Our Passionate Board Members

Joseph A. Salamone

Joseph A. Salamone

Founder & Executive Director

Mr. Salamone, a Long Island native from Deer Park, is the founder and Executive Director of the The Long Island Coalition Against Bullying, a position he has held since 2013.

A victim of bullying himself, Mr Salamone’s vision is simple: to reach as many children and families experiencing bullying as possible. His driving force is to create an environment that keeps emphasis on the importance of the issue all while demonstrating financial diligence and respect with the public's generous contributions.

Under Mr. Salamone’s leadership, LICAB has quickly emerged as a pioneer organization fiercely advocating for children and families impacted by bullying and proudly working with many Long Island schools and organizations to maintain and enhance their bullying prevention curriculums. Mr. Salamone’s drive and passion for the cause has enabled LICAB to affect change through efforts including government task forces and helping to spearhead passing important legislation for anti-bullying.

Mr. Salamone feels that supporting the community is paramount and supports other charitable efforts such as children with special healthcare needs as well as cancer research.

Cara D’Agostino

Cara D’Agostino

Board Chair

Ms. D’Agostino joined the LICAB Board of Trustees in 2015 bringing with her a legal expertise and perspective critical to board decisions. She began her tenure as Chair of the Board in January 2023.

As Associate Director of Academic Support and Bar Preparation at the Maurice A. Dean School of Law at Hofstra University, Ms. D’Agostino is confronted daily with the challenges and anxieties faced by young people having to navigate a world under constant stressors, both good and bad. In addition to her work at Hofstra, Ms. D’Agostino is also a licensed attorney, with a background in the areas of matrimonial and family law. She has seen firsthand how bullying can wreak havoc on children, particularly in homes where litigation has already disrupted the family unit.

Born and raised on Long Island, she graduated from Elwood John H. Glenn High School. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and a Law degree from the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia.

Through her work at Hofstra, Ms. D’Agostino is certified in Mental Health First Aid.

Christopher Caporale

Christopher Caporale

Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair

Mr. Caporale joined LICAB in 2017 as Board Trustee and Treasurer. Mr. Caporale is a Certified Public Accountant, having begun his career in auditing with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP. He graduated Fairfield University Cum Laude in 2009 after serving as Accounting Club President, inductee into Beta Alpha Psi Accounting Honor Society, and was the 2009 recipient of the IAA Outstanding Audit Student of the Year Award.

Since his time at PwC, Mr. Caporale has expanded his career path into Construction Project Management. Mr. Caporale works for Turner Construction Company building state-of-the-art healthcare facilities across the Tri-State area.

Mr. Caporale grew up on Long Island and has strong ties to the anti-bullying intiative. His roles and responsibilities will include the preparation of monthly financial statements, financial analysis of all events, and tax and advisory services as the organization moves forward and expands.

Anthony Camello

Anthony Camello

Trustee

Anthony Camello joined LICAB Board of Trustees in February 2023 and brings a strong set of social and business skills. He is a reliable team player and a dependable leader.

As a Business Development Manager with Nexxis Inc, a nationwide next-generation voice and data solutions provider based in Melville, NY, Mr. Camello has a passion to help organizations revamp their infrastructure with fully-managed communications services that elevate efficiency and reduce costs. Mr. Camello is an active member of the Hauppauge Industrial Association and various networking groups including Businesses of Superior Standards, Melville Chamber of Commerce, and the American Business Association, all of which help him to stay connected to the local business community.

Born in Brooklyn and moving to Long Island before the age of one, Mr. Camello has always known Long Island as his home. He attended Suffolk Community College for Business Management, is always active, and has played many sports throughout is life, with his favorites being hockey, soccer, and golf. Through different life experiences, he is known by his family, friends, and colleagues to always be there for them when they need him.

While witnessing the effects that others can have on an individual first-hand through his aunt’s battle with muscular dystrophy, Mr. Camello is passionate about helping others. He looks forward to giving back to the community and making a valuable impact in the world.

Arthur J. Conte

Arthur J. Conte

Trustee

Arthur J. Conte joined the LICAB Board of Trustees in January 2023 and is an attorney and partner at Hyl Conte Law, PLLC, a full-service Trust & Estates and Elder Law firm. Mr. Conte focuses his law practice on Medicaid Planning and Medicaid Application work, as well as estate, tax, and special needs planning, estate administration and business succession planning.

Prior to forming Hyl Conte Law, PLLC, Mr. Conte had his own solo practice for several years. He attended Touro Law Center and graduated in 2014, as well as Loyola University Maryland, where he holds his bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Philosophy.

He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, as well as the Suffolk County Bar Association. Arthur is a native Long Islander, is an avid golfer, a sports enthusiast, and he enjoys road tripping with his family.

Austin Hooper

Austin Hooper

Trustee

Austin Hooper joined the LICAB Board of Trustees in Summer 2022, bringing with him myriad skills in sales and marketing. Mr. Hooper currently serves as account manager at Cybersafe Solutions, a leading cybersecurity firm that helps businesses across the nation better protect themselves against today’s modern security threats.

Working in the cybersecurity industry, Mr. Hooper has become a proponent of today’s ultra-technology driven world. However, he finds the hyper-connectivity between tech and youth has brought a new world of concerns related to bullying. Mr. Hooper understands modern problems require modern solutions and aims to bring his perspective from the technology world into his nonprofit service.

Mr. Hooper says, “When first connecting with LICAB, I knew I wanted to help in any way I could. I’m excited to continue to work with the Long Island community and I can’t wait to see all that we accomplish together.”

A Chicago native, Mr. Hooper is happy to call Long Island his home. He currently resides in Huntington.

Melissa Rose

Melissa Rose

Trustee

Ms. Rose joined the Board of Trustees in May of 2022 with a wealth of marketing, PR and networking experience. As Vice President at Marketing Works, Ms. Rose assists dozens of clients across the tri-state area and nationally with their marketing, branding, graphic design, public relations, social media, fundraising, and event planning needs. With a focus in the not-for-profit arena, Ms. Rose helps her clients fine-tune their messaging, expand their media presence, reach new audiences, and enhance the profitability of their fundraising events.

During her distinguished 20-year career, Ms. Rose also served as Event Manager at Long Island Business News (LIBN) and as Director of Marketing at Groovecar, Inc. Additionally, she served on the Board of Directors of Public Relations Professionals of Long Island for six years. She has also received many industry accolades and awards, including a 2017 Long Island Press Power Woman, 2018 LIBN Corporate Citizenship, 2012 LIBN Top 40 Under 40, 2011 Huntington Chamber of Commerce Top 30 Under 30, and 2011 Public Relations Professionals of Long Island Rising Star.

Ms. Rose graduated from New York Institute of Technology with a master’s degree in communications and public relations. She has been a resident of Commack, Long Island for over 40 years, is a mother of two children, and has strong ties to her local community. She is dedicated to the prevention of bullying as it is crucial to create a safe and inclusive environment for every child. She strongly believes in building and maintaining programs, services, and resources designed to empower children, parents, schools, and those in need of support.

Rena Thomas

Rena Thomas

Trustee & Internship Coordinator

Ms. Thomas joined the LICAB Board of Trustees in the Spring of 2021 and serves as Internship Coordinator for the organization.

As a Long Island native, she was driven to make a difference in her community by combatting bullying through action, awareness and education, beginning at a local level.

Ms. Thomas has a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism with a concentration in Public Policy and a minor in Business Management from Stony Brook University.

Ms. Thomas has a professional background in media and local news. She currently serves as the Community Relations Officer for Nassau County’s 18th District. She is responsible for event planning, philanthropic programming, government relations and internship coordination for the office of Legislator Joshua A. Lafazan. She frequently works alongside interns and student groups from across Long Island in developing new and exciting ways to give back to our community.

Additionally, she represents her district office on the Nassau County Heroin Prevention Task Force. This task force educates citizens about the prevalence of the heroin problem on Long Island and aims to eliminate drug use through public education and advocacy.

As the LICAB Internship Coordinator, she hopes to provide students with a life-changing and fulfilling experience that they can take with them throughout their career and beyond!

Dr. Mark Welles

Dr. Mark Welles

Trustee

Dr. Mark Welles joined the board as a trustee in May of 2018. Dr. Welles has been a pediatrician for the last 35 years and with Cohen Children’s Medical Center for over 15 years. For the last six, he has been increasingly active in the pursuit to help stop bullying and to educate his peers and community on the growing epidemic.

In addition to being a practicing pediatrician, Dr. Welles serves the community as an assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra University/Northwell. He is Co-Chair for the committee on Bullying Prevention for Chapter 2 of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is proud to be the national section chair for the Section on LGBT Health and Wellness for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Always wanting to do his part to educate young children, Dr. Welles teaches the harmful impact of bullying through many avenues. He sponsors semi-annual conferences, speaks at middle schools, and has created the first in the nation in-hospital anti-bullying consult service for patients who are hospitalized at Cohen's.

Chris DiLeonardo

Chris DiLeonardo

Trustee

Mr. DiLeonardo joined the LICAB Board of Trustees in December 2023 bringing with him a wealth of financial and educational experience.

 

Currently in his professional career Mr. DiLeonardo serves as the Educational Development Officer at Jovia Financial Credit Union, a position he has held since 2022.  Within that role travels across Long Island visiting classrooms educating children on financial literacy and strongly believes that a strong financial understanding is one of the keys to being successful in life.  His passion for LICAB’s mission originates from the uniqueness that technology provides with managing finances but how detrimental it can be when used in the wrong way, particularly with cyberbullying.

 

Born and raised on Long Island, he graduated from Plainedge High School and holds a degree in Business Administration from Farmingdale State College.