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QUEENS CHAMBER NEWS & EVENTS
CHAMBER WELCOMES THREE TO BOARD BY BENJAMIN FANG
team and look forward to working with them in the future.” The Queens Chamber of ComKammas has been a member of merce announced at its annual the chamber for three years. He meeting and election of officers in said of all of the business associaJune that three busitions he’s a member of, ness leaders are joining the Queens Chamber its Board of Directors. is the best at identifyAnthony Kammas, ing what his needs are, president and foundwhat types of clients ing partner at Skyline he’s looking for and Risk Management, putting him in touch Bert Lurch, a health with them. care business owner “They really spend and entrepreneur, and the time to understand Stephen Preuss, vice who I am, who my chairman at Cushman company is, and what LURCH & Wakefield, are now our needs are,” he said. helping to guide the “It’s been really fanborough’s largest and oldest busi- tastic. ness association. Born and raised in Queens, the “We are thrilled to welcome president and founding partner at these three accomplished business Skyline Risk Management said leaders to our board,” said Thomas joining the Board of Directors is Santucci, chairman of the Queens his way of giving back to the chamChamber. “Each brings decades of ber for everything they’ve done to experience and an impressive array help his business. of talents to the table, and I look His goal is to continue to grow forward to working together with the chamber in its current mission them as we help the Queens busi- to be a true advocate for smaller ness community grow and thrive.” business owners. In addition to Santucci, presiKammas is also the incoming dent of Gateway Investments, the president of the Professional Insurchamber’s Executive Committee ance Agents of New York, which for the upcoming year represents about 1,000 will include Nash Roe agent members statefrom City Underwritwide. He said he can ing Agency, Patrick Yu offer the board an from Baker Tilly Virindustry perspective, chow Krause, Richard as well as an underDzwlewicz from TD standing of where Bank, Susan Browning business owners are from Long Island Jewcoming from. ish Forest Hills, and Given the borough’s Fran Biderman-Gross diversity and many from Advantages, Inc. colleges and universiDeparting from the ties, Kammas added KAMMAS Board of Directors are that he sees Queens Vincent Petraro and as a potential technolJeff Levine of Douglaston Devel- ogy hub. He also believes neighopment. However, they will be borhoods like Long Island City joining the chamber’s Senior Advi- and Flushing are on the rise, with sory Council. more to do in terms of modernizing “Our Board of Directors is among buildings. the most diverse we have ever had,” “There’s still a lot of growth that said Thomas Grech, president and could be done within Queens,” he CEO of the Queens Chamber. “I said. am proud of the assembled board Lurch, CEO and co-founder of
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E Central Medical Management, Preuss, vice chairman at Cushwas also a member of the chamber man & Wakefield, has actively parfor three years before joining the ticipated in and sponsored many board. chamber events and meetings, as He co-chaired the well as real estate panHealth and Wellness els. Last June, he was Committee for a year honored at the chamand a half, putting on ber’s annual golf outwell-attended eduing. cational events for “It was a natural promembers and the pubgression for me,” he lic about health care said about joining the issues. board. “It made a lot of “After getting a sense.” closer understanding Preuss noted that of the leadership of Cushman & Wakefield the chamber and their has the most active PREUSS goal,” he said, “it fell brokerage team in the in line with the things borough, and deals I’m trying to do.” with hundreds of properties every As a minority entrepreneur for 20 year. years, Lurch said he understands “There’s a lot of synergy we can the pitfalls, challenges and suc- cross our businesses with,” Preuss cesses behind being a successful added. “They do such great work business owner. He will bring that for the borough, and with us being experience to the chamber, which so entrenched in Queens, it was a Lurch said is a great resource for natural fit.” small businesses that normally As a board member, Preuss said don’t have the time for business he wants to initially familiarize development. himself with the board and other “For the chamber to provide members to help him get to the a one-stop shop resource is very next step in terms of what to conimportant,” he said. “One of the centrate on. things I’d like to do is continue to “I’m absolutely thrilled that they get a better understanding of how nominated me to be a part of it,” the chamber helps small business- Preuss said. “I’m very excited to es and bridging the chamber with see how I can assist and immerse minority communities.” myself into the board.”
ESD HEAD TALKS RECOVERY CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
said. Gertler praised Governor Cuomo for implementing the best model of managing during a crisis, which includes “communicating clearly, doing what you say you will do, and executing, prioritizing and moving as thoughtfully as you can.” “No one knows when a crisis is going to happen,” he said. “It’s when a crisis hits that leadership really matters. “In a crisis, you often don’t have time to sit around, you can’t be constrained by paralysis by
analysis,” Gertler added. “You have to make smart decisions and execute. That’s what New York State has done.” Though ESD is not a large agency, Gertler said he feels they have “certainly punched above our weight.” He said he has been enormously impressed with the work ethic, commitment, dedication and hard work of his team. “It’s made me enormously proud to lead this agency, notwithstanding everything we’ve been through as a state and as an agency,” he said. “I wake up every day privileged to be able to do this type of work.”
