Long Island CEOs passionate about jobs

The chief executives of two Long Island companies and two not-for-profits, who have been piloting their organizations through the worst economy in decades, agreed Tuesday that one overriding factor has helped them survive the tough times: passion for what they do.

The chief executives, who appeared at an executive breakfast meeting hosted by the Hauppauge Industrial Association, said that a drive for money and power alone should not be the major motivators in a business.

Karine Hollander of the nonprofit Make-a-Wish Foundation of Suffolk County, said she worked for six years, ending in 2000, as chief financial officer for now-defunct Hauppauge-based PDK Labs, a pharmaceutical company, but became "burned out" by the long hours. She was already a volunteer and board member at Make-A-Wish and was asked in 2002 to head the organization. It has granted more than 1,200 children's wishes since she took over.

"For me, it wasn't about the money," Hollander said. "It wasn't even a career move. It was a life change."

Kurt Kubik of Hauppauge-based digital media and printing company Island Pro Digital, recently brought his son into the business and expanded to larger quarters.

"I started young," Kubik said. "I'm very passionate about what I do. I think passion is more important than anything else."

Chintu Patel of Amneal Pharmaceuticals Llc, generic drugmakers in Hauppauge, said the business started with only a handful of employees and now has 1,500 worldwide.

"When I started I had no idea what I was doing," Patel said. "When you don't know what you're doing, you try everything. I learned you cannot go after money. You have to go after success."

And Edward Paternostro, of the nonprofit Nassau Educators Federal Credit Union, said he developed a passion for his business that allows him to view setbacks as lessons.

"Everyone is going to fail," Paternostro said he has learned. "You just move on."