Former LIer beats out Oprah on Forbes' power list

Irene Rosenfeld's high school resume offers more than a few hints of her future accomplishments, but Thursday the former Westbury resident notched another distinction - edging out Oprah Winfrey for the second spot on Forbes' list of the world's 100 most powerful women.

"We are honored to have such an accomplished graduate receive such a significant recognition," said Louis R. DeAngelo, superintendent of the East Meadow school district, where Rosenfeld attended high school.

Now the chief executive and chairwoman of food giant Kraft Foods, Rosenfeld pursued an ambitious extracurricular life at W. Tresper Clarke High School in Westbury. She was student council president and a reporter for The Vanguard, the school's newspaper. Then Irene Blecker, she was a member of the National Honor Society, the Leaders Club and the Clarkettes, a kickline squad.

She found time to play field hockey, volleyball, basketball and softball, the school district said, and when she graduated in 1971 she was ranked third out of 468 students.

Quiet, friendly and very involved is how Gretta Willig, a former high school classmate and kickline teammate, described Rosenfeld.

"She was president of every club in Clarke High School," said Willig, who noted that she and Rosenfeld were friendly but not close. "She was a very sweet girl."

And very competitive, too. That's how Rosenfeld describes herself on Kraft's website, pointing out that she played four varsity sports in high school and went to Cornell, in part, because of its athletic program. Rosenfeld, who is married and has two grown daughters, said her childhood career ambition was to become president of the United States.

Now living in Kenilworth, Ill., she was out of the country Thursday and not available for an interview.

Forbes highlights the considerable clout she holds in her current position as head of a $40-billion global corporation, earning a compensation package worth $26.3 million in 2009. Rosenfeld, who came in behind Forbes' top-ranked Michelle Obama, drew a lot of attention earlier this year with Kraft's more than $19-billion takeover of Cadbury, the British candy maker.

The deal was criticized by some, but Kraft reported a second-quarter net income increase of 13.3 percent and revenue growth, largely due to the Cadbury purchase, of 25.3 percent.