OUR TEAM
Meet the Board of Directors
Mohammed Taher
The current President for the NYCPS Officers. Mohammad Taher has served as the President of the Bangladeshi-American Pharmacists Society from 2016-2017. Around the same time, he was invited to join the board of directors of the NYCPS. In addition, Mohammad currently serves as the Queens regional rep for PSSNY's board of directors, Vice Chairman of RxPac of New York, and Alumni Board member at my alma mater Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy. "To treat pharmacy as a profession we all must be actively involved with organizations. My passion and desire to make our profession better is the reason I chose to get involved with various organization and college of pharmacy to mentor future generations."
Bill Scheer
The current Treasurer for the NYCPS.
James R. Schiffer
James R. Schiffer graduated from the Brooklyn College of Pharmacy in 1973 and he began his venture into community pharmacy ownership in May 1979 when he and his close friend Phil Gatti, opened Jim & Phil's Family Pharmacy in Sunset Park Brooklyn. Jim continues to serve as an adjunct pharmacy professor at the Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences of LIU, as he has done since 1987. In 1999 Jim enrolled in the Brooklyn Law School night program and graduated with his law degree (Doctor of Jurisprudence - JD) in June 2003. Jim was admitted as an attorney in New York and New Jersey in early 2004 and he has been affiliated with and is currently a partner at the law firm of Allegaert Berger & Vogel LLP where Jim began his legal career in January 2004. Jim was admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia in 2005. Jim maintained his dual career by being a pharmacy owner as well as a practicing lawyer until November 2007 when the pressure of both careers, as well as his responsibility to his family, caused him to close the pharmacy, and focus on his second career path as an attorney at Allegaert Berger & Vogel LLP serving as counsel to many pharmacists and pharmacy owners. Jim has been a member of NYCPS and PSSNY for over 35 years and has served NYCPS as president from 1996-1998 and currently is our senior editor of the NYCPS Newsletter and he also serves as NYCPS Secretary since he stepped down from the leadership role at President and then Chairman of the Board of NYCPS. He currently handles Board of Pharmacy disciplinary matters, managing DEA investigations of pharmacies and pharmacists, and responding to various audits of pharmacies both by government watchdogs and PBMs.
Vito Colombo
He currently serves as one of the NYCPS Officier.
Danny Dang
Danny Dang, PharmD, is a proud graduate of Long Island University (Class of 2004) and serves on its alumni board.
💼 He is the CEO & Founder of Nynth Group Inc., a multidisciplinary company spanning pharmacy, real estate, telemedicine, and medical billing.
🌟 Danny currently serves as the President and Chairman of the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York (PSSNY).
🏥 He is also a board member of NYCPS and plays active roles in independent pharmacy advocacy, as well as LIU alumni board.
🌍 A passionate community leader, Danny supports national and local Vietnamese organizations including VACP, USVFA, and the NY Vietnamese Community.
📢 He champions AAPI political empowerment, healthcare equity, and workforce opportunity.
🤝 Danny holds leadership roles with Encore.org, promoting multigenerational social impact.
📊 He believes in building transparent, sustainable systems that uplift underserved communities.
🔗 As a bridge-builder across industries and cultures, he thrives at the intersection of service and innovation.
💡 His guiding mission: “To improve lives through advocacy, entrepreneurship, and purpose.”
Vincent Mazzamuto
A member of the Board of Directors.
Retail pharmacist for 25 years. Co-owner of Sedgwick Pharmacy
Joseph P. Navarra
Title: Board of Directors, Secretary
Joseph P. Navarra, R.Ph., FACA, FAPC is the owner of Town Total Compounding Center, an accredited compounding pharmacy providing sterile and non-sterile patient specific prescriptions, following USP <795> , <797>, and <800> guidelines. Joseph P. Navarra graduated from St. John’s University College of Pharmacy in Queens, New York in 1992. Joseph has been very involved in professional organizations promoting and enhancing the practice of pharmacy at a high level. He is a past President and past Chairman of the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York, and of the Italian-American Pharmacists Society and is a current board member of the New York City Pharmacists Society and a Past Chairman of the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding. His awards while practicing pharmacy include the Distinguished Young Pharmacists Award, Preceptor of the Year Awards and Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award. He is married to Ann-Margaret Navarra, PhD, CPNP-PC, FAAN, Associate Dean of Nursing at Stony Brook University and has a daughter, Theresa, a nurse working at NYU Emergency Department.
Roger Paganelli
A member of the Board of Directors. Third generation pharmacist and independent community pharmacy owner in Bronx NY. Lead luminary of CPESN NYC, a clinically integrated network of networks throughout the US, consisting more than 3,500 independent pharmacies. Past president of PSSNY, IPS and current board member NYCPS. Proud husband to Joanne Paganelli, also a pharmacist. We are proud parents of five adult children.
Marina Plotkin
Title: President Elect
Marina is a pharmacist attorney on the Medical and Life Sciences Industry Team at Harris Beach in New York City. With years of experience as a supervising pharmacist, Marina has unique insight in the defense of pharmacies and pharmacists. Marina conducts internal pharmacy investigations for a national pharmacy chain in connection with opioid stewardship and proper interception of pain management prescribing practices. She represents clients in healthcare fraud investigations on state and federal level. Marina provides audit assistance to community pharmacies audited by Pharmacy Benefit Managers, assisting with document preparation, discrepancy analysis, and appeal submission. She also represents pharmacies audited by the New York State Office of Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG). She offers Fraud, Waste and Abuse compliance development. She is involved with the American Society for Pharmacy Law, having presented to a national audience on the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. She has also presented on the topic of pharmacist corresponding responsibility to identify and resolve red flags in filling controlled substance prescriptions.
Ilana Yagudayev
Ilana Yagudayev, a 1999 graduate of St. John’s University, is a dedicated professional with a rich history of leadership and service in the pharmacy field. She currently serves as a board member of NYCPS and has previously held the positions of Chairwoman (2022-2024) and President (2020-2024). Additionally, Ilana was a PSSNY Regional Representative from 2019-2023 and is an active member of the Take the Pressure Off NYC committee at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Ilana’s journey with PSSNY began during her time at university, where she was an engaged member of the organization. After graduating, she continued her involvement, contributing to the PSSNY membership committee and later joining the NYCPS board of directors. In 2002, Ilana co-founded Ilana’s Pharmacy, where she developed a deep passion for the pharmacy profession. Following the sale of the pharmacy, she furthered her career at Grove Drugs, where she successfully introduced new services and helped expand the business. Currently, Ilana is a proud owner of Drug Mart, where she continues to leverage her passion for pharmacy to support her patients in achieving their health goals. Outside of her professional achievements, Ilana is a devoted mother of four wonderful children, one of whom has followed in her footsteps to become a pharmacist and works alongside her at Drug Mart.
Rathna Veeramachanani
A member of the Board of Directors.
Ambar Keluskar
A member of the Board of Directors.
Charles Ciaccio
A member of the Board of Directors. Retail independent pharmacist,
Italian American Pharmacist Society Chairman.
Vyacheslav Kheyman
A member of the Board of Directors
Ron Del Gaudio
A member of the Board of Directors
Raymond Macioci
A member of the Board of Directors
Charles Catalano
A member of the Board of Directors. Consultant Pharmacist
Former President of PSSNY and NYCPS