HONOREES
We are thrilled to be honoring President and CEO of The Beacon Group, Barbara Lehrer, and CEO of Bronx Pro Group, Samantha Magistro, for all they do to support our mission.
Barbara Lehrer
President & CEO, The Beacon Group
"Make your own rose garden!" Her mother's words have become a credo for Barbara Lehrer, dynamic founder of The Beacon Group. But Barbara also believes in creating opportunities for those who cannot grow their own roses without help.
Like her mother, a graduate of Hofstra University, Barbara Lehrer has been a practicing speech pathologist for more than 40 years. In the early days, she traveled to serve children and adults with speech and language problems wherever speech therapy was needed-from the tenements of Brooklyn to affluent Long Island suburbs.
Like most visionaries, Barbara looked beyond the day-to-day limits of established systems of care. Her company's mission reflects Barbara's energetic approach to challenging problems. In 2006, although already engrossed in providing clinical services, Barbara identified a need to train and staff Direct Support Professionals in Group Homes and Community settings. Not looking to be a typical staffing agency, Barbara was adamant that all of Beacon's Direct Support staff be thoroughly trained and certified to ensure that the Individuals received the best care and support. With humble beginnings, providing Direct Support Staff to only a handful of sites, Barbara has built up her Direct Care Staffing program to over 500 active members that are deployed throughout the 5 boroughs, Long Island and Westchester County.
Barbara believes in giving back. In recognition of her mother's influence on her life and career, Barbara established the Sylvia Martin Memorial Scholarship, awarded to law, speech or audiology students of Hofstra University who are themselves challenged. To be sure, the future looks bright for Barbara Lehrer as leader in the healthcare field. But thanks to her dedication to creative healthcare solutions, the outlook is a great deal more optimistic for thousands with disabilities as well.
Samantha Magistro
CEO, Bronx Pro Group
Samantha Magistro, Chief Executive Officer, began her professional career at Bronx Pro in 2000 as an intern. After four years of working on tax credit compliance, Samantha joined the company full-time to work on the University Macombs Apartments project as an Assistant Project Manager. While pursuing post-graduate studies at Columbia, Samantha remained active in her field, interning at the Manhattan's Borough President's Office and holding a part-time position as a Project Manager at Enterprise Community Partners. Samantha returned to Bronx Pro full time in August 2008 to lead real estate development. Samantha has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Barnard College and a Master of Science in Urban Planning from Columbia University. She is also an active board member of the Supportive Housing Network of New York, the DreamYard Project, Citizen's Housing and Planning Council and the Foundation for Bronx Community College.