Theresa A. Regnante serves as president and chief executive officer of United Way of Long Island, where she has been a catalyst for positive change since 2009.
As an innovator, she is leading the nonprofit organization in the development of strategic, as well as relevant initiatives that have a measurable and lasting impact.
This includes providing support to over 100 nonprofit partners, as well as the development of signature programs that best meet the needs of Long Islanders with the focus on health, education and financial stability.
During her tenure, Theresa has implemented significant organizational improvements, including strengthening community, business and labor partnerships. To ensure the organization maintains financial competency, she assembles, retains and engages high-impact board members that bring expertise from industries throughout the region.
She diligently maintains the balance of dedication to mission, the need for bold entrepreneurial initiatives and the application of sound business management needed to run a successful nonprofit organization.  Theresa is an innovative and creative leader who has helped United Way expand its traditional fundraising activities.
Theresa’s leadership has transformed United Way to strengthen the workforce and social services sector to better serve families and individuals.
The organization has advanced its role as a provider of green construction training for special populations and technical building services for energy-efficient homes. With career sustainability critical to the mission, the launch of employment-geared initiatives are blazing a new trail of success for youths and veterans.
Her ability to pivot quickly is evident, as this year the pandemic changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Theresa keyed in on addressing the needs of Long Islanders dealing with unparalleled hardship by forming a United Solution. Current partnerships, as well as new alliances, including with funders, allowed the organization to broaden its outreach and assistance to affected Long Islanders, many who have never needed help before. This was especially important to families with young children, veterans, mothers with newborns and seniors.
The health and economic crisis has caused many difficulties for vulnerable seniors, including isolation. Theresa acknowledged that there was a great need to assist seniors, leading to the development of Safe at Home Initiative.
Bilingual Community Navigators help with day-to-day tasks, such as shopping for essentials, picking up prescriptions, connecting to family and access to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Students and their families are also feeling the burden. With so many unprecedented educational challenges, Theresa recognized that student equity is critical in this remote-learning era and provided digital technology to least advantaged children and teens.
Theresa is a regular contributor to a number of high-profile regional and state discussions. She frequently speaks about critical issues ranging from suburban poverty to the ability of public/private partnerships to drive innovation and create long-term human success.
Theresa is a champion…bringing change and making a difference to the people who live on Long Island.
