Cheryl Wills, Giles Duley, Mark J. Seelig, and Cox Communications Honored at the 2025 ADAPT Leadership Awards in New York City

(New York, New York, March 4th, 2025) The ADAPT Leadership Awards were held on Monday, March 3rd at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. The awards gala raised over one million dollars to support the important ongoing work of ADAPT Community Network.

Cheryl Wills, Emmy-winning Spectrum News New York 1 Anchor and Host, best-selling author, speaker, and activist, was honored with the ADAPT Media Award. Mark J. Seelig, Chairman, Eagle Rock Properties/Meister Seelig & Fein PLLC, was honored with the ADAPT Leadership Award. Giles Duley, photographer, writer, and CEO of Legacy of War Foundation, was honored with the Hausman Humanitarian Award. Cox Communications was honored with the ADAPT Partnership Award. Mark Greatrex, President, Cox Communications, accepted the award.

ADAPT Leadership Awards Gala Event Co-Chairs were Liz Cohen Hausman and James Hausman. Abigail Hawk, television, film, and stage star of Blue Bloods fame, returned as host of the awards gala. Honorary Gala Co-Chairs were: Cara Buono, star of Stranger Things and Emmy-nominated for Mad Men; Susan Lucci, Emmy-winning actress, entrepreneur, and New York Times best-selling author; Deborah Roberts, award-winning ABC News correspondent and co-anchor of ABC News 20/20; Rosanna Scotto, Emmy-winning host, FOX 5 Good Day New York; Ali Stroker, Tony-winning actress and author; Alex Witt, Emmy-nominated host, MSNBC’s Alex Witt Reports; Mike Woods, two time Emmy-winning meteorologist and reporter, FOX 5 Good Day New York; and Isiah Whitlock Jr., star of the upcoming Netflix series, The Residence.

ADAPT Leadership Awards Honorary Gala Co-Chair Isiah Whitlock Jr. presented the ADAPT Media Award to Cheryl Wills. Gala host Abigail Hawk presented the ADAPT Partnership Award to Mark Greatrex, President of Cox Communications. Gala Co-Chair Cara Buono presented the ADAPT Leadership Award to Mark J. Seelig. James Hausman presented the Hausman Humanitarian Award to Giles Duley.

Linda B. Laul, CEO of ADAPT, gave tribute to longtime ADAPT CEO Edward R. Matthews. Kelly Kaminski, ADAPT Board President, gave tribute to Gary Geresi, ADAPT Board President.

ADAPT board members Kelly Kaminski, James Hausman, Gideon Asher, Thomas Skrobe, Houda Foster, James Kase, Dan Duggan, Deven Unadkat, Jason Carlough Cynthia Roy, and Brett Friedman attended the gala. Joshua Wilson, a singer at ADAPT Community Network, performed at the gala. Harry Santa-Olalla served as The Fundraising Guy.

ADAPT Community Network is the leading human service not-for-profit and a pioneer in providing cutting-edge programs and services for people with disabilities. Every day, we build a more inclusive world for thousands of New Yorkers through education, technology, health, residential, and recreational programs in all five boroughs. Our schools and services encompass many people who have challenges beyond cerebral palsy such as autism, Down syndrome, spina bifida, and neuromuscular disorders, among others. We are the largest provider of pre-school education for children with disabilities in New York. ADAPT’s 100 comprehensive programs serve over 20,000 children and adults with disabilities and their families.

For press information about ADAPT Community Network or the ADAPT Leadership Awards, contact James Grant at JGPR: james@jamesgrantpr.com.

To donate or for more information about ADAPT Community Network go to: adaptcommunitynetwork.org.

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