Shelter Program of Westchester in the pur- chase of a second facility. This past year, while many executives hunkered down by telework- ing at home, Dunn spent many hours on-site at her facility, which serves as an alternative to incarceration for young men ages 16 to 21. A vi- sionary for a better future, Dunn has also created the YouthCred Initiative, where young men are trained to serve as role models and facilitate dis- cussions with other youth in danger of entering the juvenile justice system. Dunn’s work in the county is never done, as she has also expanded the organization’s visibility and partnership with the court system in Mount Vernon and collabo- rated with the Westchester DA’s office and the Westchester Youth Bureau on restorative justice programs and youth workforce development initiatives. —CC
TOP TO BOTTOM: PHOTO BY JOE SERIO FROM GS3PHOTO.COM; PHOTO BY KEN GABRIELSEN
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