Gwen O’Shea
President & CEO

Gwen O’Shea is the President and CEO of CDCLI. She joined the organization in March 2017 after serving on its Board of Directors since 2013. She oversees the organization’s annual budget of $85 million, assets of $30 million, and a workforce of more than 85 employees. She is instrumental to its growth and expansion, and advocates for policies and programs that advance the corporation’s mission and vision.

Prior to her appointment at CDCLI, Ms. O’Shea served as the President/CEO of the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island (HWCLI). She was appointed CEO in 2007, was the fifth executive in the organization’s history, and its first female executive. In her role, Ms. O’Shea was responsible for the organization’s four focus areas: regional planning, access to health care, nutritional security, and economic stability. This included the development of collaborative planning among hundreds of health and human service providers and spearheading the organization’s research and advocacy on public policy and legislative issues as they pertain to Long Island’s at-risk populations.
This collaborative planning was most critical under the economic stability component. HWCLI facilitates the Long Island Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (LIVOAD) which has actively prepared, planned for, and responded to disasters since 9/11. Through the LIVOAD, HWCLI established the Long Island Long Term Recovery Group, a collaboration of over 150 non-profit voluntary agencies committed to helping those most vulnerable as they navigate the complex and daunting recovery process. Collectively, over $10 million in private funds were raised to assist those most vulnerable with their recovery.

Ms. O’Shea has served as an adjunct professor at LIU Post in the Health Care and Public Administration and Social Work graduate departments. She is an Advisory Board Member of the Energeia Partnership at Molloy College and a Board Member of the Long Island Federally Qualified Health Clinics.

Ms. O’Shea is a graduate of the Energeia Partnership at Molloy College, as well as a graduate of the Columbia Institute for Nonprofit Management programs. She received her MS from The New School’s Robert J. Milano Graduate School for Nonprofit Management and Urban Policy, and a BS in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Alan C. Heitner, CPA
Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Heitner joined CDCLI in 2014 with 20 years of experience in leading, advising, and auditing the financial operations of diverse organizations. After 7 years of public accounting experience at a Big 4 firm, he has devoted most of his career to leading mission-based not-for-profit organizations that serve Long Island communities. Mr. Heitner holds a BA in Economics from SUNY Albany and an MBA from Hofstra University.

Onyeka Obasi
Vice President of Marketing and Development

Onyeka Obasi is a business development strategist with over twenty years in consulting, non-profit management, corporate philanthropy, entrepreneurial finance, and infrastructure financing. She has held C-level positions in both the nonprofit and private sectors. In 2009, Onyeka received the prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award from Boston University School of Public Health. She is also a recipient of the exclusive Forte Fellowship for Women MBAs; a member of Women in Fintech, Women & Blockchain; and sits on several nonprofit and social enterprise boards. Onyeka is a strong advocate for the use of big data and believes that technology and innovation are critical to sustainable development. She is multilingual, well published, and has spoken and presented at several international conferences. She was featured on prominent news media including Forbes, Good Morning Africa, BBC’s Africa Have Your Say, and Swedish Skånska Dagbladet. Onyeka holds an MPH from Boston University, MPA from Harvard, and MBA from MIT.