Congratulations Paul Adler, Esq.!

2025 Social Advocacy Award Recipient for volunteer action with NAACP - Nyack Branch

Presented by United Way of Westchester and Putnam

When Paul Adler was young, his parents instilled in him the motto, “Don’t just be a joiner, be a doer.” Paul truly took this to heart, beginning with his first volunteer experiences as a high schooler beautifying his West Nyack neighborhood on Earth Day. As an adult, Paul went on to dedicate both his professional career and his volunteering involvement to being “a doer,” working to improve the Rockland County community that he has called home his entire life.

Involvement with the NAACP – Nyack Branch began when Paul was just a young man. As the Chair of the Civic Engagement Committee, Paul has had a profound and lasting effect on the organization’s work. Under his guidance, the committee has mobilized community members to address systemic issues, from voter engagement initiatives to advocating for legislative change, ensuring that underserved voices are not only heard but also amplified. His dedication to civic engagement has contributed to policy advancements and has nurtured a culture of active participation within the Rockland community for nearly 50 years.

As part of his NAACP volunteer role, Paul led an effort to help incarcerated people exercise their right to vote by bringing registration forms to the jail and helping them request absentee ballots. Paul says that many people may not see this as a significant issue, but to him, “it’s about maintaining humanity.” Paul was also involved with a recent effort to ensure that children in a disadvantaged Rockland County school district receive the education they are guaranteed by the state constitution. He organized busloads of students, clergy, and educators to visit the Capitol in Albany and demand changes. After being turned away once, the group was able to get the governor to agree to a monitor for the school district. Paul believes their success was due to the fact that he was able to bring people together to collaborate who normally wouldn’t have considered working together. 

Trained as a lawyer, Paul currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer for Rand Commercial Realty. In this capacity, he created the company’s motto: “Building Better Communities with Rand Commercial.” In keeping with his commitment to civic engagement, he believes that business, especially real estate, must have a broader view of how each transaction affects the community. 

Paul also serves on the boards of many other Rockland County organizations, including Montefiore-Nyack Hospital and, until recently, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley. In his spare time, Paul’s favorite thing to do is to spend time with his wife, his five children, and his four grandchildren. 

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Make a gift in honor of Volunteer New York's 75th Anniversary and the 2025 Volunteer Spirit Award Winners.

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75th Anniversary Benefit Committee

Alisa H. Kesten, Co-Chair
Joanne Kirkpatrick
Joanna Straub, Co-Chair
Susan Kushner
Joseph Ali
Valerie Mason Cunningham
Gayle Binney
Matthew McCrosson
Deborah Blatt
Wendy Nadel
Celia Brown
Agnes Nowak
James Burton
Joe Ricca
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David Severance
Nikki Hahn
Geri Shapiro
Kenny Herzog
Nicole Sheindlin
Dale Hisiger
Lynn Sobel
Ted Kesten
Elisabeth Vieselmeyer

VSA Award Judges

Amy Allen
Kara Pacheco
Patrick Bardsley
Daniel Patrick
Tom Gabriel
Alessandra Restiano
Phillip Ham
Becky Silverstein
Joseph Kenner
Linda Tyler
Michelle A. Nicholas
Lilian Wu

VSA Steering Committee

Lydia Kris, Chair
Monica Martinez-Hess
Ilana Arbeit
Amy Seiden
Cathy Boyle
Laura Romeo Sobel
Karen Gabor
Abbe P. Stein
Joanne Kirkpatrick
Christine Stufano

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