Chamber Honors Seven Business and Nonprofit Leaders
On Wednesday, February 12, the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce held the 2025 Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Awards. The event honored seven individuals from Staten Island’s business and nonprofit communities that make the borough a better place to live and work.
The event, which was co-presented by the Staten Island Advance, was sponsored by Signature Sponsors Gateway Arms Realty, National Grid, and Valley Bank, as well as Partner Sponsors Comserv Connect, Community Resources, Empire State Bank, and NYCID.
This years honorees were Dr. Vladimir Barayev (Barayev Pediatrics), Roosevelt Board (Chick-fil-A), Peter Botros (Bread and Butter Hospitality Group), Candace Gonzalez (NYCID), Dr. Janet Leslie (The Gift of Experience), Arthur McCarthy (Mammoth Inc.), and Arlene Sorkin (IlluminArt Productions).
Each year, award recipients are roasted by their peers. This year’s roasters were:
Chris Ferrara, Comserv Connect (Dr. Barayev)
Frank Wilkinson, Rab’s Country Lanes (Board and Gonzalez)
Massimo DiDonna, Partners in Sound Productions (Botros)
Jennifer Sammartino, Staten Island Community Media (Dr. Leslie)
Gary Angiuli, The Angiuli Group (McCarthy)
Luanne Sorrentino, Mrs. Rosemary’s Dance Studio (Sorkin)
Louis Miller, the namesake of the annual award ceremony, was a tireless community activist who mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs, business owners, and community leaders. Affectionately known as Lou by his colleagues and mentees, Miller viewed volunteering as a way of giving back to his neighbors. Lou Miller passed away in 1994 at the age of 93. But more than 30 years later, his influence lives on. The annual Lou Miller Awards celebrate the best of Staten Island business and non-profit professionals, all of which carry forward the spirit of Lou Miller. Since its inception in 1994, the Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Awards has recognized more than 300 honorees.
The 2025 Lou Miller Committee includes:
Co-Chair: Solomon Chemo CFP®, Richmond Wealth Management
Co ChairL: Janet Langton-Magnuson, Richmond Home Need Services, Inc.
Committee Head: Michele Esposito, Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
John Amodio, SCORE Mentors NYC
Tatiana Arguello, Nonprofit Staten Island
Mike Assenza, Mutual | Stat Land Security Services (a Kastle Company)
Chris Ferrera, Comserv Connect
Donna Long, Crossroads Unlimited Inc.
MaryLee Montalvo, MLM Public Relations
Shawn Stradford, Stradford Home for Funerals and Cremations Inc.
