Brooklyn's Progress
December 2006/January 2007

BY KHADIJA BATUTA

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Sherene Rodney and Cheryl Gladstone have joined the organization.

The Chamber’s Real Estate & Development (RED) program is back in action with the addition of Cheryl Gladstone, who came on board on Oct. 30 as Director.  Cheryl takes over the reins from Mack Tham – now a Sales Director with Massey Knakal – who managed the RED program for nearly three years.  The Chamber’s RED program provides real estate business assistance services that help businesses connect to spaces and opportunities across the borough.

“I’m excited about building upon the good work of my predecessor and getting to know and interact with the real estate business community in Brooklyn,” said Cheryl, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies with a focus on Architecture from Stanford University.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Cheryl worked at the Times Square Alliance as a Senior Policy & Planning Analyst. During her tenure at Times Square, Cheryl drove the creation of real estate initiatives to attract office worker and resident-oriented businesses to the district and helped connect retailers to vacant spaces. She also oversaw the Eighth Avenue Advisory Committee, a group of retail brokers, developers, elected officials, interior and graphic designers, and community members that formulated a vision plan for the Eighth Avenue corridor between West 40th and West 53rd Streets.

"Cheryl brings a wealth of expertise to this position. Her oversight work of real estate initiatives and extensive, past work with developers, brokers, retailers, designers, government officials and community members will effectively serve the borough,” says Rick Russo, Vice President of Business Services at the Brooklyn Chamber.  “Cheryl's knowledge of diverse real estate markets, coupled with her expertise in tourism, afford her a unique perspective and vision for the growth of the Chamber's Real Estate department and its programming."      

Cheryl may be reached at 718-875-1000 ext. 142, or at cgladstone@brooklynchamber.com.

Brooklyn HealthWorks Team Addition
Sherene Rodney became part of the Chamber team on Oct. 10 as Bookkeeper for Brooklyn HealthWorks. Brooklyn HealthWorks is the Chamber’s low-cost small business health insurance program provided in partnership with Group Health Incorporated (GHI).  The program recently received a permanent funding stream from New York State to expand its services to the Brooklyn business community, as was reported in the cover story of the August/September issue of Brooklyn’s Progress.

A recent graduate of Stony Brook University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics and Statistics with a minor in Business Management, Sherene brings enthusiasm as well as relevant experience to her first full-time position.

“I held a number of temporary positions in the financial field, including as a billing clerk at Flight Safety International and as a payroll analyst with Tender Loving Care.  I look forward to using the experience I gained from my studies and previous work to assist Brooklyn’s small businesses with their health insurance needs,” said Sherene.

Sherene may be reached at 718-875-1000 ext. 136, or at srodney@brooklynchamber.com.

Other Staff News
Klara Carames, who previously served as Executive Assistant to former Chamber President Kenneth Adams for the past 6+ years, has been promoted to Executive Administrator.