The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce celebrated 90 years of providing service to the Brooklyn business and larger community at its Annual Membership Meeting on September 24, 2008.  The two-part event kicked off at St. Francis College and featured a keynote address by Marisa Lago, in her first Brooklyn appearance as the newly appointed president and CEO of the Empire State Development Corporation.  Brooklyn Chamber President Carl Hum, who recently celebrated his first anniversary at the Chamber, unveiled the organization's new strategic mission.  Former Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dan Holt, introduced newly elected Board Chair Peter Meyer, president of NYC Markets for Commerce Bank, after Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz gave his remarks.

Members and guests then headed over to the Brooklyn Historical Society for a cocktail reception that included the opening of the monthlong exhibition, "The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and The Business Evolution of a Borough," featuring select artifacts and images chronicling the Chamber's history.

In addition to Ms. Lago's address, an exhibition, a Business Showcase and networking, Members voted in the new slate of directors and officers.
 

REPORT OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Nominating Committee Members: Philip Stenger – Chair, Dan Holt, Carl Hum, Karen Auster, Lisa Bing, Gil Cygler, Susan Doban, Ken Hochman, Rachel Amar

Officers Nominated for the Executive Committee 2008 - 2010 Term

Chairman:  Peter M. Meyer, Commerce Bank
President & CEO:  Carl Hum, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce
Treasurer:  Fredric J. Hugue, Sovereign Bank
Secretary:  Alvin Adelman, Cullen and Dykman LLP
Vice Chairs:  Denise Arbesu, Citibank, N.A.
   Aldo Bianchi, Verizon Communications   
   Lisa A. Bing, Bing Consulting Group, Inc.
   Kendall Christiansen, NY Congregational Community Services
   Gil Cygler, All Car Rent A Car   
   Philip R. DeVito, JP Morgan Chase
   Susan Doban, Susan Doban Architect PC
   Thomas Early, Health Plus
   William F. Edwards, National Grid US
   Bill Howell, Howell Industries
   Tim King, CPEX Real Estate
   Tom Newell, Con Edison
   Martin Valdes, MD, MBA, Preferred Health Partners
 
Directors Nominated – Term Ending 2009

Penda Aiken, Penda Aiken, Inc.  
Martin R. Goldin, Goldin Management
Sr. Elizabeth Hill, St. Joseph’s College
Eric Huebscher, The iDoctor
Edison O. Jackson, Ph.D., Medgar Evers College/CUNY
Christoph M. Kimmich, Ph.D., Brooklyn College
Vincent Lisi, Two Dogs Design
Dominic R. Mascara, Mosaic Business Group, LLC
Jason A. Muss, Muss Development Company
Regina S. Peruggi, Ph.D., Kingsborough Community College/CUNY
Salvatore “Buddy” Scotto, Scotto Funeral Home, Inc.   
Alex Shchegol, ASA Institute
Jed Walentas, Two Trees Management Co. LLC.
Antonia Yuille-Williams, Con Edison

Directors Nominated – Term Ending  2010

Bill Barberich, Pfizer Global Manufacturing
Brendan J. Dugan, St. Francis College   
Colvin W. Grannum, Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corp.
Lyn S. Hill, New York Methodist Hospital 
Ken Hochman, American Media Concepts, Inc.
Russell K. Hotzler, New York City College of Technology/CUNY
Jerry M. Hultin, Polytechnic University
Brad Korn, Continuum Health Partners, Inc.
John C. LaRosa, MD, FACP, SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Scot Medbury, Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Michael C. O’Brien III, SIOR, MC O’Brien, Inc.
Peter Petino, Active Transport Messenger Service Inc.
George Vogel, North Fork Bank
Dennis D. Vourderis, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park

Directors Nominated – Term Ending  2011

Rachel Amar, Waste Management of New York
Carolina Asirifi, ExxonMobile
Karen Auster, Auster*Events
Michael Berman, Michael Berman Consulting
Albert M. China, HSBC Bank US, NA
Steve Cohen, Brooklyn Baseball Company
Joseph N. Cunningham, MD, Maimonides Medical Center
Steven Denes, Atlantis Health Plan
Samuel L. Dunston, National Allotment Insurance Agency Ltd.
Daniel Fontaine, Washington Mutual
Monique Greenwood, Akwaaba Enterprises, Inc.
Chris Havens, Corporate Real Estate Services LLC
Andrew H. Kimball, Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation
Irene LoRe, Aunt Suzie’s Italian Restaurant
David Mascia, EmblemHealth
Greg O’Connell, Pier 41 Associates
Mary Quinones, Lutheran Medical Center
Perry Shapiro, Astoria Federal Savings

Ex Officio/Past Chairs

Robert B. Catell, National Grid US   
Patrick J. Fallon, Consultant
Alan H. Fishman, Washington Mutual
Daniel E. Holt, Courier-Life Inc.
David J. Manning, National Grid US
Craig G. Matthews, Polytechnic University
Philip F. Stenger, Commerce Bank
    
NOMINATIONS FOR THE BROOKLYN ALLIANCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Officers & Directors Nominated – 2008 - 2010 Term

Chairman:  Peter M. Meyer, Commerce Bank
President & CEO:  Carl Hum, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce 
Vice Chair:  Stanley J. Markowitz, Muss Development LLC
Treasurer:  Fredric J. Hugue, Sovereign Bank
Secretary:  Alvin Adelman, Cullen and Dykman, LLP
Directors:  Lois Blades-Rosado, Ph.D., SUNY Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center
   James Clarke, Fillmore Commercial   
   Brian T. Coleman, Greenpoint Manufacturing & Design Center LDC
   Josh Keller, Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corp.
   Stuart Leffler, Con Edison   
   Jack Rafferty, Citibank N.A.
   John G. J. Ritter, Sholom and Zuckerbrot Realty Corp.
   Ada Rodriguez, Health Plus

Pictured above: Brooklyn Chamber President & CEO Carl Hum greets 2008 Annual Meeting keynote, Mariso Lago, Empire State Development Corporation.   (Photo by Gavin Thomas)