Meet The Board

Jerry's career spanned 33 years in the retail industry as a buyer and inventory planner for A&S, Bamberger’s and Macys. In 2006, he migrated to the supply side as an inventory analyst for a home textiles import company serving all major retailers across the country.

Jerry grew up on Long Island, earned an MBA at Adelphi University and moved to his current home in Nanuet in 1980. He retired last August after a 43 year career.

He currently walks dogs as a temporary job when not gardening, running, bicycling or fishing.

Risa is one of the Founding members of the Chamber and currently serves has Vice President. She was also Vice President of the original Chamber back in 1997. Risa grew up in Nanuet, graduated from Nanuet High School and raised her family in Nanuet. She is the President of GMG Public Relations celebrating 30 years of providing award-winning creative marketing, which is also headquartered in Nanuet. GMGPR provides traditional public relations, marketing support services, advertising and media buying, and social media support to businesses and nonprofit organizations throughout the region and beyond.

Risa is currently the President of the Rockland Business Women’s Network. She also co-founded the Chamber Alliance of Rockland. She has been active with numerous not-for-profit organizations including the Westchester Association of Women Business Owners, where she held multiple board positions over a fifteen year period including President and twice received the organization’s President’s Award. She is a co-founder of Partnership for A Better Westchester, an organization she helped launch in 1997. She is a past Public Relations Chairperson for the Advertising Club of Westchester as well as a past Vice President of the Tappan Zee International Trade Association.

She has served on the board of the Orange & Rockland Community Investment Committee, and recently chaired the Marketing and Communications subcommittee of the Clarkstown Business and Economic Development Advisory Committee. She has also served as a mentor to Rockland Community College students and to female students through The Gerald P. Buccino Center for Leadership Development at Seton Hall University's Stillman School of Business.

Risa is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and a recognized seminar leader, presenting numerous public relations, marketing and social media workshops. An accomplished business writer and source, Risa has appeared on several radio and television programs and has been quoted and featured in numerous national and local publications.

She is a member of the 2018 Class of Leadership Rockland and was the recipient of the RBWN Service Woman of the Year Award in 2017. She has also been honored with the 2019 Lillian Vernon Award for Community Service from the Women’s Enterprise Development Center and she received a 2019 Distinguished Service Award from the County of Rockland for her dedication and community service in the County.

A founding member of the Greater Nanuet Chamber of Commerce, he is a 30+ year veteran of the direct marketing, wholesale and retail industries. George Mollo has served in senior executive positions for several direct marketing companies, including "start-ups" and "turn-arounds.” These companies included Lillian Vernon Corporation, Genesis Direct, Disney Direct, and J. Crew Group, Inc.
With hands-on experience at all levels of management, including financial, operational, systems and merchandising, Mr. Mollo has achieved success in the turnaround of several catalogs.

In 2000, Mr. Mollo started GJM Associates, Inc. a consulting company focused on all aspects of merchandising operations for direct marketing companies. Our primary focus is supply-side processes, starting with merchandise analysis and planning, inventory management strategies and the critical coordination of merchandising, marketing, finance, creative and operations through all elements of the business to the ultimate and profitable fulfillment to a customer. To broaden his reach, while continuing his business, in 2014 George also became a partner of CohereOne a full service direct and digital marketing agency.

Mr. Mollo has designed and implemented merchandise planning and forecasting systems and his overall management expertise has contributed substantial improvements to the “bottom line.” He started his career, spending 10+ years at Sak’s Fifth Avenue and the start-up of Kid’s R Us and then broadened his experience by spending several years working for a wholesale import distributor before entering the catalog and direct marketing industry.

As Senior Vice President of Merchandise Operations at Lillian Vernon Corporation he increased the quantity of new product in several catalogs, yielding a 22% to 70% increase in new item productivity. In titles where he directed a change in merchandise mix and creative direction, the productivity per page circulated increased 28%-33% over the previous year.

At Disney Direct, operational, merchandising, marketing and other across the board changes implemented by Mr. Mollo saved $1.6+ million within the first year. His efforts were key factors in the “turn-around” of this division, attaining an operating income of 15.9% EBITDA (from an operating loss the prior year), all within a 14-month time period.

Mr. Mollo also served as Dean of Merchandising for Catalog University an on-line learning community with affordable classes covering a wide variety of direct marketing topics from fundamentals to cutting-edge thinking. He has been a frequent speaker at industry conferences and contributed periodic articles to industry publications.

He has served on the Board of the Nanuet Chamber of Commerce since 2013 and was elected as Treasurer in 2014, a position he holds today. In 2017 he co-founded with the Nanuet Chamber, Nanuet and Beyond (www.nanuetandbeyond.org) a charity organization created to support and provide educational opportunities for our youth that enhance existing program experiences both within and outside the classroom. He currently serves as President/Treasurer of Nanuet and Beyond.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/georgemollo
Twitter: @gjmollo

Susan Farese is a Nanuet Resident who is currently employed as a Vice President with Truman Capital Advisors, LP in Armonk, NY.  Her current position is to manage a portfolio of Real Estate Owned Properties Nationwide obtained from her companies purchasing of performing and of non-performing residential loans. She has worked in the legal field and banking industry for over 30 years.  She is experienced in many levels of paralegal work in numerous areas of law. She was an Office Manager in both a New York City office and Tampa, Florida office for a Nationwide Law Firm where they handled foreclosure and bankruptcy proceedings. She has also worked in numerous lending and default service based companies such as New Century Mortgage, Superior Bank and GRP Financial Services.  She is also a current member of REO Mac an organization in the real estate default industry since 2004.

She was born in Yonkers, New York but attended school in New City where she attended Clarkstown North High School and then moved with her family to Clearwater, Florida where she graduated from Countryside High School. Susan attended Berkley College, Rockland Community College and graduated with Bachelors in Paralegal Studies from Mercy College.

Susan is a mother of 2 daughters who went through the Nanuet School District and both graduated from Nanuet Senior High School, they are currently attending Pace University for a Bachelor of Nursing Program and her eldest is finishing her Master Degree in Criminal Justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Susan has held the following past Volunteer Positions:

PTA President and Vice President of G.W. Miller Elementary, Nanuet
PTA President of the Highview School and A. MacArthur Barr Middle School
Council Delegate for the Board of Education/Nanuet School District
Highview Playground Community Park rebuild/fundraising committee
Tay-Sachs Event Volunteer
Nyack Homeless Project
Keep Rockland Beautiful
Religious Education Teacher for St. Anthony’s, Nanuet for 12 years

She has currently held the position of Secretary for the Nanuet Chamber of Commerce for the past 3 ½ years, has chaired numerous committees from Halloween Events for the community and our Annual Street Fair. She is also current liaison for the Nanuet Chamber of Commerce.  Susan is currently also on the Town of Clarkstown Advisory Steering Committee to review and help develop and plan for downtown Nanuet’s future as a transit oriented neighborhood.

Confidently helping people to save, borrow and plan for their futures since 1985.

A resident of Nanuet for over 23 years, he has served as Branch Manager for several banks in the Nanuet area collaborating with a group of experts specializing in Personal and Business lending and planning solutions to meet all financial needs. He is currently with PNC Bank in Northvale, NJ.

Tony also volunteers with many Non-Profits in Rockland to help them provide a valuable service and to help spread the word about their focus in our communities.

As part of the Greater Nanuet Chamber of Commerce board,  he helps to shape the decisions we need to make to help businesses thrive while allowing homeowners to take advantage of what Nanuet has to offer.

Arlene is originally from Astoria, Queens. She has lived all over Rockland County for 31 years.  She attended Nyack College and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business with a concentration in Marketing and Management.

The majority of Arlene’s career was spent working for the Huntington Learning Center for over 20 years, holding several positions within Huntington. The last nine years, she was an Operations Manager within the tri-state area, leading centers to success by ensuring that Huntington’s mission statement of giving every child the best education possible was being carried out.  Arlene became the owner of the Huntington Learning Center of Nanuet in 2019. Where helping Rockland County’s students and families has been very fulfilling.

She is married with two children. Her daughter graduated from Suffern High School in 2022 and she currently attends Manhattan College’s 5yr. MBA program.  Her son attends Apple Montessori in Mahwah.

Jeffrey Gibs was born in 1966 and raised in New York.  He attended Monmouth University, where in 1988 he earned a B.S. degree in Business with concentration in Computer Systems.

Mr. Gibs has over 26 years of experience in the financial investment industry. He began his career at Chase Manhattan Bank (now J.P. Morgan Chase) in the global custody area for the U.S. Private Banking Division. 

Mr. Gibs had worked several years for two separate investment advisers, managing their back and middle office operations and as compliance officer. Most recently, he was Vice President and manager of a hedge fund administration group at US Bank. In addition to these companies, Mr. Gibs has served as a consultant to Volumetric Fund since 1988 and was employed full time as Vice President from 1997 to 2001. He has served as Volumetric Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) and Vice President since 2007.

In 2015, he became a full time employee again. From 2015 to 2016 he served as Executive Vice President and in 2016, he was appointed as President and Portfolio Co-Manager to Volumetric Fund. He performs a vast area of responsibilities in the areas of operations, accounting, shareholder relations, compliance and marketing.

Jeffrey is the son of Gabriel Gibs, Founder and Chairman, of Volumetric Fund. He is married with two children.

Areas of Expertise

I am an Associate Real Estate Broker with Coldwell Banker Realty New City, NY since 1996. My mission is to help buyers and sellers through the process of mortgage, inspection and give insight to the steps of buying or selling a house.  Techniques from professional training and 30+ years of experience in residential real estate will help you reach home ownership.  If you are thinking of selling your home I can help you relocate anywhere in the world… with Coldwell Banker’s International and Domestic offices and affiiates. Honesty, integrity and going the extra mile has committed me to always keeping the client’s best interest at hand. The market is unpredictable and a true real estate expert doesn't have a crystal ball however I can make your dream possible! Knowledge and know-how will guide you to make smart real estate decisions.

Community Involvement

I have found time in my schedule to support local, and national charitable organizations, such as:

• Make a Wish Foundation Committee Member,
• Sunrise Rotary-Meals on Wheels;
• Hospice, Formerly Co-Coordinator of Mother's Center of Rockland,
• Volunteer for Literacy Program of Rockland County,
• Co-Ambassador to Coldwell Banker Cares Fundraiser Programs and Board of Elections.
• Elected Board Member of the Nanuet Chamber of Commerce since 2015.

Personal Background

In 1986, I started my real estate career selling homes in Washington Heights and Riverdale, NY in complexes such as Hudson View Gardens and Castle Village Properties overlooking the Hudson River and GW Bridge views and Netherland Gardens. I moved to Rockland County in 1993 collecting much knowledge of the area community resources, house inventories, schools, townships and nearby counties.  Prior to 1986, I received a Film and Video degree from CCNY, NY and worked in distribution/promotion and post-production and network news. Interests include coordinating special events for community functions, photography, writing, and pottery.