Two Sachem alumni were named to this year’s Long Island Power List and were honored at a reception at the Heritage Club in Farmingdale.
Chris R. Vaccaro and Todd Shapiro, who both work in communications, were recognized.
Vaccaro is the President/Founder of the Sachem Alumni Association, as well as Publisher of SachemReport.com. Professionally, he is a media executive, professor and author.
Most recently, he was Vice President of News 12 Networks before moving onto an entrepreneurial role where he is building a new brand in the sports media space. He is also the former Editor-in-Chief of The Topps Company and was an editor at the New York Daily News and AOL. His work has been published in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, the Associated Press, ESPN, among others.
He is also a professor and director of graduate journalism at Hofstra University, the President of the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame, director of the National Italian American Foundation and is the author of several books mostly about Long Island history. Vaccaro is also a two-time Emmy Award winner and nine-time Edward R. Murrow Award winner and an inductee of the Sachem Athletic Hall of Fame and Long Island Journalism Hall of Fame.
Shapiro is the President/CEO of Todd Shapiro Associates Public Relations, one of the region’s most well-respected and time-tested public relations firms. After forming the agency that bears his name, Shapiro quickly became known as one of the best names in the business, while also holding the distinction as one of the youngest principals in the trade.
Often quoted for running a Manhattan-style public relations agency on Long Island, Shapiro got his early experience in the capacities of Press Secretary for high-profile Suffolk County Executive Bob Gaffney and later as a Vice President of Howard Rubenstein Associates.
Shapiro’s practice is headquartered in New York City with several offices in both Nassau and Suffolk counties. Shapiro’s clientele includes public figures, business leaders, medical professionals, first responders and emergency services, elected officials and municipalities and political campaigns. Shapiro’s strategic understanding of the media cycle coupled with over 30-years experience has made him among the most trusted names in public relations, crisis management and media relations.