FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Long Island Community Chest Welcomes Four Distinguished Leaders to Board of Directors
Organization Strengthens Leadership Team with Banking, Legal, Nonprofit, and Environmental Expertise
Hauppauge, NY – June XX, 2025 –Long Island Community Chest recently announced the appointment of four accomplished professionals to its Board of Directors: Keith Novitz, Anthony Russo, Esq., Tammy Severino and Chuck Merritt. These distinguished leaders bring decades of combined experience in banking, law, non-profit management and environmental consulting to support the organization’s mission of serving Long Island communities.
“Each of these new Board members demonstrates a deep commitment to community service and brings unique skills that align perfectly with our organization’s goals,” said Jamie Austin, Co-Founder. “Their combined expertise and experience in their respective industries will help us better serve the diverse needs of Long Island residents.”
Keith Novitz joins the Board as a Senior Vice President and Group Director of Flagstar’s Commercial & Private Bank, bringing over 30 years of financial expertise in relationship management and corporate banking. His extensive experience includes 23 years with Citi’s Commercial Bank and leadership roles with JP Morgan Chase. Novitz holds an MBA in Finance from Adelphi University and currently serves as President of Long Island Business Associates and on the Board of Directors for the Community Development Corporation of Long Island.
Anthony Russo, Esq. contributes more than 32 years of legal experience specializing in residential and commercial real estate transactions and business acquisitions. As a former managing partner of a mid-sized Long Island litigation practice, Russo has successfully represented clients in multi-million-dollar transactions. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Hofstra University School of Law and is admitted to practice in New York, Connecticut and federal courts.
Tammy Severino brings exceptional nonprofit leadership as President & CEO of Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, the largest girl-serving organization in the county. She also serves as President of RPC Development, a boutique consulting firm specializing in non-profit strategy and development. Severino has received numerous recognitions including the Long Island Press Power List Hall of Fame and Long Island Business News’ Top 50 Women in Business. She currently serves on multiple boards, including the Michael Magro Foundation and Silver Hearts Sanctuary.
Chuck Merritt adds environmental expertise as President of Merritt Environmental Consulting Corporation (MECC), which he founded in 2009 after building an environmental division at a New York City engineering firm. With 30 years in environmental consulting, Merritt served on the committee responsible for the industry-standard ASTM E1527-21 phase one standard. He graduated from Adelphi University and has been actively involved with the Fight for Charity boxing event since 2009.
Long Island Community Chest continues to strengthen its leadership team to support its mission of addressing critical community needs across Long Island through strategic partnerships and innovative programs.
For more information about Long Island Community Chest, please visit https://www.licommunitychest.com/.
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