Connie Pinilla helps enrich the cultural tapestry of Glen Cove

As the first female president of the North Shore Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Connie Pinilla has helped small businesses connect with the Glen Cove community. Since joining the chamber when it was created three years ago, Pinilla has made it her mission to bridge communication gaps between the North Shore’s Latino and non-Latino communities.
In honor of her selfless nature and the way she has helped transform that community, the Herald is proud to name Pinilla its Person of the Year.
Born in Bogota, Colombia, Pinilla came to the United States at age 5 with her mother and seven siblings. After her parents divorced, her mother’s goal was to provide her children with a better life and education, something she couldn’t do as a housewife in Columbia.
When Pinilla’s family arrived in New York, they lived in Jackson Heights, Queens. While her mother worked long hours cleaning offices in Manhattan, Connie’s oldest sister took care of the family. A decade later, her mother moved the family to Kew Gardens, where Connie graduated from Jamaica High School.
She eventually became a lawyer, but she began her career in economics. After earning a degree at New York University, she entered the workforce as a manager in the finance department of Depository Trust and Clearing Corp. She went on to earn a law degree at St. John’s University while working with the legal department of DTCC as a strategic international product developer.

The struggles her mother faced as an immigrant working in the United States were a reminder of the importance of an education. Pinilla’s mother didn’t read English well, and had a hard time with even simple tasks like requesting sick leave from work. Through her teenage years, Pinilla helped her translate documents to get the care she needed.
“The love of education, and the realization that perhaps some people may not be given their due rights because they don’t understand the language, made me go for the law degree,” Pinilla said.
After 18 years with DTCC, Pinilla changed careers so she could spend more time with her then 9-year-old daughter, venturing into the world of real estate and law. She eventually opened both the Law Office of Constanza Pinilla and the Connie Pinilla Team at Compass real estate, in Manhasset.
She eventually moved to Glen Cove after her daughter graduated from high school in Manhasset. Pinilla decided that the city was the right place for her after showing many of her real estate clients the area. She felt comfort in its quiet neighborhoods.
Pinilla initially got involved with the Kiwanis Club of North Shore, but found her way to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce after seeing an advertisement for it in the Herald. The new organization was seeking a legal counsel who was fluent in Spanish. When she responded to the ad, she met its president, Ever Padilla.
Padilla had struggled with many of the legal details of establishing a nonprofit, and Pinilla’s experience in the corporate world as well as law, and her fluency in Spanish, were just what Padilla needed to get the organization up and running. She became its first vice president.
The chamber was in its first year of operation when the coronavirus pandemic crippled much of the nation’s economy. Pinilla took a long look at the financial needs of the Hispanic community on the North Shore, and, thinking back to the struggles her family faced with language barriers, she helped create a series of webinars to provide resources for chamber members needing advice on things like PPE loans.
At the beginning of 2023, Pinilla became the Hispanic chamber’s first woman president, and over the past year she has continued to focus on strengthening community bonds among the Hispanic community, schools and businesses. The chamber’s involvement in grass-roots initiatives such as food and toy drives, and its collaborations with local schools, reflect its commitment to addressing the needs of the community.
Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews, 2nd vice president and public relations officer for the chamber expressed admiration for Pinilla’s leadership.
“She’s not only a smart and savvy businesswoman, she brings great compassion to her work, and she brings that compassion as president of the chamber,” Stevenson-Mathews said. “People not only see that, but they also feel it, and that makes such a big difference in our organization.”
Since she took over, Pinilla has offered a number of workshops for Latino businesses, and made the most of her skills as a bilingual communications bridge. She teamed up with Jill Nossa, executive director of the Glen Cove Business Improvement District, on a joint initiative to reach out to local Hispanic businesses, which often shied away from interacting with the BID because of the language barrier.
“It’s, sadly, a very big barrier, because it makes each side think that they’re different, when in fact they’re not,” Pinilla said. “All of us want the same thing, which is for our businesses to flourish, for our children to get an education and for us to have a safe home.”
Reflecting on the BID’s interactions with businesses, Nossa acknowledged that Pinilla has had a positive impact, breaking down barriers and facilitating smoother communication. Some Latino businesses have become more receptive to engaging with the BID. In September, the duo established what they hope will be an annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration in Village Square.
David Thompson, owner of Extradentary Auto, said he is thankful for the insight and kindness that Pinilla has shown the Hispanic community.
“I could call her any time for help, and that’s not just me,” Thompson said. “She’s that type of person to the whole community.”
Bryce Klatsky, principal of Connolly Elementary School, approached Pinilla before the school’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration three years ago to brainstorm how the school could become more inclusive, and they decided to hold an annual Hispanic-themed block party at the school. Klatsky said that Pinilla’s dedication to fostering inclusivity has not only enriched the school’s cultural tapestry, but also created lasting memories for its students, whose families and teachers joined in to share their cultural heritage through food, dance and lively interaction. The block party became a symbol of the school’s diversity, encouraging students to connect with their roots and fostering a deeper understanding among them.
“One of my favorite memories with Connie is when she comes to the block parties, she’s always dancing with the kids — she’ll hold kids by the hand and spin them around,” Klatsky recalled. “She’s a pleasure to work with.”
Reflecting on her first year as president of the Hispanic chamber, Pinilla said that her roles as a mother, businesswoman and community leader can be tough to balance, but the difference she makes helps keep her going.
“It’s heartwarming to see how these families and businesses have changed,” Pinilla said. “Sometimes I say God has put me here for whatever reason to be able to help the people that needed it the most.”