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Fair At City Hall, a celebration of International Women’s Day
They’re committed to mentoring young women
At the International Women’s Day Female First Conference at Glen Cove City Hall on Tuesday, the crowd was eager to hear from Elaine Phillips, the first female Nassau County comptroller; Martine Materasso, the first female chief of the New York City Police Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau; and Dawn Riley, the first American — man or woman — to sail in three America’s Cups and two Whitbread Round the World races.
This was the second annual Female First Conference. Last year, amid the pandemic, the event was held on Zoom. City Councilwoman Marsha Silverman, who conceived the idea of the panel last year, organized the conference.
“It’s a reassurance that we’re moving in the right direction,” Lou Bernardi, president of the Valor Foundation, said. “Last year’s was amazing, and this year was even better.”
The panel was moderated by Silverman. The discussion focused on the evolution of the speakers’ careers and the ways in which they have fought adversity in their male-dominated fields. “It’s so important for women to support other women,” Phillips said. “Men have been doing that for decades. Women are finally figuring out how important that is.”
Phillips, who had three older sisters, was the first in her family to attend college, earning a degree in political science and later adding an MBA in finance from Penn State. “My mother instilled hard work and drive in us,” she said. “There was no question if I was going to college. It was how were we going to afford for me to go to college.”
Phillips had a career in finance on Wall Street, at Metropolitan Life and J.P. Morgan. She became the first female mayor of the Village of Flower Hill, on the North Shore, and was a member of the State Senate, representing Nassau County’s 7th District, before becoming comptroller.
“If you wait for opportunities, they may or may not come,” Phillips said. “When presented with opportunities, you have to say yes. I probably said yes to a few opportunities that, quite frankly, I wasn’t totally prepared for, but you learn. Women have an innate ability to multitask and to figure things out — to care for our family, care for our neighbors, and still do a job.”
Riley grew up in Michigan, and has been sailing since she was a child. When she was 13, her family sailed from Detroit to Long Island and down to the Virgin Islands. The adventure sparked a passion for the sport. “It wasn’t until I was 16 or 17 that [somebody] told me that it wasn’t something for women,” Riley said.
In 1989, Riley was the watch captain and engineer on Maiden, the first all-women’s team in the 1989-90 Whitbread race. In 1992 she was a pitperson for America3, which won that year’s America’s Cup.
Riley branched out in her career by becoming the CEO of Oakcliff Sailing, a sailing center in Oyster Bay. “See yourself as something powerful, and see your body as a tool to get to where you want,” she said. “I think that is a huge message we need to get out to woman and girls right now.”
Materasso followed in her father’s footsteps when she joined the NYPD. She had attended Florida International University, majored in criminal justice and played soccer. Her leadership experience as an athlete, she said, helped her as a police officer, because sports taught her to notice who needed help.
She entered the police academy at age 22, beginning a career she had always wanted. Throughout her experience as chief of Counterterrorism Bureau and commanding officer of the NYPD’s 41st Precinct, Materasso said, she has learned that communication, and being a confidant for her colleagues, are key.
Being a wife and a mother, she added, were also defining experiences for her. “You need to have that support system … it’s really rewarding,” she said.
Phillips, Riley and Materasso agreed that part of their role is to be a mentor and create opportunities so more women can pursue their jobs after them. “You want to put a good stamp on it,” Materasso said, “a good footprint for those that come in after you.”
