Jill Arden Rooney, Executive Director

Jill Rooney is a respected leader in the child care field and a driving force in child care advocacy. For 28 years, Jill Rooney's sole mission has been to champion children's causes and improve the quality of every child's life.

In 1973, recognizing the growing trend of mothers with young children entering the work force, Jill founded Harbor Day Care Center, Inc. in her Sea Cliff home. Today, as executive director of Harbor Day Care Center, Inc., Ms. Rooney oversees 5 Nassau County Harbor centers serving nearly 1,000 children and their families yearly.

Sea Cliff Center

Opened in 1978

In, October 1995, Ms. Rooney was recognized as a "Woman of Distinction" by The March of Dimes, for having made a difference in the lives of children.

She was named Nassau County “Woman of the Year” in 1997 and, in 1998, Soroptimist International of Nassau County selected her to receive their “Women Helping Women” Award, for having made a difference in the lives of women.

In 1998, Ms. Rooney completed the Institute for Not For Profit Management, Executive Level Program, at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business.

Her outstanding efforts to help families and children have been recognized on our local and state level:

• April 5, 2001 when the Child Care Council of Nassau named her the Margo O’Connor Child Advocate of the Year.
• She was featured on the Hofstra radio program, “About Time” on December 21, 2001.
• On April 14, 2002 she was appeared on a full page of Newsday as an “Everyday Hero”.
• On May 21, 2002, Senator Michael Balboni recognized her at a ceremony in Albany as a “New York State Woman of Distinction”.
• In March, 2003 she was honored by Long Island Business News as one of Long Island’s 50 Top Women.