Rebecca Sanin is the President/CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island (HWCLI), an umbrella organization with a network of 150 nonprofits. She served for five years as an Assistant Deputy County Executive for Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone. For several years prior, Rebecca worked in the non-profit sector, engaged in policy, planning, and education, focus group development and facilitation, diversity & cultural competency training, early childhood professional development and strategic planning in government and political capital development. In addition, she taught various psychology courses as an adjunct professor at Dowling College, Suffolk Community College, and Iona College, teaching undergraduate students.

Rebecca has a proven record of leadership in professional development, performance management, strategic analysis and planning, policy-making and direct services. She has established key partnerships in a variety of emerging areas, including community development, leadership development, social policy, and civic engagement.

Since becoming President/CEO of HWCLI in 2017, Rebecca has focused attention on the critical needs of families and children across Long Island, bolstering the services HWCLI provides to support them. As she develops new relationships and nurtures existing ones, Rebecca emphasizes HWCLI’s advocacy that impacts underserved communities in the region. Using her background in government and strong community ties, Rebecca has engaged valuable stakeholders and policymakers into the broader dialogue addressing equity across Long Island. She is a strong advocate for systems change and believes that Long Island, as America’s first suburb can lead to effectively eradicating suburban poverty.

As a Stein Scholar, Rebecca earned a Juris Doctor from Fordham University. She holds a Master’s Degree in developmental psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University where she was a fellow at the National Center for Children and Families.

With 20 years of experience in Long Island’s non-profit sector, Lori has worked with Long Island’s leading regional non-profit organizations creating systemic social change.  Since 2010, Lori has been with the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island (HWCLI), first as the Senior Director of Planning and Development and now as the Chief Operations Officer.  Lori manages funder relationships and grant writing contributes to strategic planning and oversees key organizational advocacy and programming.  

Prior to HWCLI, Lori was the Director of Development and Communications at Sustainable Long Island and a consultant on the Rauch Foundation’s Long Island Index.  She has also worked with ERASE Racism, Planned Parenthood of NYC and Amityville School District Night School as an ESL teacher. She worked for a Continuing Medical Education (CME) company conducting needs assessments and outcomes evaluations for educational programs for physicians and pharmacists. 

Lori is a Co-chair of the Steering Committee of Medicaid Matters NY. Lori is a graduate of the Energeia Regional Stewardship Program, Molloy College, Class of 2013; 40 Under 40, Long Island Business News, Class of 2010; and Research Fellow, Alliance-Merck Professional Development Fellowship, 2002-2003.

Lori has a BS in Healthcare and Welfare Policy Analysis from Cornell University and a Masters of Science in International Administration from Central Michigan University.  Lori completed the Master’s Degree in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico where she lived for four years studying, teaching and working for the US State Department. A native Long Islander, Lori lives in Syosset with her husband, two children, and a dog, Luna.  She enjoys running, reading and writing.