The former CEO of Black Mountain Group companies, Huntington native Stephen Medici retired young in 2005. Just 52, he was looking to stay active and wanted to make a difference outside the executive world. In 2007 he self-published his first novel Adverse Selection and donated all of the profits to Long Island Cares: The Harry Chapin Food Bank. Likewise, he pledged to donate the proceeds from his 2010 novel, A Walk Around Cold Spring Pond, to the St. Jude Children’s Hospital. To date he’s donated over $12,000. For several years Medici and his wife, Colleen, have been active members of The Fresh Air Fund—which helps city kids experience the pleasures of the outdoors. The
 group will receive 
proceeds from his 
next book, The 
Girls in the Pleated Skirts. It was released in October and Medici hopes to raise $500,000. This is an ambitious goal—and one that would require exceeding his previous sales figures—but the volunteer firefighter and EMT is optimistic about gaining community support from local firehouses and other EMTs throughout Long Island.