Brooklyn's Progress
September 2004

New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver will be the keynote speaker for the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Annual Membership Meeting & Luncheon on Wednesday, October 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in The Palm House of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Ave.

As Speaker of the New York State Assembly, Sheldon Silver has forged a member-driven institution with the commitment and vision to meet the challenges of the new millennium.  Upon assuming the Assembly's top leadership post in 1994, Speaker Silver moved quickly to recast the public image of the House by reasserting the Assembly's independence on socio-economic issues, such as education policy, private job creation and criminal justice reform.

He initiated a public/private partnership with the goal of reducing energy costs in the state, and launched a much-touted school repair program to restore dilapidated classroom infrastructure.  Within weeks of his election, he began to modernize and guide the House into the next century by adopting the concept of "conference committees" to resolve differences in legislation between the Assembly and the Senate; placing the Assembly on the Internet in order to open public access; adopting meaningful budget reforms, including cash budgeting and long-term forecasting in the State; and advocating comprehensive debt reform; as well as becoming a nationally recognized leader in protecting religious freedom.

Also during the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce's Annual Meeting, Members will vote on the Nominating Committee's slate of directors and officers for both the Brooklyn Chamber and the Brooklyn Alliance Boards of Directors.  To view the slate of officers, visit the Brooklyn Chamber’s website, http://www.ibrooklyn.com/. 

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Annual Membership Meeting is $50 for Members and $75 for Non-Members.  To register for the event, visit the Brooklyn Chamber’s Web site at http://www.ibrooklyn.com/.