11. John Cameron

An experienced surfer, John Cameron has ridden many big waves in his life, but the curling breakers of Long Beach are nothing compared to the obstacles of steering a company through the rough waters of the worst economy in a lifetime. But Cameron’s been at it for more than 25 years, and the results never fail to impress. His Woodbury-based firm has earned a sterling reputation for excellence in planning and engineering. Cameron’s award-winning projects include the Business Research Center at Garden City and the North Shore Hebrew Academy High School Campus, and he’s entered a new field, anti-terrorism technology, as shown to full effect by the just-opened Morrelly Homeland Security Center in Bethpage. As if he doesn’t have enough on his plate, Cameron has also taken on the added responsibility of leading the Long Island Regional Planning Council, charting its course—as well as the Island’s—through the steepest challenges in a generation, as spelled out in its recently completed report, The Long Island 2035 Regional Comprehensive Sustainability Plan. Cameron won’t relax on shore. It’s in his nature to dive right in and come out on top.