Chamber Hosts 2024 Annual Meeting
On Wednesday, October 23, the Chamber hosted its 2024 Annual Meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn. More than 250 representatives from the small business and nonprofit communities were present to network, hear updates from the Chamber, and learn from the event’s panel discussion.
The Annual Meeting was followed by a Member Meetup, where attendees were able to network with other members at the Chamber’s largest annual event.
The event was sponsored by Presenting Sponsor Amazon, Signature Sponsor Con Edison, and Partner Sponsors Aurora Communications, Comserv Connect, National Grid, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Northfield Bank, TD Bank, and Tekie Geek.
The event was kicked off by Chamber Chairwoman Carol Decina, who led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance; followed by Danielle Wiseman, Business Outreach Coordinator of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, who sang the National Anthem.
Borough President Vito Fossella also offered remarks, noting that small businesses continue to serve as the backbone of our economy.
Linda Baran, President and CEO of the Chamber, provided a recap of the Chamber’s efforts in the past year and provided a look at what is coming next. Some of the points included:
The Chamber has surpassed 700 total members, with 100 new in 2024 alone
The recent successes of the SBRN team, which reached 1,200 businesses in the past 12 months
The launch of the Member Marketplace, which allows members to post events, products, services, and discounts
Advocacy efforts including a new partnership with lobbying firm CMW Strategies
The Annual Meeting also serves as an opportunity to thank the Chamber’s long-term members. This year, nine members celebrated milestone anniversaries with the Chamber, including Fox Floors and The College of Staten Island, both of which are celebrating 50 years. The remaining long-term members, Deck Master, Equity Valuation Associates, Gerald Peters, Jody’s Club Forest, Joseph F. Drennan & Sons, Richmond Property Management, and Tri-Star Construction are each celebrating 25 year anniversaries. All of the long-term member stories can be found here.
Attending long-term members were given the opportunity to speak about their longstanding partnerships with the Chamber. “I have invested in my membership in the Chamber, and it has paid me back in spades,” said Henry Salmon of Equity Valuation Associates. “The more I have gotten involved, the more I have gotten back. Thank you, Linda, for your leadership, and thank you to the Chamber staff for all you do for our members.”
The Chamber also presented its annual Volunteer of the Year Award, which honors an individual from the business community that has displayed exemplary efforts to better their community. This year, the award was presented to Janet Magnuson, CEO of Richmond Home Need Services. The award, presented by 2023 winner Roosevelt Board, thanked Magnuson for her more than 20 years of serving on the Louis R. Business Leadership Awards committee, her mentoring efforts, and her advocacy work with the Chamber.
The event’s keynote was presented by Kathryn Wylde, CEO of the Partnership for New York City. Wylde offered recent economic, demographic, housing, and crime statistics for the borough and what it meant for small businesses. Her keynote was followed by a “fireside chat” panel discussion, where Wylde, Chamber President & CEO Linda Baran, Rab’s Country Lanes Proprietor Frank Wilkinson, and Chick-fil-A Owner Roosevelt Board discussed pressing issues facing businesses today.
Photos by Steve White, Staten Arts Photography.
