Brooklyn's Progress
October/November 2006

BY KHADIJA BATUTA

On Sep. 20, the Board of Directors of The Business Council of New York State elected its new leader.  That vote closed the latest chapter of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, but began a new one for businesses across the state as Kenneth Adams, President of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce for the last 11 years, prepares to assume the helm of the Albany-based organization.

Statewide Mission
Kenneth, 46, will join The Business Council of New York State as its President and CEO on Nov. 1, replacing the retiring Daniel B. Walsh who has served the organization since January 1988. The Business Council is the primary advocacy group for business in New York State, supported by some 4,000 member companies and chambers of commerce from across the state.

“It’s not easy for me to leave the Brooklyn Chamber,” Kenneth explained. “I am excited about the challenges and opportunities of my new job. Of course, since the Brooklyn Chamber is an active member of the Business Council, it’s nice to know that we will continue to work together on important statewide issues,” he added.

With family roots in an upstate farming community near Syracuse, Kenneth’s statewide focus is not new.  In 2003, Kenneth became chairman of the Chamber Alliance of New York State (CANYS), an association of chamber executives from New York's local and regional chambers of commerce.  During his two-year tenure with CANYS, an affiliate of The Business Council of New York State, Kenneth toured the state meeting with local and regional chambers to learn about the many challenges facing businesses upstate.

“When it comes to business conditions and economic development changes, Brooklyn actually has a lot in common with places like Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse – we are all trying to revive our economies in a post-industrial era,” Kenneth explained.

A lifelong Brooklynite who grew up in Cobble Hill, Kenneth and his family – wife Diana and daughters Rose and Ginger – will continue to reside in the Boerum Hill section of the borough.  Kenneth plans to commute regularly to Albany as well as travel extensively across the state in his new role with The Business Council.

Chamber Legacy
Immediately after joining the Brooklyn Chamber as its new President in 1995, Kenneth began expanding the organization’s reach across the borough, more than doubling its membership and substantially increasing its small business assistance services.  Ten new economic development programs were launched under Kenneth’s watch, including the Brooklyn Connects procurement assistance program, Brooklyn Goes Global export/import assistance program, Brooklyn HealthWorks small business insurance program, Brooklyn Shops neighborhood retail assistance program, Good Help staffing assistance program, Real Estate & Development program and Brooklyn Business Solutions Center, a mayoral initiative that brings the services of the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) to Brooklyn.

Kenneth led the charge to bring the Chamber online with its primary Web site, http://www.ibrooklyn.com/.  Other sites supporting the organization’s economic development initiatives soon followed.  Those initiatives include highlighting the emerging creative and food service industries in the borough with two growing, consumer-driven annual trade shows, BKLYN DESIGNS™ (http://www.brooklyndesigns.net/) and Brooklyn Eats™ (http://www.brooklyneats.com/), which celebrated its 10th anniversary on Oct. 3.

Kenneth worked closely with Chamber staff and the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee to improve the organization’s relationships with officials at all levels of government.  This year the Chamber brought its largest delegations of Chamber volunteers to-date to its Albany and Washington, D.C. lobbying trips.

"Kenneth was one of the most effective CEO/Presidents of a nonprofit that I have ever worked with. He had great relations with the staff, board, Members and government and community leaders. He will be greatly missed but will be able to take his expertise to a statewide level,” said Chamber Chairman Dan Holt, Courier-Life Publications, who previously served as Chair of the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee.

Career In Community Service
Prior to joining the Chamber, Kenneth served as Director of the MetroTech Business Improvement District in Downtown Brooklyn.  Under his leadership, the BID augmented its services, improved community relations and received citywide recognition for its management and programs.  Kenneth was also the founding Executive Director of New York Cares, which he ran from 1988 to 1994, and for which he created New York Cares Coat Drive and New York Cares Day.

A Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude graduate from Middlebury College, where he received his Bachelors and Masters degrees, Kenneth serves on the board of the Middlebury College Alumni Association as well as the boards of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, Coney Island Development Corporation, Dodge YMCA, Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, Chamber Alliance of New York State, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, Fulton Mall Improvement Association and the NYC Workforce Investment Board.  He also serves on the advisory committees of the New York City College of Technology/CUNY, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, the Brooklyn Chapter of the American Cancer Society and the Long Island University School of Business.

“In his decade as president, Ken Adams has helped foster and secure Brooklyn's status as an excellent place for businesses to flourish while leading the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to double its membership and exponentially increase its annual budget," said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.  "Brooklyn's loss is surely New York State's gain and although they are taking the boy out of Brooklyn, we know Ken will head the Business Council of New York State with the same Brooklyn attitude that made this Cobble Hill native one of Brooklyn's favorite sons. Bravo, Ken, on a job well done!" 

Chamber Looks Ahead
At a special meeting of the Chamber’s Executive Committee of the Board of Directors on Sep. 29, the Chamber’s Vice President of Member Services Mark Kessler was unanimously voted in as Interim President effective Oct. 10.  The Executive Committee also created a Search Committee that will hire an executive search firm to assist with identifying a new president.

“Our Members are the heart and soul of the Brooklyn Chamber; their needs drive our talented and dedicated staff. This has always been Kenneth's vision and we are committed, not only to his vision, but to sustaining and growing everything we have developed under his leadership over the past 11 years.  That is our tribute to him.  We will continue to build his legacy in Brooklyn while he addresses broader issues,” said Mr. Kessler.

The Brooklyn Chamber will honor Kenneth and his work at this year's Dinner Dance.  (Click here for more information.)

Chamber Members are encouraged to submit names for consideration to the Search Committee, and may email their nominations to search@brooklynchamber.com.  Please contact Leticia Theodore, Vice President of Communications and Government Affairs with questions at 718-875-1000 ext. 115.