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A Few Clouds North Shore Hispanic Chamber celebrates women
There’s a first time for everything and when it comes to the North Shore Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, there are a lot “firsts” to celebrate.
In January, the organization swore in their first woman president, Constanza Pinilla, and on March 22, it held its first women’s history month celebration at the View Grill.
The event honored the accomplishments of Celeste Gullo, owner of Allstate Insurance in Glen Head, and Karen Katzman, principal of the Tiegerman School in Glen Cove.
The Hispanic Chamber, founded in 2020, serves and connects the Hispanic community while helping small businesses empower the economy of Hispanic businesses on Long Island’s North Shore. The chamber helps the Hispanic community by providing education and resources that allow businesses to thrive.
Since its inception, the chamber bridged cultural and language barriers to businesses in need, something it couldn’t have done without members like Gullo and Katzman.
The idea for the celebration started when Pinilla was organizing the chamber’s general meeting for March. Although the chamber’s guest speakers for the monthly event are business owners, as a pioneer in her chamber, Pinilla realized that it was her duty to recognize the contributions women have made in the North Shore community. Pinilla knew Gullo and Katzman were the perfect duo for the chamber’s first event of its kind.
Gullo has been in insurance since she was 17 when she worked for an Allstate agency part-time while going to college. She dedicated her life to holding food drives and educating families on strategies to save money and prepare for their uncertain futures.
A Glen Head-based insurance agent and mother of four, Gullo continued to grow her own business while giving back to the community throughout the Covid-19 pandemic — even after giving birth to twins. Her efforts earned her other awards like the Glen Cove Chamber of
Commerce 2021 Businessperson of the Year.
Although Pinilla and Gullo have known each other through community events, Pinilla said she was touched by Gullo’s assistance to a family facing severe hardships as recent immigrants. When Gullo heard about these hardships, she spent her own money buying food and diapers for the twin toddlers. When Gullo approached Pinilla asking about potential grants to help with the family’s cost of living, Pinilla said she felt proud to know a compassionate woman and strong business leader.
“She is an example of a role model for many women to follow,” Pinilla said. “She always wants to help, it’s just who she is.”
As a graduate of Queens College who studied speech language pathology, Katzman dedicated more than 30 years as an educator, and 14 years as principal of Tiegerman schools in Glen Cove. The Tiegerman School opened its doors in 1985 to support the needs of children with language disorders.
Now, with the help of educators like Katzman, the organization has grown substantially and serves more than 500 children in four school locations, one of which is in Glen Cove.
In 2012, Tiegerman Community Services was established expanding the agency’s scope to assist 135 adults with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders to lead them to productive and successful lives. Instructors like Katzman help students develop intellectually and emotionally.
“I’m passionate about empowering children and nurturing them,” Katzman said. “I have very high expectations of our school. It’s a school for children where we know the world might not be so kind to them.”
Pinilla was touched by Katzman’s work with Hispanic students at Tiegerman schools. In 2022, Katzman reached out to Pinilla asking for help to make Hispanic students feel more welcome in the Glen Cove community, realizing that there were few opportunities for students like hers to engage in their heritages outside their homes.
Pinilla reached out to Hispanic artists, dancers, and singers to create a cultural event, the first of its kind, at the school’s auditorium. When Katzman expressed her financial concerns about the event, Pinilla said she would assist with the finances.
“I thought that her acts were very kind and caring and right,” Pinilla said. “It takes a special person to do what she does.”
When Katzman reflected on her academic and emotional journey that led her to Tiegerman, she offered this advice.
“Werther, you have an education, or you don’t have an education, whether you’re a mother or you just want to be who you want to be, I admire all women,” Katzman said. “Never stop opening your heart and your mind to all possibilities.”
