A new chapter is underway at the Seaford Wellness Council, as two community-minded residents—Laura Metzdorff-Rivera and Hal Udell—step into the organization’s top leadership roles, focusing on collaboration, inclusion, and hands-on impact.
Metzdorff-Rivera, a practicing acupuncturist at her Aligned Wellness Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine, in Wantagh, and a PTA board member at Seaford Harbor Elementary School, is now the president of the nonprofit group. Udell, a culinary entrepreneur who runs “Cooking with Hal,” has taken over as vice president.
The Seaford Wellness Council, a volunteer-run organization of teachers, parents, business owners, and civic leaders, promotes positive change through community programs and events. One of its most visible efforts is the annual Hot Chocolate 5K Run/Walk each December, which begins and ends in front of Seaford High School.
Metzdorff-Rivera said she found her way to the council in 2021 after returning to Seaford with her family following nearly 15 years in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she co-founded Earth & Air Wellness Acupuncture and Alternative Medicine.
“I was born and raised here,” she said. “I wanted to raise my family closer to their grandparents. And I really missed it here. It's small, but there's a lot going on, and there are good people.”
After discovering the council online, she attended a meeting—and never looked back.
“It’s really important to give back,” she said. “There was room for the next generation of us.”
Metzdorff-Rivera and Udell were tapped to lead the group last fall, following a wave of resignations from longtime members. Outgoing President Michael DiSilvio had announced at the start of last year that every officer and director role would be vacated to allow for new leadership.
“That was kind of the shot heard around the world,” DiSilvio said. “Everybody realized that we really need to make this transition happen,” DiSilvio added. The council found in Metzdorff-Rivera and Udell a strong pairing of energy, commitment, and community spirit.
“They were just ambitious,” he said. “They had a lot of good ideas about new events and projects. She’s unbelievably pleasant to work with. And I think that with the focus of her wellness background and then also Hal, who is a nutritionist/chef, was really a good, solid addition to our group.”
For Udell, the transition into community service happened gradually, sparked by his son’s entry into kindergarten. “When my son started school, I started working with the Seaford School District,” he said. “From that, I started going to the meetings.”
Udell, who moved to Seaford in 2019, wants to unite the community around food and education. One of his goals is to expand the council’s reach and visibility, especially in areas such as wellness and nutrition.
“We want to do a lot more events to get more people involved with just nutrition and wellness,” he said. “One meal at a time, one student at a time, one family at a time. If we could educate every family, we would have a better chance for a more successful life for everybody.”
Metzdorff-Rivera agrees and said her vision of wellness extends beyond physical health.
“It’s the wellness of our environment, the wellness of our schools, the wellness of our mental health—things like that,” she said. “There are a lot of people in our town, especially people who have school-age children, who didn’t even know about the council. Since I’ve joined, more people in my age group have shown interest in getting involved.”
She hopes to foster more connections across age groups and neighborhoods to engage Seaford’s older residents as well as working with the youth of the community.
“We really want to focus our energy this year on just getting reorganized and getting the word out,” she said, “and making sure we have a really solid foundation to move forward.”
Former Vice President Ken Nersesian said both new leaders stood out for their energy and openness. “We needed people who would be dedicated to putting in the work,” he said. “Between Laura and Hal, they’re going to be able to do it. Hal is way more fired up and looking to do great things and new things. Laura is a little bit more methodical. They’re both open-minded, which is good.”
As for the transition, Nersesian admitted that “turning the controls over to other people wasn’t an easy thing to do,” but added, “we all feel that we confidently picked the right people to succeed us.”
Metzdorff-Rivera said she’s aware of the challenges that come with grassroots leadership, including logistics, finances, and red tape—but believes her experience as a community volunteer and parent has prepared her to lead.
“There's a part of me that likes to be in leadership roles,” she said. “I feel like I'm strong in the way that I can be diplomatic and also helpful and supportive—and keep people working together in a really positive and successful way.”
And while the work ahead may be daunting at times, Udell said the mission remains simple. “We’re all in this together to make a better, happier place to live,” he said. “It’s about working together.”
