Theresa A. Regnante
President & Chief Executive Officer, United Way of Long Island
Theresa A. Regnante has served as the President & Chief Executive Officer of United Way of Long Island for the past seventeen years. She leads a team with a shared vision of improving the lives of all Long Islanders through health, education, and financial stability.
United Way of Long Island addresses real-life challenges placing community programs and partners at the forefront of meeting the needs of all families. The organization is driven by a commitment to do more, launching impactful initiatives such as the Workforce Development Training Academy to grow the region’s skilled labor pool in energy efficiency, Mission United, which provides veterans and their families with essential services, and the Net Zero Challenge, which transformed United Way’s headquarters into a building that produces as much energy as it uses.
Theresa and her leadership team secured rental subsidies and amplified the voices of families forced to make difficult financial trade-offs to make ends meet. They have also worked to address energy insecurity through initiatives like Project Warmth. When the region faced crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy—Theresa led a team that rallied funders and united the nonprofit community to respond swiftly and effectively. This included launching Safe at Home, a proactive strategy to keep seniors healthy and safe in their homes.
Theresa leads United Way’s efforts through collaboration and community-driven change. She has consistently advocated for bringing together industry, labor, and government partners to bridge divides, embrace diverse perspectives, and pursue innovative solutions. Her commitment to building bold cross-sector partnerships at the systemic, network, and community levels continues to drive United Way’s mission to advance the common good.
Theresa serves on the boards of United Way of New York State Board of Directors, United Way Worldwide Resilient Communities Advisory Council, LISTnet, SUNY Old Westbury College Council, Oyster Bay North Hempstead Glen Cove Workforce Development Board, Hempstead/Long Beach Workforce Development Board, LIPA Community Advisory Board, and CoC Governance Board for the Long Island Continuum of Care.