23. Michael Dowling

Since 1995, Michael Dowling has led North Shore-LIJ, providing healthcare through more than a dozen hospitals, all of which Dowling recently signed an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency to enact programs for energy and water conservation, solid-waste recycling, environmentally sensitive landscaping, combined heat and power plants, sustainable building and construction projects, and green cleaning. North Shore-LIJ is the largest employer on Long Island, and Dowling has taken the lead and set a new standard for healthcare by promoting sustainable business practices and lowering its environmental impact. He is a quality leader who remains active in the local community and has never lost sight of his institution’s mission: caring for the people. But what really makes Dowling so powerful is that he keeps finding new ways to do it.