Queensborough Community College’s (QCC) Fund Board Appoints Two Alumni as New Chair and Vice-Chair

Published: August 01, 2023

New Executive Committee Plans to Focus on the Student Experience, With Emphasis on Unique Programs to Support Retention and Graduation. 

BAYSIDE, NY — Queensborough Community College’s (QCC) Fund Board is pleased to announce that Charlene Prounis, ’76, and Ronald Appel, ’81, have been appointed Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively. As chair and vice-chair, they will serve on the newly elected executive committee with Rizwan Qureshi, Senior Executive Vice President of HAB Bank, as treasurer, and Dr. Jasmin Moshirpur, Chief Medical Officer at Mount Sinai and NYC Health + Hospitals, as secretary. Dr. Moshirpur recently served as chair of the Partners for Progress Gala.

“I am looking forward to working with the new executive committee and board members to ensure student success through philanthropic activities, committee engagement, and direct work with students,” said QCC Fund Chair Charlene Prounis. “We have a very esteemed board comprised of executives from business, banking, legal, finance, hospital administration, and cultural experts who will do all they can to help students stay in school and graduate.”  

Vice-Chair Appel said, "Our new executive committee aims to foster the development of a dynamic and engaged fund board, utilizing the unique talents embodied by its members to focus on student success and degree completion while maintaining a congenial environment among board members."

Mark Kupferberg stepped down on June 30 following 15 years of distinguished service. He became a member of the QCC Fund Board in 2008, was elected chair in 2011, and will continue to serve as a board member. Kupferberg isVice-President of Manufacturing and Engineering at Kepco, Inc.

“We have been so fortunate to have Mark at the helm of the Fund Board. His long-standing leadership and outstanding service have significantly impacted the positive academic experience of our diverse student body through philanthropic endeavors and programs that exemplify our values of equity and inclusion,” said Christine Mangino, President of Queensborough Community College.

Prounis graduated from Queensborough in 1976 with a nursing degree and obtained her BSN from Adelphi, magna cum laude, and an MBA from St. John’s University. She is a two-time entrepreneur who created a $30-million biopharma advertising agency that was sold to Omnicom.

Appel graduated from Queensborough in 1981 with an associate degree in liberal arts and obtained his BBA from Adelphi University and an MBA from St. John’s University. He was a Vice President at Henry Schein, Inc., headquartered in Melville, NY, until he retired in 2020. His career at Henry Schein, Inc. spanned over 38 years.

QCC Fund Board Members

  • Charlotte Biblow, Esq., Farrell Fritz, P.C. (retired), outgoing treasurer 
  • Johnson Chen, General Manager, Tempco Glass Fabrication, LLC. 
  • Shirley Chen, Prime Realty Inc. 
  • Alan Frankel, ’81, Founding Partner of Frankel, Loughran, Starr, and Vallone, LLP,  
  • Pearl Halegua, Board of Education (retired) 
  • Eleanor Imperato, Author 
  • Mark Kupferberg, Kepco, Inc., outgoing chair  
  • Stephen T. Levine, Compupay/DSI 
  • Christine Mangino, Ed.D., President, Queensborough Community College 
  • Judy Ng, Senior Vice President and Director of the Asian Market Segment at Flushing Bank 
  • Tim Noble, Managing Director JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.,  
  • Georgiana Reese-Benatti, Community Relations Consultant New York Community Bank
  • Anthony Simeone, Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer, Ridgewood Savings Bank 
  • Beth Counihan, QCC Faculty Senate Chair (Ex Officio) 
  • Stephen Di Dio, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer (Ex Officio)  

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Contact:  Alice Doyle

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