PEOS IN THE COMMUNITY:  PrestigePEO: GOING BEYOND BUSINESS IN THE BIG APPLE

New Yorkers have long earned a reputation of wearing a tough exterior, but protective of their Empire State compatriots.

At PrestigePEO, there’s really no tough exterior. Just kindness, and a crew that takes pride in giving back to their fellow New Yorkers.

Headquartered a stone’s throw away from the Big Apple, Melville-based PrestigePEO has made it a mission to become a difference maker on Long Island — not only from a business perspective, but also in its social and community efforts.

“It’s important to put a face to business,” said Jay Zamft, PrestigePEO’s director of marketing. “That starts where home is.”

And it all starts at the top with CEO Andy Lubash.

Lubash, who founded PrestigePEO 26 years ago, has earned a reputation as a dedicated servant of the PEO industry, deeply passionate not only about making life easier for his clients, but also helping those around him. This year’s Michaeline A. Doyle Award winner, Lubash has brought recognition of PEOs on a national level to new heights. And he brings the same spirit towards his company’s community service at the local level.

In his own words, charitable initiatives help his firm extend its reach and also “make a meaningful difference for the people and causes that define Long Island, New York, and beyond.”

“Our responsibility isn’t just to our clients and partners,” Lubash said. “It’s to the communities we’re fortunate to be a part of.”

The company’s volunteering efforts run the gamut. PrestigePEO has an internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee that ensures the company is considering a wide variety of charitable contributions.

It was an initiative spearheaded by Lubash, who has encouraged everyone from the PrestigePEO sales team to vice presidents to get involved in giving back. Conversations from the group have led to outings and sponsorships supporting the arts, healthcare, education, and plenty in between.

In October, the PEO sponsored the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s Celebrity Golf Classic,

alongside New York sports alumni including former New York Giants Quarterback Eli Manning and former New York Yankees players David Wells, Jeff Nelson, and Jim Leyritz. The event benefited the foundation that provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children, founded in honor of New York City firefighter Stephen Siller, who died in the September 11 attacks after racing on foot with 60 pounds of fire gear on his back through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to assist at the World Trade Center. Zamft says supporting veterans and first responders is a focus that grew out of the steering committee’s conversations, and it’s a point of pride for the staff.

Earlier in the month, the team sponsored the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals – CT Chapter’s Bowling For Boobies fundraising bowling tournament in honor of Brian Luciani, an industry colleague who helped grow his family business into one of the largest employee benefit firms in Connecticut.

The company is also heavily involved in supporting New York’s next generation. A good chunk of employees’ volunteer efforts go towards the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and the youth programs offered by the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem.

PrestigePEO CEO Andy Lubash at a recent event benefiting the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation.

“As great a CEO as he is, Andy’s been very vocal about the importance of being a good human being,” Zamft said. “He’s expressed how important it is to be involved in the community and local organizations.”

One of the company’s beneficiaries is particularly meaningful for Lubash: the Long Island Alzheimer’s and Dementia Center. Lubash’s mother suffered from the debilitating disease, and he’s made it part of his mission to raise money towards its cure.

And company leadership is always all ears for what causes are most meaningful to its staff as it considers its next community efforts. It’s all part of the holistic approach that PrestigePEO takes to improving New York one kind gesture at a time.

“We want it to be a reflection of our dedication to diverse causes,” Zamft said. “Something that goes beyond the business side.”