Everything We Announced at Our 2020 Annual Meeting
For decades, the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting has always been our flagship networking and learning event. Although the format was different this year, our 2020 annual affair – sponsored by Con Edison, National Grid, Northfield Bank, and Spectrum Reach -- still delivered on those goals.
Following a brief welcome message by Chamber Chairman of the Board Michael Assenza, President and CEO Linda Baran welcomed members and provided a recap of how the Chamber has continued its impact on Staten Island businesses during a very challenging year. Among some items she mentioned included:
Partnering with Borough President James S. Oddo, the United Federation of Teachers, and local restaurants and caterers for the Feeding the Frontline campaign, which provided grab & go meals to hospital staff at Staten Island University Hospital (both the North and South campuses) and Richmond University Medical Center.
Supplying free facemasks for businesses to remain safe and compliant with current regulations.
Providing webinars and daily debriefs on the latest news, regulations, grant/loan opportunities to keep businesses updated.
Communicating with local, national, and federal agencies to provide current needs and questions from local businesses.
Teaming with other organizations to launch the NYC Small Business Resource Network, which has provided two Small Business Specialists to Staten Island who will help small businesses recover from pandemic-related setbacks and to strengthen the local economy.
Long-term members received recognition and were saluted for their unwavering commitment to the Chamber. This year’s seven members were featured in a video that showcased their businesses and their favorite aspects of the Chamber. Celebrating 50 years were Kling Real Estate, Ltd., Scamardella Funeral Home, Inc., the Staten Island Mall Merchants Association, and the United New York Sandy Hook Pilots Benevolent Association. American Golf Corp., Lighting Design Associates, and Valpak of Staten Island & Brooklyn were cited for 25 years.
Congressman Max Rose provided a recorded segment detailing his fight in Washington, D.C., for small businesses and his collaboration with the Chamber during these last several months. Rose said his office remained in contact with the Chamber and used their relationships with the business community to understand their needs.
Chamber staff provided a sneak peek about some new initiatives on the horizon. There will be new Membership packages with a la carte options available, a new MEAP 401(K) program, and a new E-Commerce Store, which is free for members. Webinars on all three items will be scheduled to provide more detailed information.
The keynote speaker for the Annual Meeting was entrepreneur, author, and former Staten Islander Peter Shankman. The former West Brighton resident discussed how it’s important for businesses to provide transparency, relevancy, and brevity to its customers during today's uncertainty.
Although the 2020 Annual Meeting was completely online, the platform enabled members to bounce between virtual tables to network with other business professionals. Members mixed, mingled, connected with their peers, and provided information about their company through the distinctive video format.