Saturday, November 14, 2026
The Long Island Association celebrated its 100th anniversary on Nov. 4 at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, marking a century of business leadership, economic development and advocacy across Nassau and Suffolk counties. The event brought together business leaders and supporters to reflect on the region’s transformation and recognize three people whose contributions helped shape Long Island’s economy.
In 1926, much of the Island was made up of potato fields and farms. The Southern State Parkway had yet to open, and the suburban communities and business landscape that define the region today were still taking shape.
The LIA’s founders recognized the region’s potential and established an organization dedicated to advancing its economic interests. Today Long Island is home to nearly 3 million people and tens of thousands of businesses.
Stacey Sikes, the LIA’s acting president and CEO, said the anniversary offered an opportunity to reflect on the region’s progress and future challenges.
“It is incredible to be able to celebrate 100 years of anything,” Sikes said. “We have the opportunity tonight to reflect back on how far Long Island has come as a region since 1926.”
Collaboration among businesses was a central theme. Sikes emphasized that working together and advocating at the federal, state and local levels can advance economic progress.
The organization’s next century. she said, will focus on regional challenges while preserving Long Island’s suburban quality of life.
The celebration honored three individuals for their contributions to the region’s economy and the LIA: board Chairman Lawrence J. Waldman, former chairman and current board member Robert B. Catell, and former president and CEO Kevin S. Law.
Waldman, who’s known as Larry, has served the LIA for more than 30 years, previously as treasurer and chairman of its audit and finance and education committees. He began his career at KPMG in 1972, and served as managing partner of its Long Island office from 1994 to 2006.
Waldman also chaired the Long Island Power Authority’s board from 2012 to 2013, and served on the State University of New York board of trustees. A Freeport native, he has taught graduate-level accounting at Hofstra University for more than 20 years.
“I feel great about this,” Waldman told the Herald. “I think Long Island is a great community. We live here, we work here and we want to make it even better.”
Law led the LIA for a decade before joining TRITEC Development Group in 2021 as a principal. During his tenure, he helped secure more than $5 billion in infrastructure investments for Long Island, according to his biography.
Law previous served as president and CEO of the Long Island Power Authority and as as deputy Suffolk County executive. He also chairs the Long Island Housing Partnership, the Stony Brook University Council and Empire State Development.
“It’s a privilege and an honor to be honored,” Law said. “As LIA begins its second century in existence, they continue to fight for and advocate for Long Island.”
Catell, a longtime energy executive, previously chaired the LIA and served as chairman and CEO of the KeySpan Corporation. Following National Grid’s acquisition of KeySpan, he became chairman of its U.S. operations.
Catell currently chairs the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook, supporting energy research and innovation.
“I am truly honored to receive the Distinguished Leadership Award, along with my longtime dear friends Larry Waldman and Kevin Law,” Catell said. “We wanted to become part of the community, and we joined what we felt, and really is, the premier business organization, not only on Long Island but also in New York state.”
The celebration also featured the Harry Chapin Award for Community Service, which was presented to Chapin’s son, Josh Chapin. The award honors the legacy of the late Long Island singer-songwriter and humanitarian, whose dedication to fighting hunger and supporting those in need continues to inspire community service across the region.
The LIA also recognized volunteers who have served on its board for 20 years or more, and businesses with memberships dating to 1926, including the Long Island Rail Road, National Grid and more.
As the organization began its second century, the celebration recognized its past leadership and renewed its focus on business collaboration, advocacy and regional economic growth.
