2019 Honorees

Community Spirit Award

Richard J. Bonforte, MD, FAAP
LSA Board Member, 1976–present; LSA Board Chair, 1989–1998

Dr.  Bonforte has been an ardent and committed supporter of LSA since 1974, when he joined the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC).  He was appointed to the Board in 1976 and has been a member for the past 43 years, serving as Chair from 1987 to 1998

A graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr. Bonforte completed his post- graduate training at Mount Sinai Hospital; and after two years of military service, he returned  and joined the full-time faculty of Sinai's Department of Pediatrics.  He has held a variety of administrative and clinical leadership positions throughout the Mount Sinai Health Care System over the  years and rose to the rank of full Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine.  A nationally recognized expert in the field of cystic fibrosis, he has served on the committees and boards of various local and national professional and lay organizations, and is the recipient of numerous honor and awards.  Retired  from active clinical practice, he continue to teach at the medical school. He is presently also the Medical Director for Pediatrics at NYCHSRO/MedReview, a national medical audit and review organization based here in New York.

Dr. Bonforte considers it a honor and privilege to serve LSA, and to support the exemplary selfless efforts of the staff of LSA in partnering with the families of East Harlem.

Barbara Brenner, DrPH, MSW
LSA Board Member 1997–present

Dr. Barbara Brenner has served on the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service  Board of Directors since 1997. As the former Director of Community Relations for Mount Sinai Medical Center from 1985-2008 she was a liaison to the organizations and leaders in the East Harlem community. She worked closely with the Little Sisters to identify problems and solutions that could benefit the health and welfare of clients as well as the community at large.  She sought to develop referral relationships between Mount Sinai programs for women, children and older adults and the Nursing program which offered in home nursing care. She also supported and encouraged Mount Sinai medical students to volunteer, helping to develop the Home Environmental program as well as to provide program evaluation and outcomes research.

Dr. Brenner holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the Silberman School of Social work at Hunter College and a Doctorate in Public Health from Columbia University. She is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and serves on the Boards of two other not for profit organizations in East Harlem.

Corporate Spirit Award

Stephen M. Waldorf
Principal, WRS

Stephen M. Waldorf is a principal partner and managing director of Waldorf Risk Solutions. Graduating from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Stephen joined the family brokerage firm and has been there for almost 30 years. He further developed his knowledge and bridged his skills by working at London at Lloyds and with international markets. Stephen maintains insurance licenses in over 28 states. He excels in designing, structuring and implementing alternative risk transfer vehicles on behalf of Catholic Dioceses, religious orders and not-for-profit entities throughout North America. His expertise has been called upon to lecture on risk management publicly and privately, analyze policy forms and consult on program structures and coverages for numerous clients. He has completed the two-year Pastoral Formation program through the Diocese of Rockville Centre and received the Caritas Medal from Molloy College. Stephen has a passion for aviation and holds multiple certifications including his certification as a flight instructor and flight instructor instrument rating. Although his true passion rests in his love and devotion to his family, four children and his close friends, many of whom are clients.

William Waldorf
Principal, WRS

Bill is a senior managing partner of Waldorf Risk Solutions.  After graduating from Loyola University in Baltimore Maryland with a degree in Business Management, he joined the family firm where he was mentored by his father, Christopher V. Waldorf Sr.  Bill offers over 30 years’ experience in the insurance industry and is well recognized within the groups’ areas of expertise and amongst his peers.  Within the Underwriting communities, Bill’s knowledge and experience is regularly called upon as a resource for policy wording, coverage interpretation, and product development.  Industry publications often call upon him for expert commentary on market trends and evolving risk.  He is known for his uncompromised focus on fulfilling clients’ needs and delivering sustainable solutions with measurable results. Bill particularly excels in designing insurance and risk financing alternatives that offer creativity and innovation to clients who demand something other than traditional insurance products. Bill’s active involvement with clients is best observed in his advocacy role in claims resolution that typically results in positive outcomes for our policyholder.

Lifetime Spirit Award

Roberta Guaspari
Violinist, Music Educator and Founder of Opus 118 Harlem School of Music
Featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary Small Wonders, and portrayed by Meryl Streep in Music of the Heart

Roberta Guaspari began her remarkable teaching career in three East Harlem public schools in 1980. Through her work, she has become an international figure in the fight for public school music education. In 1990, when funding for her teaching was eliminated, she joined with parents, teachers and other volunteers to continue the program. They created a non-profit organization, now called Opus 118 Harlem School of Music, which has expanded to support a community music school serving thousands of low-income children over the years, both in and after school. In 1996, the documentary film Small Wonders featuring Roberta and her students was nominated for an Academy Award and her story was the inspiration for the feature film Music of the Heart, in which she was portrayed by Meryl Streep. Roberta is co-author of an autobiographical book of the same title.

In 2002, Opus 118 Harlem School of Music expanded on the success of its In-School Program and established a comprehensive community music school. Through these programs, Opus 118 meets the needs of the community by offering students private, partner, and group instruction. Many of these students would not otherwise be able to afford music instruction outside of regular school hours. In addition to Opus 118’s internationally-renowned violin lessons, the program offers lessons in viola, cello, guitar, and piano. Aspiring music teachers interested in Opus 118’s unique methodology are invited to intern and apprentice with Roberta Guaspari and other master teachers in the In-School Program. Many of these interns and apprentices go on to join Opus 118’s faculty, serving more classrooms of young violinists.

In 2012, Opus 118 Harlem School of Music formed a partnership with Kaufman Music Center that has helped ensure that this valuable work can continue for years to come. What started in one Harlem classroom now touches the lives of thousands of children, here in New York and in other cities that have taken inspiration from the Opus 118 story.

Roberta, who learned to play violin in public school, holds a B.A in Music from SUNY Fredonia, and a M.A in Music from Boston University. Among the many awards and honors she has received are honorary doctorates from the New England Conservatory of Music, SUNY Fredonia, and Mount Holyoke College, a cultural leadership citation from Yale University, the Barnard College Medal of Distinction, the American String Teachers Marvin J. Rabin Award, the Arison Award from the National Foundation for Advancement of the Arts, CBS This Morning’s “Woman of the Year”, and the Reader’s Digest Foundation’s “Hero for Today” award. She continues to travel internationally to advocate for the vital role of music in every child’s education. Roberta believes that violin instruction changes her students’ lives and that music education remains the most noble of professions. A longtime resident of the East Harlem community where she teaches, Roberta has three children: Sophia Guaspari, who is a recent graduate of the City College of New York with a B.A in English Literature, Alexi Tzavaras, a pediatrician and Medical Director of Astor Ave Pediatrics, Montefiore Hospital, and Nicholas Tzavaras, who is the cellist of the Shanghai Quartet and Artist in Residence at Montclair State University.

Spirit of Service Award

Mary Julia Koch
LSA Student Volunteer

Mary Julia Koch, a Spence student, has been an After School tutor at LSA for the past two years. As a volunteer, Mary Julia has gone above and beyond in her contributions to the program, including making a donation of new coats for all the children (25) in the After School Program in 2017, and in 2019 she gave a Valentine’s Day gift of books and treats for all the children in the program. Mary Julia also helped create an LSA Club at her school -- the first LSA Club that is now going to be a model for LSA clubs in other high schools. The creation of the LSA Youth Board, begun by another student at Spence, was inspired by the LSA Club. Mary Julia will be attending Harvard this fall.