NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Three accomplished professionals in different sectors share a commitment to improving the lives of those they touch with their spirited community leadership. The three – Mae Carpenter, John Giocobbe and Steven Zelicoff – were honored by United Hebrew of New Rochelle on May 10th at the organization’s Sixth Annual Community Service Awards, which recognized their advocacy and commitment to developing programs, services, and medical procedures that enrich the lives of seniors on United Hebrew’s campus and beyond.
“It’s easy to sit up and take notice—what’s extraordinary is the way these three individuals stand up and take action,” noted Rita Mabli, President and CEO of United Hebrew. “Today we celebrate each of our honorees, who, through their work in government, law, and medicine, are going above and beyond to enhance the lives of the elderly in Westchester.”
Mae Carpenter is commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services, and has been a champion of seniors for more than 30 years;
John Giacobbe, Esq., is a prominent Westchester attorney, and is an active community leader in New Rochelle; Steven Zelicoff, MD is a board certified orthopedic surgeon, and Chief of the Arthritis and Joint Reconstruction Service at Westchester Medical Center. The three were celebrated at a special ceremony attended by approximately 80 business, government, and healthcare leaders, at United Hebrew’s campus in New Rochelle. United Hebrew Board Chairman, Michael Rozen, Malcom Lazarus, Board Secretary, and Elaine Healy, MD, vice president of medical affairs, joined Mabli to present the awards.
“Not only are their individual achievements remarkable, but collectively, their expertise benefits so many individuals in our community,” said Mabli. “We are truly inspired by what they do to help our seniors live independently and with dignity and good health, now and in the future.”
About the Honorees
Mae Carpenter. Appointed Commissioner of Westchester County’s Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS) in 2001, she served as director of the county Office for the Aging, the forerunner of DSPS, since 1979. Widely recognized as one of the most knowledgeable and innovative advocates for seniors in the region, Carpenter is a visionary when it comes to creating innovative programs and building and sustaining coalitions of volunteers. She spearheads DSPS’ two signature programs: the Livable Communities project, which aims to improve the quality of life for people of all ages, and enable seniors to live active lives as they age in their homes; and Telehealth Intervention Programs for Seniors (TIPS), a cutting edge program which remotely monitors participating seniors’ pulse, blood pressure, weight and blood oxygen levels. In addition to check-ups of vital signs, participants are assessed to see if they can benefit from social services in the county. A delegate to the National White House Conference on Aging, Carpenter has been recognized with numerous awards and serves on several advisory councils for the elderly, including the New York State Assembly Committee on Aging.
John Giacobbe, Esq. is a leading attorney in Westchester County who has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star for the past four years. His law practice provides a diverse array of services from residential real estate and personal injury accident law to civil litigation and will, trust, and estate planning. Giacobbe started his career as a personal injury litigator in New York City and has worked on both jury and non-jury trials in the areas of general negligence, automobile negligence, and business litigation. He serves the City of New Rochelle as a member of its Board of Assessment Review and is a member of the board of directors of the New Rochelle Bar Association. In addition, he is a supporter and former member of the board of directors for the Youth Shelter of Westchester, he assists the New Rochelle High School Mock Trial Team. Giacobbe attended Quinnipiac University, where he graduated Cum Laude from the Juris Doctorate program and earned a MBA. Born in the Bronx, Giacobbe resides in New Rochelle with his wife and daughter.
Steven B. Zelicof, MD,PhD., is a pre-eminent board-certified orthopedic surgeon in Westchester and a specialist in joint replacement, joint restoration and arthritis surgery. A practicing physician in Westchester since 1990, Dr. Zelicof founded Specialty Orthopedics, PLLC in Harrison, NY. Dr. Zelicof is the current chief, arthritis and joint reconstruction service at Westchester Medical Center. He also founded “Joint Solutions” and the Center for Arthritis and Total joint replacement at Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital, where he also serves as Chief of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. The “Joint Solutions” program that he founded was the first in Westchester County to receive gold medals in hip and knee replacement from the Joint Commission and has been re-certified for the third time this year. One of the first surgeons to perform hip resurfacing as well as cementless knee replacement in the New York area, Dr. Zelicof’s academic affiliations include serving as professor of Orthopedic Surgery at New York Medical College, and assistant professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Weill- Cornell Medical School. Dr. Zelicof has been recognized several years in a row as a New York Magazine “Best Doctor in New York,” and “Best Doctor in America,” Westchester Magazine “Best Doctor in Westchester,” and has received the “Most Compassionate Doctor” Patient Choice Award, among several other recognitions. He earned his medical degree and PhD in immunopathology from the University of Pennsylvania, and completed post-graduate fellowship training in arthritis surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, preceded by an orthopedic residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City where he remains on staff.
In her remarks, Mabli thanked each honoree for their dedicated service, and selfless contributions to bettering the lives of Westchester’s elderly.