Charlene Prounis was honored as the Woman of the Year by Working Woman of Manhasset (WWM) at a dinner held on June 3. Prounis was bestowed the honor for all she does for her community, family and career.

The presidents of WWM: Maryann Schaefer, Maria Troisi Mohan, Carole Alexandar, and Karen Spitz, said that they are not just honoring Charlene Prounis for her resilience and achievements, but also for her humanity, generosity and contributions to the community. "She gives of herself freely, not just with her time but with her many donations. She is truly tireless, no matter what the cause. She is an asset for our community," the WWM presidents said.

Prounis is a managing partner at Accel Healthcare Communications, an Omnicom Group Company specializing in medical advertising and education. She started this company in January of this year with three other partners and already it is a success with 24 employees and four major pharmaceutical and device clients. The entrepreneurial bug bit Prounis after 12 years at Grey Healthcare Advertising, after achieving a senior management position. She was also a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company, Searle, and began her career as an ICU nurse at North Shore University Hospital. It is this same entrepreneurial spirit that drives her to achieve so much.

Prounis served as president of the Manhasset Auxiliary of the Association for the Help of Retarded Children and helped raise over $80,000 this past year. In addition, she served as the president of the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association, an organization that helps to advance women's career in the pharmaceutical industry. Prounis spearheaded three major initiatives during her tenure that helped women to advance; a CEO roundtable discussion on women's career issues and subsequent publication in a leading industry journal, a research survey, and a leadership seminar. She has also served on the board of the North Shore Nursery School, been a previous president of WWM, and served as a vice president of Toastmasters, all in the last few years.

Prounis, her husband Michael, and her 5-year-old daughter, Jeannie, live in Manhasset. Prounis received her BS degree from Adelphi Univwersity and an MBA from St. John's University.