Long Island Press Power List

Welcome to the 15th Annual Long Island Press Power List

The Power List represents those 50 Long Islanders who have exerted such a sustained influence and impact on our existence that to omit them would be dishonest. It’s a curious list, to be sure, as it is a testament to both ingenuity and inertia. There are CEOS on this year’s list. Politicians. Academics. Scientists. Advocates. Some are household names; others you may have never heard of before until now. Wealth and notoriety don’t necessarily qualify an individual onto the list, nor does lobbying for inclusion (that actually hurts chances). The criteria for Power List honorees are fairly straightforward: They must live on Long Island and demonstrate tangible influence over residents’ thoughts or actions. The Power List generates a fair amount of criticism and outrage. The criticism usually comes from a parochial place whereby people believe that we have made stunning omissions based upon their own experiences with people that impact their daily lives. The outrage is generally directed at the preponderance of older white men that appear on the list. To the latter, we offer the same reply every year: The Power List is a mirror, not a wish list.

This site contains all of the annual Power List Honorees, along with their rankings, as well as those who’ve graced the list at least five times. These elite few then graduate into the Power List Hall of Fame, which is also here, in its entirety.

Peruse these lists. Learn about its members. Get to know them. Chances are, they’ve impacted and influenced your world in more way than one. Enjoy.

Click here to view the 2018 Power List »