Power in Heels in Patchogue will be celebrating their seventh annual event, hosted by the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce at The Sunset Harbor Club.

A total of three remarkable women will be honored, including  Laura Accardi, Paula Miller Murphy and Emily Alvarado.

These women were selected for their distinguished dedication in their professions and to the Patchogue community, by sharing their time and talent in ways that benefit the community and individuals within Patchogue.

The event will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. on May 9. Tickets are on sale now.

Laura Accardi, Patchogue-Medford Library

Laura Accardi, library development assistant, leads a group of super-creative staff at the Patchogue Medford Library.

As head of the promotions and development department as well as the consultant and head of the graphics department, her ambition has been to create a work environment that exudes the passion, forward-thinking, and creative juices of her team. Together, they have forged innovative, unconventional, effective library events and marketing campaigns. 

She received the 2016 Suffolk Library Marketing Award and the ELSA Excellence in Library Service Award. In 2023, she and her team received a $10,000 grant from the American Library Association in honor of the John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award, for outstanding effective campaigns that show results. She was one of the first on Long Island to create a Seed Library, with her passionate goal to have communities grow, harvest and save their seeds, in hopes of eventually creating a community sustained seed collection at her library.

Over the years, she is proud to have worked on committees and collaborated on various library outreach events with The Patchogue Theatre, The Patchogue Arts Council, The Village of Patchogue, The Patchogue Chamber of Commerce, The Plaza Cinema, many local organizations, restaurants and retail establishments.

She has also led personal fundraising efforts for her church, schools, scouts and the grassroots campaign to save the Carnegie Library.

Coming up on a 19-plus year career at the library and 45 years with civic community involvement, she enjoys a good game of bocce, and loves all things family, food, gathering, and design.  

Paula Miller Murphy, Patchogue Garden Club

Paula Miller Murphy was raised in Blue Point on the bay, but with strong roots in Patchogue.

She attended St. Francis de Sales School. Her father and uncle owned the Davis Park Ferry Company and had a business property on the Patchogue River. Today, her cousins own the ferry company while she and her siblings own the Patchogue River property.

Murphy has lived in the village for 58 years, where she raised four children, and now enjoys being a grandmother to four. Each of them has a great attachment to their hometown, she said.

“Growing up knowing Patchogue as a village that had great shopping, great markets, and a diverse population,” she said, “it continues to be a town of diverse population, which for me only reflects my values of how we need to live.”

Additionally, she said, growing up on the Great South Bay and the beaches of Blue Point and Fire Island gave her a sense of environmental responsibility and a love of nature.

She has been retired for 23 years after 33 years of teaching intermediate grades in the Blue Point-Bayport and Connetquot school districts, where she incorporated outdoor education programs into the curriculum and started an after-school garden club.

Upon retirement, she joined the Patchogue Garden Club. She is now the vice president of the Greater Patchogue Foundation, founding member and chairperson of the Patchogue Arts Council, and the chair of the Greater Patchogue Foundation Beautification Committee.

Murphy is known for planting and designing gardens at the Roe Walkway, Shapiro Plaza, Railroad Tower Garden, Oak Street Parking Islands, the Foley Square, Sylvia Roeloffs’ Memorial Sculpture on Terry Street, the Eloise Staudinger Memorial Bench, and plantings at the Colony Shop and so much more.

She is also known for taking part in the memorial bench program and organizing and hosting the annual Eloise Staudinger Beautification Fundraiser.

She was awarded the Town of Brookhaven Woman of the Year in 2011 for landscape design and recognition from the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce in 2014 for her outstanding contributions to beautification of the community. She has also served in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in 2019 and is a 9/11 park volunteer and 10,000 Daffodil Project participant.
“Following in the footsteps of Patchogue’s many beautification efforts led by Eloise Staudinger, Sylvia Roeloffs, and Carl Unger, I feel honored to share their efforts with Karen Grote Ferb and to have carried on their groundbreaking work with the encouragement and support of Patchogue Village, the Greater Patchogue Foundation, and the Business Improvement District, as well as the help of many donors and dedicated volunteers,” she said of her ongoing work. “Patchogue has never looked so vibrant, and I am pleased to be a part of it.”

Emily Alvarado, co-owner of El Matador Restaurant

Emily Alvarado is a trailblazing first-generation Latino-American who embarked on her educational journey by earning an associate degree in business administration at Suffolk County Community College. Her thirst for knowledge led her to Stony Brook University, where she spent a year immersing herself in higher education.

Currently, Alvarado shines as the co-owner of El Matador Restaurant, a culinary gem she operates alongside her talented father, chef Juan Alvarado. She takes immense pride in her role as an integral part of the Patchogue community, fostering a sense of togetherness through her family’s cherished business.

Alvarado’s unwavering mission is to bring people together through the universal language of food, whether it’s within the warm embrace of her restaurant or the welcoming ambiance of her home. Her story is one of resilience, cultural appreciation, and a dedication to building bridges through shared culinary experiences.

She holds a distinguished position as a member of the board of directors for the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce, where she serves as the chair of the Latino Leadership Connect of Patchogue. In this pivotal role, she’s a driving force behind forging connections and fostering collaborations among Latino business professionals. Her passion lies in recognizing the immense value these professionals bring to society.

Alvarado’s proactive approach involves curating networking and educational events that serve as dynamic platforms for the exchange of both cultural and business ideas. Her aim is clear: to perpetuate the economic growth within the vibrant Latino community, celebrating its diversity and entrepreneurial spirit.

One of Alvarado’s standout achievements is orchestrating the largest Hispanic Heritage Celebration in Patchogue each year. This monumental event is a testament to her commitment to showcasing the richness of Latino culture. It’s a mesmerizing tapestry woven with artistry, tradition, and the warmth that makes Latino heritage so beloved. Through her unwavering dedication, Alvarado shines as a beacon of unity, bridging cultures, and amplifying the voices of the Latino community.