Glenn Rappaport - Class of 2001 (Broadcasting), Class of 2004 (M.P.A. Healthcare Administration) Health care industry alum turns his love of people into a career

If you knew Glenn Rappaport either time he was a student at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, chances are you are still in touch with him or at the very least remember him. An alum twice over with a bachelor’s in broadcasting in 2001 and an M.P.A. in healthcare administration in 2004, Rappaport, with his dynamic and gregarious personality, is the type of person you don’t forget. Rappaport also was a student in Long Island University’s study abroad program during the summer 2000 semester. At London’s Regents Business School he took classes in both broadcasting and Shakespeare.

“It was the experience of a lifetime,” he said.

A certified nurse’s aid and medical assistant in high school, Rappaport did a brief stint in the broadcast world working at News 12 Long Island and The Metro Channel as a co-op student all while hosting his own television and radio shows at C.W. Post. But he always worked in health care, including positions at ACLD Day as a habilitation specialist, United Presbyterian Residence as a recreation therapist, Sterling Glen of Forest Hills Assisted Living as the director of recreation and Cerebral Palsy of New York State as the assistant residential director.

After a brief stint at KJOY 98.3, Rappaport came to the realization that as much as he enjoyed the broadcasting field, working in the health care field was his calling. He returned to C.W. Post for a degree in health care administration with a concentration in gerontology.

“For me it has always been about helping people,” he said.

Today, he is the general manager at the New Nautilus Retirement Hotel in Atlantic Beach on Long Island’s South Shore, a privately-owned luxury resort for active adults 65 years and older. As general manager of the 145-unit hotel, his 12-hour workdays include every task imaginable including keeping tabs on all residents and employees, managing the budget and just keeping the place running smoothly. He recently took a trip to Romania where he met with government officials to help them draw up plans for the country’s first assisted living facility.

In the future, the Oceanside resident says he’d love to own his own facility. “I love what I do,” he said.

As for his time at C.W. Post, Rappaport says he remembers it fondly and tries to get back as often as he can. “I always try to do lots of networking,” he said. “I keep in touch with a lot of different people.”

Homecoming, in particular, is a special day for Rappaport which should be of no surprise to anyone who knew his secret role while he was a student. As an undergraduate, Rappaport was C.W. Post’s mascot, Sir Lancelot the Ocelot and would attend football games and homecoming, bringing the crowds to their feet. “It was all a lot of fun,” Rappaport said. “I really enjoyed my time there.”

Posted: March 11, 2008