Written by Kayla Schmidt
Pound Ridge resident Patti D’Agostino is the chief of development and community relations for Hope’s Door, co-founder of New Dawn Family Resource Center, director of marketing and communications for The Pound Ridge Partnership and decades-long resident, knows northern Westchester.
Why did you want to be a judge?
Well, I’ve lived in this area for 30 years, so I’ve seen a lot of the changes, and I know a lot of the businesses and the community well. So I decided to apply.
What’s your professional background?
My background professionally is marketing and branding. I also do a lot of nonprofit work, so I do some fundraising and a lot of volunteering in different organizations.
What perspective did you bring as a judge?
I brought the perspective of a marketer and a branding professional. And I was able to judge whether the business authentically represents what they do.
What did you expect as a judge?
I was looking forward to seeing how this develops in terms of a “Connect To” happening. And, I was expected to really look at how these businesses authentically connect to the community or provide services that offer a type of connection that’s needed in our community.
What kind of judge are you?
I’d say pretty fair. Because it’s the first time, I was looking for opportunities to make it work for the different candidates while simultaneously trying to make sure my opinion was based on something factual and tactile. So I relied on either the information provided or my personal knowledge, and if I didn’t have information or knowledge, then I chose not to do any harm in the judging.
Which famous judge best matches your personality?
Probably somebody on one of those cooking shows where they take you into a pantry and they just present you with options then tell you to make something out of it. So probably that type of judge because I’m pretty resourceful, so I would want to create something impactful out of whatever information I’m given.
What was the biggest challenge as a judge?
I think making a decision or having an opinion based on an entry that’s just the name of a business. It didn’t give me anything to go on.
Last question: Who would make a better judge, Oscar the Grouch or Kermit the Frog?
Oscar the Grouch. He’s just misunderstood.
This article was published in the January/February 2025 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.
Kayla Schmidt
Kayla Schmidt is a freshman at Horace Greeley High School. She is part of the newspaper and the SADD club, and she is also the co-manager of the track team. In her free time, Kayla enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and dogs, along with reading (preferably on the beach).
