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June 2020 . Volume 16 . Issue 6
ROAD TO
RECOVERY NEW SBS COMMISSIONER DISCUSSES EFFORTS TO AID SMALL BUSINESSES AS CITY BEGINS TO REOPEN
“FOLKS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WE BRING BUSINESSES BACK, THAT EVERYBODY HAS A SHOT, NOT JUST SOME PEOPLE.”
ALSO
• RESIDENTS RALLY TO REOPEN • CITY MOVES TO ALLOW OUTDOOR DINING IN PHASE 2 • YOUR LIC SHARES INITIAL CONCEPTS FOR WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES COMMISSIONER JONNEL DORIS
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June 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 6
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
LEARNING TO RESET
Throughout our lives, most of us As devastating as this crisis has likely never considered the notion been, it’s really an opportunity for us to reset. of going back to the While the Queens drawing board. By this, Chamber has been I mean stepping back around since 1911 with and looking at the big the indelible principles picture of our lives and, to educate, advocate and more specifically, our network, we too have professional careers. pivoted. I practiced law for We will never stray many years before from these ideals, but the transitioning into manner in which we do financial planning and TOM SANTUCCI so sure has changed and wealth management. In will continue to evolve. my mind, I had a clear CHAIRPERSON From our usual large idea of the direction my scale, in-person gatherings to career would take. equally large online video forums, When life throws you a curve ball, we are often left wondering to the Queens Chamber is well suited do now? How will I recover from to address our current and future challenges head on. this setback? Thanks as always for your The COVID-19 pandemic has support of the Queens Chamber of undoubtedly left many of us asking Commerce. ourselves these important questions.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO
BACK IN THE NY GROOVE I’ve been a fan of music for all dedicated individuals committed to of my life, from my early teens to making a difference during these adulthood.. Various songs evoke challenging times. wonderful memories of special As we move ever closer to times. the city re-opening for business, In mid-May, the Queens Chamber the Chamber is ramping up and launched a weekly continuing to provide program via Facebook necessary resources LIVE. “Taking Care to prepare owners and of Business” is a employees for what 30-minute broadcast will be a “new normal” that gives voice to in our workspaces and individuals in our communities. community, many of Our organization’s which are members COVID-19 link making a difference on our website is during the COVID-19 regularly updated with pandemic. the latest information THOMAS J. GRECH The hook to this PRESIDENT & CEO on webinars, grants song comes to mind and loans, restaurant when I think about the resilience services, and office hours for of New Yorkers and the bravery elected officials, to name a few of our small business owners, who resources. are challenged with finding ways to We’ll certainly look back over keep their ventures operating. these past several months years Last month, the Chamber from now and share stories about began recognizing organizations how we coped while the city was throughout Queens we call on pause. One thing you can bet “Businesses of the Week.” These on, Queens is definitely back in the businesses, selected by our staff, represent the ground swell of CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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QUEENS QUICKLY
UNITED ROLLS OUT CLEANPLUS EFFORT
United Airlines has introduced United CleanPlus, a commitment to put health and safety at the forefront of the customer experience. Specifically, Clorox products will be used at United’s hub airports and medical experts from the Cleveland Clinic will advise on new technologies, training development and quality assurance programming. New protocols include touchless kiosks in select locations for baggage check-in, sneeze guards, mandatory face coverings for crew and customers, and giving customers options when flights are more full. “Safety has always been our top priority, and right now in the midst of an unprecedented crisis, it’s our singular customer focus,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “We’re not leaving a single stone unturned in our pursuit to better protect our customers and employees.” Clorox is working closely with United to enhance the airline’s cleaning program, redefine disinfection procedures and equip customers with amenities at select locations. Medical experts from the Cleveland Clinic will also advise on new technologies, training development and quality assurance programming. And, as scientists learn more about how to fight COVID-19, Cleveland Clinic experts will help United use those discoveries to quickly implement new ways to keep customers safe. “As the public begins to adjust to a world that’s been altered by the COVID-19 pandemic, health and safety is of the utmost importance,” said Dr. Tomislav Mihaljevic, Cleveland Clinic CEO. “It’s important for everyone to take precautions as we enter this new phase of COVID19 response.” Some other United CleanPlus initiatives include:
• Boarding fewer customers at a time to allow for more distance during the boarding process, minimizing crowding at the gate and jet bridge. • Asking customers to self-scan their boarding passes at our gate readers. • Enhancing cabin sanitization, including electrostatic spraying, which will happen before every flight starting this June. • Requiring all employees and customers on board to wear a mask or face covering, helping protect each other. • Implementing employee temperature checks before the start of their workday.
DINNER & A MOVIE FOR THE FRONT LINE Front-line workers from Elmhurst Hospital were offered a chance to kick-back for a few hours and take in a movie at the drive-in. The big night was on May 26 and the featured film was “The Princess Bride.” Since May 7, The Bel Aire Diner in Astoria has been hosting drive in movie nights in
their parking lot. A portion of the proceeds go to donating meals to local hospital staff and families in need. This particular movie night was special because it was an invite-only, no-cost event for the heroes at Elmhurst Hospital, who have been working day and night to keep the community safe. Keeley McNamara partnered with Queens Together to organize and raise funds for the event. McNamara is a midwife at Elmhurst Hospital. “We are all happy to do it,” she says of her work during the outbreak, “but we also miss spending time relaxing with our families. When I heard about the drive-in movie at Bel Aire Diner, I realized this would be a perfect opportunity for first responders and their families to spend a fun night out.” Queens Together is the brainchild of Jonathan Forgash and Jaime Faye Bean, leaders in the community and two people who had the vision to connect businesses, agencies, organizations, and food providers to communities in need during the COVID 19 crisis. The operation has also distributed 40,000 pounds of fresh produce to 2,000 families in Queens since April 28.
The parking lot of The Bel Aire Diner has been turned into a drive-in theater.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Promotions, Announcements & Appointments ........................................6
Chamber Honors Local Businesses Helping During Pandemic ...............14-15
MetroPlus Offers Health Plan Options for Small Businesses ...............7
Stay Connected With the Chamber Through These Webinars .......................17
City Paving the Way for Outdoor Dining ...................................................8
Chamber Welcomes New Members ........................................................................21
Developers Release Initial Concepts for Waterfront Development ....9 Aigner Trades Chocolate for Rainbows ....................................................10 Queens Residents Rally to Begin Reopening ..........................................11 COVER STORY: New Commissioner Discusses Recovery ..............12 4
PUBLISHER Walter H. Sanchez
MANAGING EDITOR Shane Miller
MARKETING DIRECTOR John Sanchez BQE Media, 45-23 47th St., 2nd Floor, Woodside, NY 11377 Phone: (718) 426-7200 Fax: (347) 507-5827
June 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 6 “We’re coming together as a community to invent solutions during this crisis and beyond,” said Forgash. “We hope what we’re doing will set an example of what can happen when we work together in the face of adversity, and can be a model for how to support a healthy community and economy as we gradually move into the post-COVID world.” Learn more at queenstogether.org.
MLS TO ADD CHARTER
Starting this fall, Martin Luther School will be sharing its building with students from a Queens charter school. The Renaissance Charter School, which has served the Jackson Heights community for more than two decades, will use the third floor of the Martin Luther School’s building in Maspeth for kindergarten, first and secondgrade classes. All students will share common spaces such as the cafeteria and gymnasium during the day. The partnership will last two to three years as the charter school constructs its new facility in Elmhurst. The Maspeth school will receive additional revenue from the agreement to facilitate improvements to their building. “As a member of a Christian community, we’ve been told to share our resources with others,” said Jim Regan, executive director of Martin Luther School. “That’s exactly what we’re doing.” Regan noted that the school building can hold up to 600 students. “I think it’s another way of being part of a community and giving an
QUEENS QUICKLY opportunity for another school to begin its initial stages,” he added, “and allow them to flourish and be prosperous.” Supporters of The Renaissance Charter School reached out to Martin Luther School last fall to express interest in using part of the building, Regan said. For the last month, officials from both schools have been meeting weekly to discuss the partnership. With the additional revenue, Martin Luther School will be able to offer a tuition freeze for at least two years for all students. It will also lead to improvements to classrooms, offices and entrances, including a dedicated vehicular entryway on Maspeth Avenue. The funding will also be used to improve Wi-Fi to in support of the 1:1 iPad Learning program,
deepen the school’s endowment fund to offer student scholarships and grants, and provide high-level after-school programs. “I think it’ll be a real plus for us,” Regan said. Donna Younghese, principal at Martin Luther School, said she believes students will be receptive to sharing the building with younger students. She noted that the Maspeth school has a community service requirement each year, so the partnership will allow for collaboration among pupils. For example, the older students at Martin Luther School can be reading buddies or escort the younger students to class. “Here’s a great opportunity to share the Martin Luther spirit with another school,” Regan said. “You’re talking about five, six and
seven year olds that really enjoy the opportunity to be with a big brother or big sister.” Another benefit, Younghese said, is that more parents in the community will learn about Martin Luther School, especially when their children get to the high school level. “It will raise awareness within the community that Martin Luther is here,” she said. Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing guidelines, Regan said both schools are still trying to figure out the schedule and address concerns about safety. They are planning for potentially staggered days and earlier or later starts. “We’re all in it together,” Regan said. “We want to be one community working together.”
ZARA, CHIP NYC DELIVER FOR LOCAL HOSPITALS
CEO MESSAGE CONTINUED ROM PAGE 3
New York groove. I’m honored to work diligently on your behalf as president of the Queens Chamber. We’re in this together, and I look forward to that time when we can all be united again. Thank you for your continued support of the Chamber. Stay safe!
Jamaica-based Zara Realty and Astoria’s Chip NYC teamed up to donate 500 cookies to frontline workers at Elmhurst and Jamaica hospitals. “The entire team at Chip NYC is extremely grateful for the hard work and sacrifice of our frontline workers,” said co-founder Teddy Gailas. “We hope it brings joy to them during this difficult time.” Zara Realty also donated 6,000 protective faces masks to the hospitals, and handed out masks to residents in all of its apartment units. Zara Realty vice president Tony Subraj and financial controller Amir Sobhraj rode in the Chip NYC cookie mobile to make the deliveries. “We’ve seen COVID-19 devastate so many families and take such a terrible toll on our heroic healthcare workers, we felt it was essential to help,” said Subraj. “We will continue to do everything we can to support our fellow New Yorkers facing this crisis.”
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PROMOTIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & APPOINTMENTS and more specific resources to assist health system. Austin tapped to head greater He has served as NYC Health+Hospitals/ companies and organizations in meeting their Queens CEO since 2016. Under his leadership, business and financial objectives. Office of M/WBE the hospital achieved an increase in patient “This step further Magalie Austin has been appointed senior advisor and director of the Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE). She will work to foster the success of minority and women-owned businesses and oversee the city’s M/WBE Program. “M/WBEs are the backbone of New York City’s economy,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I am confident Maggie will continue on the important work we’ve AUSTIN done to ensure our M/ WBEs have what they need to thrive and that they are recognized for the essential role they play across the five boroughs.” Along with access to procurement opportunities, Austin will ensure that M/WBEs also have access to services to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 as they recover from the pandemic. Austin previously served as the Chief Diversity and Industry Relations Officer for the Department of Design and Construction (DDC). While at DDC, she oversaw a massive increase in the department’s M/WBE utilization. In this role, she developed, implemented, and monitored innovative policies, procedures and programs that promoted the agency’s utilization of M/WBEs, and over the past five years has tripled the percentage of M/WBEs the department utilizes. Austin is an alumna of St. John’s University and holds a Juris Doctor from Tulane University School of Law. “This is an amazing opportunity to continue the work I started at DDC,” said Austin. “M/ WBE’s play a vital role in the city’s economy and I will work every day to ensure that we provide them opportunities to succeed.”
Norton named SVP for Investors division Investors Bank appointed David Norton as senior vice president and Business Banking Market executive for New York City and Long Island. Norton’s appointment is part of Investors’ overall strategy to enhance its best-in-class service and treasury management solutions to better meet the needs of businesses. Broadening and deepening the business banking team will enable Investors to provide
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positions Investors as the preferred financial institution for small and midsized businesses throughout our footprint,” said Michael MacIntyre, head of Business and Government Banking. “The credibility and presence that our business NORTON banking professionals will bring to the market will help Investors to enter a new phase of growth.” Norton is a proven sales and business manager with extensive banking, project implementation and management experience. His primary responsibility is broadening relationships with the bank’s business clients in New York and Long Island, while increasing market share among companies in the $2 million to $20 million range. He was previously senior vice president and Northeast Regional executive for Business Banking at HSBC Bank in New York City. He brings a deep of knowledge of retail and business banking, including more than 20 years of experience as a senior bank executive at JP Morgan Chase.
Leadership changes at NYC Health+Hospitals Dr. Mitchell Katz, NYC Health + Hospitals president and CEO, announced new leadership appointments for three members of his executive cabinet. “We are extremely fortunate to be able to tap our own, highly talented senior executives to take on new leadership roles in our health system,” said Katz. Each of them have made vital contributions to the transformation of NYC Health+Hospitals and the significant progress we have made over the last two years.” Christopher Roker, CEO of NYC Health+Hospitals/Queens, is now CEO of NYC Health+Hospitals/ Metropolitan and serve as the health system’s chief growth officer. Roker replaced outgoing Metropolitan CEO and chief growth officer Alina Moran, who is relocating to the West Coast after more than 20 years of ROKER service for the public
satisfaction scores, inpatient discharges, outpatient volume and OR volume. Roker has also been credited for strengthening collaborations with physician, labor and community partners. Israel Rocha, CEO of NYC Health+Hospitals/ Elmhurst and CEO of OneCity Health, the health system’s Performance Provider Organization under the State’s DSRIP program, left his OneCity post to take on the additional role as CEO of NYC Health+Hospitals/ Queens, facilitating increased coordination across the two facilities to better serve Queens. “It is our hope that ROCHA through increased collaboration, NYC Health+Hospitals/Elmhurst and Queens will offer our patients the world’s leading medicine in the borough of Queens,” said Rocha. Rocha has been recognized for expanding health care options for underserved communities in Queens, increasing patient revenue, improving clinical quality measures, increasing patient satisfaction, and securing funding for hospital expansions and modernization. Matt Siegler, Health System senior vice CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 Queens Chamber of Commerce 75-20 Astoria Boulevard, Suite 140 Jackson Heights, N.Y. 11370-1131 Entire Contents Copyright 2020 by Queensborough. All letters sent to the QUEENSBOROUGH should be brief and are subject to condensation. Writers should include a full address and home and office telephone numbers, where available, as well as affiliation, indicating special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of the QUEENSBOROUGH. The publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Errors must be reported to the QUEENSBOROUGH within five days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication. BQE Media assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold the QUEENSBOROUGH and its employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement.
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June 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 6
EXPERT ADVICE
METROPLUS HERE FOR CHAMBER MEMBERS These are challenging times for today’s businesses, but MetroPlus Health Plan has been here to help New Yorkers through good times and bad for 35 years. And the health plan is here to help you now. MetroPlus Health, one of New York City’s largest health insurers, provides health coverage for individual, families, and companies. MetroPlus offers four SHOP-certified small business health plans through the state’s Official Health Plan Marketplace, and four small business health plans directly through the health plan. Small Business plans are available to businesses with 100 or fewer employees. Businesses may qualify for a federal tax credit of as much as 50 percent of the employer’s contribution. To be eligible, your business must: • Have fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees who have average wages of $50,000 or less per year. • Cover at least 50 percent of the cost of
single (not family) health care coverage for each of your employees. If your business is tax-exempt, the credit is refundable. You may be eligible to receive the
credit as a refund if it does not exceed your income tax withholding and Medicare tax liability. MetroPlus Health small business health plans offer quality, comprehensive health coverage, award-winning customer service, dedicated account executives, 24/7 access to free telehealth services, member extras, such as gym reimbursement and Pill Pack prescription drug benefit, and an online portal where members can check claims, change PCPs, print ID cards, pay premiums, and more. There is even a member rewards program,
PROMOTIONS & APPOINTMENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 president of Managed Care and Patient Growth, took on the added role as CEO of OneCity Health. “NYC Health+Hospitals’ ongoing transformation and the success of DSRIP in New York would not have been possible without the important work of OneCity Health and all the communitybased partners who have helped improve quality while SIEGLER reducing avoidable hospitalizations and unnecessary health care costs,” said Siegler.
Randell promoted to chief of staff Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato announced that deputy chief of staff Daniel Randell will now assume the role of chief of staff. Randell is a Bayside native and current Rockaway resident, who joined Pheffer Amato’s
team in January of 2017 as a community liaison. Randell began his legislative career as an intern in the Assembly in 2014 while attending SUNY Albany. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Randell went on to work as a real estate coordinator with MTA Capital Construction. He studied Public Administration at Baruch College, graduating with his Masters of Public Administration in 2017 while working part-time in Pheffer Amato’s office. Randell has gained extensive experience in the legislative process, as well as handling cases large and small with constituents, RANDELL civic associations and government agencies. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, he facilitated food and mask donations throughout the community and helped to create a daily newsletter on behalf of the assemblywoman. “Danny is such a valuable asset to Team Stacey, and I am thrilled he has been a part of my team since day one,” Pheffer Amato said. “Danny’s strong work ethic, dedication, and capacity for management have earned him this role.”
where members earn points by keeping health appointments and participating in wellness activities. Points can be exchanged for items from MetroPlus Health’s exclusive catalog, including kitchen gadgets, baby strollers, art supplies, sports equipment, and much more. Employees may also choose an option to enroll their eligible adult children age 29 or under on their plan. Adult children need not be financially dependent or a student to qualify for this coverage. During this COVID-19 crisis, MetroPlus Health can connect directly with your employees if your business is not able to offer health insurance. Enrollment has been made easier and more convenient. Special provisions have been made to relax some of the health insurance eligibility and documentation requirements for individuals and families in New York City. Additionally, some premium payments may be waived. If you are looking to offer or change the health insurance you currently offer to your employees, MetroPlus Health can help. The health insurer offers the lowest cost plans in New York City and after enrollment your business may apply for a hardship waiver, and you can add new employees without waiting for the open enrollment period Since 1985, MetroPlus Health has built a reputation for providing access to affordable, quality health care to residents across New York City. A wholly-owned subsidiary of NYC Health+Hospitals, MetroPlusHealth is the plan of choice for over a half-million New Yorkers and has a five-star rating based on the state’s 2018 Consumer’s Guide to Medicaid and Child Health Plus Managed Care Plans in New York City. The health plan’s robust network of primary care doctors and specialists includes many independent community providers. Culturally sensitive and fluent in more than 40 languages, MetroPlusHealth’s staff is as diverse as the great city it serves. For more information about enrollment in MetroPlus Health small business plans, please contact the Queens account representatives David Jacobsen (929.303.4108 or jacobsed@ metroplus.org) or Melinda Sepulveda (347449-1620 or sepulm@metroplus.org.) They are available to answer your questions, screen for eligibility, provide cost estimates, and conduct enrollment.
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GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
CITY CLEARING WAY FOR OUTDOOR DINING BY SARA KREVOY With all eyes set on beginning “Phase One” of reopening the city on June 8, Big Apple elected officials are calling on the city to move beyond triage mentality and proactively greet the reality of a “new” New York. The City Council recently introduced a bill that will pave the way for restaurants across the five boroughs to rebound from financial crisis, allowing them to the offset the loss of indoor seating as a result of social distancing restrictions. “As New Yorkers, we have so many things to brag about, but I think our city’s amazing and diverse restaurants are at the top of everyone’s list,” said City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. “We must do everything we can
to help this iconic, and now struggling, industry get through this painful time.” The Council’s legislation would first require the Department of Transportation to identify local streets, sidewalks plazas and other open spaces that restaurants could suitably use to expand. Next, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene would establish safety protocols for cleanliness and social distancing. Only then would bars and restaurants have the opportunity to apply for permission to operate al fresco. Additionally, the new bill guarantees that restaurants already located in areas zoned for sidewalk cafes will receive temporary sidewalk permits at no cost. At a City Council hearing on the legislation on June 4,
Chamber CEO and President Thomas Grech offered testimony in favor of the proposal. “Restaurants are a crucial part of the New York City economy, particularly in Queens,” he said. “This industry, which has been devastated by the pandemic, needs our support immediately. We must allow dining establishments to reopen in a way that is safe for both their staff and their customers, and allows for as much social distancing as possible.” Later that same day, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced curbside seating for restaurants would be part of Phase Two of the city’s reopening. As New York City prepares to reopen, Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced plans to temporarily use open space
to support the city’s restaurants while maintaining social distancing. Once the City enters Phase 2 of reopening, restaurants will be able to serve customers in outdoor seating areas without enduring a cumbersome application and approval process. “New York’s restaurants are part of what make us the greatest city in the world,” said de Blasio. They’ve taken a hit in our fight against COVID-19 and there’s no recovery without them. Our Open Restaurants plan will help these businesses maximize their customer base while maintaining the social distancing we need to beat this crisis once and for all.” The mayor said restaurants will be able to convert parking spaces in order to use the roadbed CONTINUED ON PAGE 21
Rendering of a proposed plan for outdoor seating at The Gull NYC in Astoria. (Source: Rockwell Group)
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June 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 6
YOUR LIC RELEASES EARLY CONCEPTS
The project proposes additional measures for resiliency.
The waterfront site is where Amazon proposed building its new HQ2.
The team has proposed a series of new public open spaces.
An initial concept illustration of the proposed development.
BY BENJAMIN FANG The four developers that make up the Your LIC team have revealed initial concepts of what the 28-acre project might look like. Presenting to Community Board 2’s Land Use Committee on May 20, TF Cornerstone, Simon Baron Development, L&L MAG and Plaxall provided an update on their plan to develop the Long Island City waterfront where Amazon wanted to build its HQ2 campus. The development team is looking at a total development of 10 to 12 million square feet, according to the group. As part of a “comprehensive plan” for the area, they plan to create an “economic engine” to generate jobs and a workforce development center, foster a “live-work” neighborhood, and make enhancements to the neighborhood’s physical and economic resiliency. In November 2019, the Your LIC team kicked off a series of public workshops on topics like economic empowerment, resiliency and open space and community resources.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fourth workshop in March was moved online, and a fifth workshop was postponed. Since then, the development team has been focused on COVID-19 relief in the community, including delivering meals to NYCHA complexes and manufacturing personal protective equipment. On May 7, the developers hosted a virtual Workforce Advisory Committee meeting with dozens of participants to receive feedback on the project. “While our neighborhood workshops had to take a temporary pause, the team continues to work with the community and believes a comprehensive plan for the LIC waterfront presents a generational opportunity for inclusive growth for Queens and a model for economic development in New York City,” a Your LIC spokesperson said in a statement. According to the developers, the project will seek to protect over 40 acres and the upland community from storm surges and flooding. They are looking at adding
separate storm sewers that could remove up to 17 million gallons of combined sewer overflow from the neighborhood. Within the 12 million square foot project, half a million square feet would be dedicated to arts and cultural space, workforce centers and other “district-enhancing uses,” the development team said. They will also provide sites for up to three new public schools. As for workforce development, roughly half of the district would be dedicated for commercial uses, including a physical workforce training and innovation hub for local residents. “In a post-COVID world, this project is more important than ever,” the spokesperson said. “It will help expand live-work communities outside of Manhattan and kickstart the creation of tens of thousands of jobs at a time when the city is facing recordhigh unemployment, with Queens particularly hit hard.” Working with the landscape architecture firm SCAPE, the four developers want seven acres
of public open space that would connect Hunters Point South and eventually Queensbridge Park. Among the green attractions would be “The Square,” a half-acre public plaza that would serve as a gateway to the waterfront, the opening of Anable Basin for public use, “The Green,” a waterfront park for active sports, “Vernon Plaza,” a community park along Vernon Boulevard, and “The Terrace,” an elevated public terrace with views of the skyline and waterfront. As New York reopens, the Your LIC team will host a final workshop during the summer, with the goal of starting the environmental scoping process by the end of the year. They hope to enter the uniformed land use review procedure (ULURP) in 2021. “We look forward to restarting our workshops and sharing more with the community over the summer,” the spokesperson said. “Until then, we are focused on supporting critical relief efforts and hope everyone is staying safe and well during this unprecedented time.”
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QUEENS CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS
MASPETH FEDERAL STEPS UP DURING PANDEMIC
BY BENJAMIN FANG
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a local bank has been committed to supporting and giving back to the communities it serves. Maspeth Federal Savings (MFS) has donated over $50,000 to community organizations through various programs and contributions. In partnership with Assemblyman Brian Barnwell, the bank secured a supply of over 11,000 KN-95 masks. They were donated to local hospitals, nursing homes and other essential workers. “We didn’t hesitate to address the shortage of personal protective equipment,” said Christina Zanca, the bank’s vice president and marketing director. “Even back in February, before the height of this pandemic.” In addition to the mask donations, the bank is donating $5,000 each to Jamaica Hospital and Elmhurst Hospital, which were hit particularly hard by the outbreak. MFS also donated to the Greater Ridgewood Youth Council, which has been providing meals to the 104th Precinct and Wyckoff Heights Medical Center twice a week. The bank has been delivering food weekly to several NYPD precincts, firehouses, a local pharmacy and other first responders. “Our community service, financial support and volunteer efforts during this crisis will continue to grow as we monitor the needs of our communities,” Zanca said. Last month, Maspeth Federal launched its COVID-19 Community Giving Award. Community members were asked to nominate a small business, first responder or essential worker for grants totaling $20,000. Ten small businesses that went above and beyond during the pandemic will each receive a $1,000 award, while 20 first responders and essential workers will receive a $250 gift card and two KN-95 masks. For every nomination received, the bank donated $1, up to $5,000,
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A mural on the Rigdewood branch of Maspeth Federal Saving honors essential workers. to a local charity. Recently, MFS also partnered with the Long Island-based nonprofit charity Splashes of Hope to commission murals at Elmhurst, Jamaica and Flushing hospitals. The organization is known for “brightening the lives of children, adults and veterans” from “clinical to colorful.” Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Maspeth Federal has stayed open with precautionary measures
put in place. Social distancing was established early on to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, while employees worked behind safety glass. In addition, more than 60 percent of the bank’s workforce was able to work remotely. Three of the bank’s six locations have drive-thrus, including the Maspeth branch, which has a sidewalk window. Those measures allowed customers to do their bank-
ing without having to be inside the facility. The Maspeth, Ridgewood and Forest Hills branches also had their windows painted by a local artist to pay tribute to first responders. “Even during the toughest of times, we continue to focus on our number one priority – caring for our neighbors,” said president and CEO Thomas Rudzewick. “We hope our efforts support and celebrate all New Yorkers at the forefront.”
BY MICHAEL PERLMAN
extend to frontline workers.” Aigner Chocolates on Metropolitan Avenue in Forest Hills was founded in 1930, making it one of the oldest chocolate shops in the city. “Since the community embraced us when we took over the shop in 2015, we believe in paying it forward,” said Libertini. “As chocolatiers, the only way we know how is through spreading joy with chocolate.” Some of the artwork can be seen on the Aigner Chocolates Facebook. “We have more pictures than space to display them in our showroom, so we aren’t sure what we
plan to do with photos of their artwork, but stay tuned,” said Libertini. “The pictures varied significantly and they were all beautiful.” “I felt proud after volunteering to draw a picture of a rainbow because I wanted to help brighten a worker’s day,” said Amelia, a tenyear-old Forest Hills resident. “We are so thankful for all the frontline heroes that work so hard every day to keep people healthy and safe,” said Penelope, 12, and Josephine, 6, of Forest Hills. “We also paint rocks. We think it’s important to make everyone smile and to know we care when a lot of
RAINBOWS FOR CHOCOLATE
Throughout the pandemic, Aigner Chocolates co-owners Rachel Kellner and Mark Libertini prioritized “giving back.” Last month, the couple launched the “Rainbow Bunny Exchange.” Children aged from 18 months to 16 years old drew a picture of a rainbow giving thanks to medical professionals at Elmhurst Hospital in exchange for a chocolate bunny. “We collected a total of 319 rainbows,” said Kellner. “It’s been incredibly touching to see the effort children put into their pictures and messages. You can truly see and feel the love that they wanted to
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
June 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 6
RESIDENTS RALLY TO REOPEN BUSINESSES
BY BENJAMIN FANG
More than two dozen Howard Beach residents attended a rally on Saturday afternoon calling for businesses in the area to reopen. Organized by Hamilton Beach resident Priscilla Dolce, the demonstration kicked off at New Park Pizza, where attendees held signs and wore buttons. They marched down Cross Bay Boulevard for one mile and stopped at Vetro Restaurant & Lounge. Dolce said the purpose of the event was to promote small businesses on the boulevard, most of which are family-owned. “This is what makes this neighborhood what it is,” she said. “We thrive on this.” Although Cross Bay Boulevard was bustling with cars, pedestrians and activity on Saturday, Dolce said the commercial strip has been “empty” for the last few weeks. She thinks people had enough and began venturing out. “For the first seven weeks, it was a ghost town here,” she said. “There was no life here.” Although Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the first phase of New York City’s reopening on
June 8, attendees said they did not think it was early enough. Dolce said the governor should have begun the first phase more than two weeks ago, when she said the COVID-19 curve flattened. Dolce, who works at a catering facility, said she can’t even go back to work until Phase Four of the reopening. Still, she has to pay rent, her son’s college tuition and other bills. “It’s not fair to keep all people home, how are we supposed to support our families?” she asked. “How are we supposed to live and pay our bills?” Among the rally’s attendees was State Senator Joseph Addabbo, who said he wanted to highlight the need for small businesses to come back and to get people back to work. He also agreed that the June 8th reopening was not soon enough. “The negative effect of this virus is going to be felt for years,” he said. “That’s why it’s so important to get the economy back and get these businesses open again in a safe way. “People want to get back to work,” Addabbo added. “They don’t want to stay home and get
Tom Grech of the Queens Chamber of Commerce and State Senator Joseph Addabbo were among the participants.
More than two dozen residents held signs and wore buttons at the rally to reopen small businesses. a check.” The state lawmaker noted that with hospitalizations and other numbers stabilized, and with safety protocols like mask requirements, plexiglass and social distancing in place, small businesses should be able to “go forward” with reopening. “They understand the balance between the need to open and the safety,” he said. “We can do this.” Addabbo added that he’s heard the call to reopen from many businesses in his district, which runs from central Queens to the Rockaways. “I have businesses who risk being shut down because they understand if they cannot open soon, they will never open,” he said. “This is a person’s livelihood that they’ve spent every ounce of their being to maintain.” Another supporter at the Howard Beach rally was Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. Grech said given that everyone has been in quarantine for the last 13 weeks, people are now “chomping at the bit.” In particular, Grech is advocating for the reopening of restaurants, which need more time to procure the necessary meat, vegetables, fish and other ingredients. Unlike businesses that can simply open and be ready again, restaurants and other small busi-
nesses with high-touch environments need to go out and buy the supplies they need, Grech said. He expressed concern that of the 6,000 restaurants in the borough, up to half of them “may never see the light of day again.” “The sooner we can get people back to business, the sooner people want to go out and get something to eat,” Grech said, “the better it is for everybody.” Dolce noted that she did not want to discredit people who are sick from the coronavirus, especially because some people in the community tested positive and some have died from the virus. While the pandemic has been devastating, she said that doesn’t mean people should stop their lives. “Yes it’s bad, but if we’re going to stay home until the virus is completely gone, we’re never going to go back to work,” Dolce said. The Hamilton Beach resident added that she tried to organize a similar rally the previous weekend, but only about ten people showed up. This time, she involved local business owners, which produced a better turnout. She if necessary, she would consider hosting more rallies calling for businesses to reopen. “This is just a friendly neighborhood call to support our small businesses,” Dolce said.
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COVER STORY
NEW COMMISH AIMS TO DRIVE BUSINESS RECOVERY BY BENJAMIN FANG On May 11, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Jonnel Doris as the new commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services (SBS). Doris, who previously served as the director of the Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women Owned Enterprises (MWBEs), succeeds Gregg Bishop, who will now serve as the mayor’s senior advisor for small business COVID-19 recovery. The new SBS commissioner said he’s excited about the opportunity to help New York City come back from the coronavirus crisis and economic fallout. He said he’s looking forward to working with small businesses, advocates and elected officials to take on the challenges ahead. “Part of what we’ve been able to do so far is begin to increase our engagement,” Doris said, “and really get a clear picture of what it means to now think about recovery.’ Doris said it’s “very sobering” to take on this new role during the current crisis, but it makes the work that much more important, significant and relevant. “It is a challenge, but we’re up to the challenge,” he added. “We’re embracing it, and we will continue to do so.”
LEADING MWBE CHARGE
In September 2016, Doris was appointed as the city’s first senior advisor and director of the Mayor’s Office of MWBEs. He was tasked with addressing the disparity in city contracts awarded to minority and women-owned businesses. The de Blasio administration set three goals for the office: award $25 billion to MWBEs by 2025, certify 9,000 MWBEs by 2019, and award 30 percent of the value of all city contracts to MWBEs by 2021. According to Doris, the city has already awarded $14.6 billion to MWBEs through the OneNYC program, putting it ahead of schedule. The MWBE utilization rate more than tripled under Doris’ watch.
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Jonnel Doris will succeed Gregg Bishop as commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services. When he started the position, the city was hovering around 8 percent, he said. In the first two quarters of this fiscal year, the city hit the 30 percent mark before the COVID-19 crisis hit. The city now has close to 9,800 firms certified as minority or women-owned businesses, surpassing the goal set by the mayor. “We exceeded all of our targets,” he said. Doris said the experience he gained at his former post will help in his new role, given the correlation between those who have been hit hardest by the virus “in a very disproportionate way” and those who own MWBE firms. He not only understands how those businesses operate and the challenges they face, but will bring them to the center of the city’s recovery efforts. After all, Doris said, MWBEs are small businesses, too. They encounter the same challenges as any other small business, including access to capital, competing for talent and finding opportunities.
SETTING GOALS
Coming into this new role, Doris said the mayor gave him a “very precise” charge to save as many small businesses as possible. Right now, SBS is evaluating its programs, services, strategies and advocacy to meet that goal. “We’re going to do everything in our power to do that,” he said. The agency already has a COVID-19 response plan in place that it is deepening and building upon, Doris said. SBS is currently connecting small businesses to financial relief, legal assistance and training for business owners and employees. As part of its five-borough strategy, SBS is “doubling down” on community engagement with elected officials, local chambers of commerce and business improvement districts (BIDs), Doris said. SBS will also identify and connect small businesses to additional financial opportunities, including to the 40 lenders that are in the agency’s network. “One of the biggest functions
SBS plays is actively guiding businesses through the government hurdles,” Doris said. “Our role is to be explainers and to help facilitate, connecting businesses to us.” The city agency also plans to drive deeper into a data-driven approach to delivering services strategically and equitably, according to Doris, who noted that equity is a “huge part” of his framework. “Communities that have been left out before, we want to engage them so they’re aware of the resources,” he said. Under his leadership, Doris hopes to build five key principles, including innovation, collaboration and adaptability. The other two focus on core SBS functions: resources and services for small businesses.
SMALL BUSINESS RECOVERY
As New York City reopens and recovers from the pandemic, Doris has a message for small businesses: SBS is here for you. The agency can provide not only financial assistance, but also guidance on rules and regulations, as
June 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 6
COVER STORY well as help finding employees. “Our role as SBS is to be the voice, ears and advocates for small businesses,” he said. “We understand the uniqueness that small businesses play in the fabric of our city and how they contribute to the vibrancy of our neighborhoods.” He noted that the mayor’s advisory councils, which span all types of industries, will provide feedback to city officials on forming a reopening plan. They have already formulated some recovery structures and frameworks. What they have heard is that businesses need “clear and concise” guidance on what they should be doing and how they can be compliant. Doris said the advice is coming directly from the small business community itself, which will play a critical role in disseminating information about reopening. “We are working internally as advocates so whatever comes out of this process, small businesses are at the core and at the center,” he said. “We not only want our small businesses to survive, we really want them to grow and thrive.” Although SBS is evaluating its programs and services, Doris noted that the agency still provides technical, financial and legal help. They also have Workforce1 Centers, which are working remotely, to provide assistance to job seekers and employers who may be essential. In Queens, SBS runs five Workforce 1 Centers, oversees 13 BIDs and a business solution center on Sutphin Boulevard. Doris, who lives in Queens, noted that BIDs, chambers of commerce and advocacy groups will play a critical role in the recovery effort. Not only can they disseminate information to small businesses, they will be the agency’s “eyes and ears on the ground.” “We need them because they have a unique touch in the community, they understand those communities,” he said. “They’re able to let us know what is needed in those communities and give us an opportunity to advocate internally and externally.”
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Although Doris has been a longtime public servant, he also has experience running his own small business, which has informed many of his past roles. As the director of the Mayor’s Office of MWBEs, he initiated an MWBE contract finance loan fund, which allows firms that have con-
tracts with the city to get some financial support. He drew from his experience of trying to get a loan from a bank when he ran his small consulting business. When the bank did not award him a loan, he turned to a community development financial institution (CDFI), which provided him his first business loan to build
up his firm’s operations. Doris said he also knows what it’s like to meet payroll and other business obligations. “I know the role that government, small businesses and advocates play,” he said. “I know that our small businesses will come back and we will thrive in the city.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the bill on May 26, and it will go into effect in early June. “Those are critical,” he said. “We’ve done some good things on that side for restaurants.” Doris also discussed the issue of equity, which he said is a word that keeps coming up in advisory council meetings about reopening New York City’s economy. He said equity of access, opportunity and resources will be required for large and small businesses. Those opportunities should also be available for different types of businesses, including immigrantowned businesses. “The word keeps coming up because folks are concerned about how we bring businesses back, that
we’re doing it in a way that is equitable,” he said. “That everybody has a shot, not just some people.” As the city prepares the reopening process, SBS is preparing industry-wide rules and regulations that it will release “in the next week or so,” Doris said. The agency will also host industry webinars and trainings to walk businesses through the process. “We will have specific guidelines and things you should be doing as a business owner,” he said. He added that the challenge for small businesses will be meeting demand, as well as all the new protocols. “You have to begin to get ready to make sure you have the resources you need,” Doris said.
DORIS MEETS WITH CHAMBER
BY BENJAMIN FANG
The Queens Chamber of Commerce met via Zoom with the new commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) on Friday to discuss how the city will help businesses recover from the current crisis. Jonnel Doris, who took over for former SBS head Gregg Bishop in mid-May, said the agency has been connecting small businesses with capital, technical assistance and other one-on-one support services. SBS will also connect small businesses to other opportunities for aide, such as Governor Andrew Cuomo’s recently announced $100 million New York Forward Loan Fund. The program will provide flexible and affordable loans, with a special focus on minority and women-owned small businesses, that did not receive federal assistance. Doris noted that the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) still has $100 billion left in the initiative. “We want to encourage folks to ask if your banker can connect you to that resource,” he said. “If not, we will help you find a bank to do that.” The new SBS commissioner said while he’s concerned about all sectors of the economy, he’s most worried about local retail and the restaurant industry. He praised recently signed city legislation that caps third-party food delivery fees, designates threatening a commercial tenant based on COVID-19 status a form of harassment, and protects commercial tenants’ personal assets during the crisis.
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CHAMBER BUSINESSES OF THE WEEK
CHAMBER HONORS EFFORTS OF LOCAL BUSINESSES With New York State on pause, many Queens businesses have been forced to close their doors, but that doesn’t mean that aren’t still hard at work serving the borough as it deals with the coronavirus pandemic. From restaurants preparing meals for hospital and other essential workers to printers and fabricators shifting their operations to provide much-needed personal protective equipment, numerous Queens businesses have stepped up to aid in this time of crisis. Every week, the Queens Chamber of Commerce has been highlighting five businesses who have heeded the call to duty. Here are just some of them making a difference in this time of need: Waste Management Waste Management, the continent’s largest environmental services company, has continued to provide essential waste and recycling collection and disposal services while protecting its team members since the outset of the COVID19 pandemic and response. At the company’s Varick Transfer Station, groups been working with Queens Together to stage and unload shipments of food that is then distributed in the community. GYNADA Franchise new car auto dealers in Queens, working through the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA), d o n a t e d 50,000 face masks to Q u e e n s residents to keep safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is part of a donation of half a million masks GNYADA is making to the 12 downstate counties,
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including New York City. Learn more at gnyada.com. Maspeth Federal Savings A proud member of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, Maspeth Federal Savings Bank recently launched their COVID-19 Giving Campaign to recognize local small businesses and first responders in the Queens and Nassau county area. Learn more at maspethfederal.com. AT Jiu-Jitsu AT Jiu-Jitsu NYC is a family run business who tries to extend that sense of family to not only their members, but to their community as a whole. As such, AT Jiu-Jitsu NYC has opened their online virtual zoom classes to all adults children and toddlers. Learn more at atjiujitsunyc.com. Candy Twisted Balloons Balloon artist Candy Brigham, owner of Candy Twisted Balloons in Glendale, is determined to help people celebrate special moments like graduations and birthdays during quarantine with her incredible, personalized balloon creations by prioritizing sanitation and social distance. Learn more at candytwistedballoons.com.
USTA The city’s Emergency Management office coordinated with the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to transform indoor courts into supplemental hospital space for patients dealing
with COVID19. Louis Armstrong Stadium, the second-largest stadium on the grounds, has also been used be to prepare and distribute meals for patients, workers and underprivileged school children. Learn more at usta.com. Boy Scouts of America Greater New York Council - Queens
Queens Boys Scouts serve over 11,000 youths across the borough, teaching them a variety of life skills. One of these skills recently saved a local young man’s life. Learn more at nycscouting.org/ queens. Hour Children A proud member of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, the Hour Children Community Food Pantry makes fresh produce and nonperishable foods available at no cost three days a week. Prior to the COVID19 shutdown of businesses and schools, the pantry would typically serve 250 people a week. In the past two months, that number spiked to over 650. Learn more at hourchildren.org. La Adelita de Woodside Maria Iglesias and her daughter Cynthia of La Adelita de Woodside and Corazón De Mexico Restaurant & Bar have d o n a t e d sweet breads a day to pantries in Sunnyside and Woodside. Learn more at laadelitanyc.com. “Meal to Heal” A group of Filipinos in the Little
Manila neighborhood of Woodside formed “Meal to Heal,” which is delivering free meals to hospitals and health facilities heavily staffed by Filipinos, while also raising funds to help Filipino restaurants struggling because of the stay-home order. Learn more at facebook.com/meal2healnyc. National Grid Foundation The National Grid Foundation announced a $10,000 grant to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center that will allow the hospital to cover expenses for medical professionals from around the country who volunteered to help Q u e e n s fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more at nationalgridfoundation.com. Greater Queens Chapter of The Links, Inc. The Links, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of women, committed to sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African-Americans. The Greater Queens Chapter donated $10,000 to support the borough’s most vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic. Learn more at greaterqueenslinks.org. Tech Incubator at Queens College Tech Incubator at Queens College Throughout the COVID19 pandemic, TIQC has continued to provide services to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to present daily webinars with the latest information
June 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 6
CHAMBER BUSINESSES OF THE WEEK and business resources. Learn more at techincubatorqc.com. Bel Aire Diner
Bel Aire Diner has maintained all of the charm and nostalgia that first made it popular 50 years ago. Now in the time of COVID19, they’re bringing back the nostalgic drivein movie for residents looking for some socially distant entertainment. The first screening was a success and funds from the evening were used to feed 50 first-responders. Learn more at belairediner.nyc, Plaxall Besides manufacturing protective face shields for healthcare workers battling COVID-19, Queens Chamber member Plaxall Inc. has been active in other ways to help the community. The Long Island Citybased plastics company has manufactured and donated plastic food containers to local restaurants that are providing free meals for hospital workers. They’ve also provided space in their gallery to aid the grassroots LIC Relief effort, and along with VariDirect they’re delivering meals to communities and non-profits in need. Learn more at licartists.org. Spectrum Reach Spectrum Reach is offering the ability for local businesses to easily build their own 30-second
video for free through a partnership with Waymark. The video can be used through social media channels, websites, digitally, and as a TV commercial. If they are interested in using the video as a TV commercial, they are offering 20 percent off the purchase of their first TV campaign. RDS Same Day Delivery Chamber member RDS Same Day Delivery delivered 10,000 pounds of fresh produce from Albany to a church in Brooklyn to feed poor seniors who are vulnerable and unable to leave their residences due to COVID19 concerns. Learn more at rdsdelivery.com. Alianza Ecuatoriana Internacional A community Center for immigrants from Corona,AEI has taken the initiative to disinfect some of the streets in Queens most affected by COVID 19. They have also distributed food to immigrants who do not have the resources to buy them. For those who want to request this service call or text (718) 576-5311. Donate to their cause at PayPal.me/ alianzaecuatoriana Mateus Restaurant & Bar A longstanding fixture in Q u e e n s Village, during the COVID 19 pandemic they’ve been busy cooking meals and making deliveries for first responders while continuing takeout and delivery services. Learn more at mateus-restaurantbar.business.site.
The Wave The Wave has been the paper of the Rockaways since 1893. They launched a Go Fund Me called “Fueling the Front Line” that provides meals for first responders and supports local restaurants. Donate at gofundme.com and learn more at rockawave.com BCNA BCNA’s mission is to create pathways to self-sufficiency for immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs in New York City by providing access to affordable credit, empowering with financial education, and offering training in best business practices and technology. To better serve entrepreneurs during this difficult time, the Business Center for New Americans has launched a variety of services, including new webinars, an emergency loan fund, and processing PPP loans. Learn more at nybcna.org.
Mojitos Mojitos Restaurant & Bar in Jackson Heights created “United for the Cause of Helping” and turned the restaurant into a weekly distribution center for groceries. The first week they distributed 82 bags on a first comes first serve basis and this past week they distributed almost 100. The restaurant can be reached at (917) 586-6900
help companies manage various employee situations, from new hire selection procedures, orientation, absenteeism management, prescreening labor pipelining, payroll services, and direct hire support And as part of Manpower’s ongoing COVID19 Webinar series, members have direct access to a number of presentations designed to offer the most current thinking on how to navigate workforce management. For questions regarding Manpower staffing services, contact Keith Haynes at keith.haynes@manpower.com Make Me Over Beauty Bar
Their storefront may be temporarily closed, but that hasn’t stopped the proprietors at Make Me Over Beauty Bar from being their best and most beautiful selves on Instagram. These savvy small business owners are doing at home make-up tutorials, sharing upbeat messages about how to get through social isolation and selling some of their custom goods online. Learn more at facebook.com/ makemeoverbeautybar. Martha’s Bakery Martha’s Bakery is delivering treats to frontline workers across Queens, and have donated to hospitals in Flushing, Elmhurst and across the borough. Learn more at marthascountrybakery.com.
Manpower Queens Chamber of Commerce member, Manpower provided a list of employer support services to
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STAY HOME. STAY SAFE. STAY HAPPY. COVID-19 and the shelter-inplace guidelines will continue in June. Lucky for lovers of great entertainment, Queens will continue to offer wonderful online art, concerts, dance, plays, and workshops during the month as well. Some programs are brand new, while others started in May and run into July. Please read the options that follow. • June 1-29, Beat the Blues. Queens Public Library streams concerts on Monday at 7 pm for the entire month. Here’s the lineup: June 1, Hip Hop violinist Shayshahn MacPherson plays Caribbean sounds; June 8, vocalist Nedelka Sotelo and guitarist Víctor Murillo explore Funk, Reggae, and Folk; June 15, soprano Jennifer Allenby and conductor Stephan Fillare showcase the female voice via Opera and other genres; June 22, MacPherson returns; and June 29, bass vocalist Gennadiy Vysotskiy sings opera. queenslibrary.org • June 6, Bankra Caribbean Cultural Festival 2020, 4 pm. Braata Productions streams this annual celebration, which took
place in St. Albans last year. Drum circles, arts & crafts, storytelling, and a panel discussion are part of the fun. The main draw is a concert featuring Kaiso maestro Marva Newton from Trinidad & Tobago, poet Ras Mo Moses from Dominica, rising Reggae crooner dBURNZ from Jamaica, and Garifuna musician James Lovell from Belize. braataproductions.org • June 7, Cooking in Quarantine, 11 am. Alley Pond Environmental Center presents Chef Biny, who prepares vegetarian Bangladeshi comfort food in her home kitchen. Viewers get a recipe list prior to the virtual class. alleypond. org • June 10, Virtual Jazz Jam, 7 pm. Flushing Town Hall’s monthly Jazz session goes online with a “Songs That Soothe” theme. Musicians improvise together. Don’t play? Listen. flushingtownhall.org • June 11, Thursday Night Jazz, 8 pm. The Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning streams Thana Alexa, a Croatian-American vocalist whose sound can be lyrical
and experimental. She likes to mix atmospheric sounds, electronics, loops, and vocal textures. jcal.org • June 13, Home/Land, 3 pm. Four contributing artists to Lewis Latimer House Museum’s exhibition “Home/Land” participate in a live discussion and Q&A session. “Home/Land” looks at the Fugitive Slave Act’s influence on Latimer’s family and tactics to detain fugitives and illegal immigrants. latimernow.org • June 19, Journey to Freedom: The Underground Railroad and Abolitionists, 2:30 pm. The Queens Historical Society honors Juneteenth with a workshop that puts viewers in the shoes of the Abolitionists who fought slavery. Participants will work together to tackle the challenges as they help slaves escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad. queenshistoricalsociety.org ONGOING & UPCOMING • Titan Shakespeare Festival. Titan Theatre Company, which is an artist-in-residence at Queens Theatre, launched a Shakespeare festival in May that runs until June 13. Completely online, the program
TITAN THEATRE COMPANY
is presenting two plays by the Bard of Avon, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Henry V,” along with “The Importance of Being Earnest,” a comedy by Oscar Wilde. As part of the fun, cast members participate in live-streamed talkbacks and offer master acting classes. There are 10 shows in June. titantheatrenyc.com • The Insiders. The Astoria Performing Arts Center is offering “The Insiders: Musicals from the Quarantine” on its YouTube channel and website. A collaboration between 15 writers, five directors, and 16 actors who couldn’t be in the same room, the show features six original musicals that address life during the shelter-in-place guidelines. apacnyc.org • Monuments Now. The dates are yet to be announced, but Socrates Sculpture Park will unveil “Monuments Now” in three stages, starting in June. To be on display for a year, the exhibition will begin with commissioned sculptures by three well-known artists, including a 2019 MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant. More works, chosen via an open call competition, will pop up later this summer, followed by a piece by local teenagers in the fall. socratessculpturepark.org • Queensboro Dance Festival. This annual, multi-site dance extravaganza started in May. It’ll run to Oct. 4 online with all performances at 4 pm. Here’s the schedule for the month: June 1, Gotham Dance Theater (Sunnyside); June 5, Anup Das Dance Academy (Astoria); June 8, Noora Dance Theater (Astoria); June 12, Drye/ Marinaro Dance Company (Forest Hills); June 15, Amy Marshall Dance Company (East Elmhurst); June 19, FANIKE! African Dance Troupe (Springfield Gardens); June 22, Urvashie Kissoon (Forest Hills); June 26, RU Dance NY Ballroom Dance School (Flushing); and June 29, Elisabetta Minutoli (Sunnyside). queensborodancefestival.com The monthly “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council. More info at itsinqueens.com.
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June 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 6
QUEENSBOROUGH CALENDAR OF EVENTS JUNE 6/5, 2 PM
CYBERSECURITY FOR SMALL BUSINESS
Join the Queens Chamber of Commerce and the Business Center for New Americans for an engaging webinar on the importance and best practices in regards to cybersecurity for your small business. VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org
6/26, 9:30 AM
REMOTE INTERVIEWING SKILLS IN THE COVID-19 WORLD
We go over all the ins and outs of preparing for and shining at the interview. There will be an emphasis on honing remote interview skills (since many job interviews will in all probability be conducted remotely for the foreseeable future). Presented by Joshua Bienstock of NYIT. VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org
JULY
6/9, 2 PM
SMALL BUSINESS NAVIGATION FOR THE COVID-19: A BRIEFING ON RELIEF AND REMEDIES
Attorneys, Accountants and Insurance Professionals will discuss how they have advised and serviced their clients during the midst of the pandemic. VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org 6/9, 2 PM
PPP & EIDL: NEXT STEPS
Learn about what is forgivable and what is not forgivable in the PPP loan and the EIDL grants, tax implications of the loans from an income and an expense perspective, and documentation needed to get loans forgiven. VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org 6/9, 7 PM
LOCAL BUSINESS VIDEO CALL
Join the Queens Chamber of Commerce (QCC), Floral Park Bellerose Indian Merchant Association (FBIMA, and the office of Councilmember Barry Grodenchik for an information session and networking event. VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org 6/17, 10 AM
VIRTUAL NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION
Review your member benefits and business resources and learn about committees. VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org 6/17, 3 PM
ALTERNATIVE FINANCING SOLUTIONS
To educate the business community on nontraditional financing available to businesses with these different challenges, Neil Seiden, president of Asset Enhancement Solutions, will share his expertise. VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org
7/17, 9:30 AM
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: NAVIGATING THE FINE LINE
This workshop will help you understand which interview questions are legal and appropriate and which questions cross the line and are
illegal and inappropriate. Presented by Joshua Bienstock of NYIT. VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org
EN ESPANOL 6/11, 2 PM
PROGRAM PARA LA PROTECCCION DE NOMINA
Este curso en línea para obtener información sobre el Programa Para La Protección de Nómina. La fecha límite para aplicar al PPP es el 30 de junio de 2020. Presentadores: Juan Gonzalez, Oficial de Préstamos Senior, Business Center for New Americans, y Christiano Soares, Gerente de Cuentas, NYC Business Solutions Bronx Center. VIRTUAL Register at queenschamber.org
‘REBOOT & RESTART’ WORKSHOPS As New York State’s Shelter-In-Place guidelines wind down and the economy reopens, the Queens Economic Development Corporation (QEDC) is offering free, interactive webinars to assist owners looking to breathe new life into their businesses. “ReBoot & ReStart: Navigating Entrepreneurship Post-COVID-19” consists of PowerPoint presentations by experts in finance, marketing, and operations, followed by Q&A sessions with audience participation. (Viewers receive followup documents in some cases.) The experts include an architect, banker, and doctor, as well as several entrepreneurs, marketers, and lawyers. QEDC will promote the videos via Instagram (@ItsInQueens and @queens_edc) and Twitter (@ItsInQueens, @QueensEDC). More episodes are currently in development, and details will be announced as they unfold. Scheduled workshops include: • Workplace Hygiene Post COVID-19: Tips from a Professional, June 5, 2 pm. Webinar: As you reopen a small office you need to ensure it is safe for employees and clients by fully understanding what needs to be cleaned and sanitized on an ongoing basis. Speaker: Lyla Mansoor has eight years of experience managing and running daily operations of dental offices. (Dentistry by its very nature falls into one of the highest exposure risk groups.) She will provide a breakdown of workplace hygiene and its importance. • How Social Media Can Help Reset Your Business, June 8, 2 pm. Webinar: Learn to identify the right social platforms to reach target audiences and use
Instagram and Facebook to increase business impact. Speaker: Catherine Ventura is a Social Media Branding and Content Strategist with more than 20 years of experience in visual, written, and filmed communication. She specializes in helping small businesses, organizations, nonprofits, and individuals focus their social media marketing efforts on reaching the right target audience with branding and messaging. • Hospitality Industry: Returning to Work One Step at a Time, June 9, 2 pm. Webinar: Prior to reopening a restaurant or hotel, a host of human resource and workplace legal issues need to be considered. This webinar will review the status of employees post shutdown; startup/onboarding issues; wage and hourly liability; avoiding discrimination lawsuits; accommodating disabilities; and minimizing legal risks. Two speakers: Carolyn Richmond co-chairs the Hospitality Practice Group for Fox Rothschild LLP. Alex Bogdan is a labor and employment attorney with Fox Rothschild LLP. • Reopening a Small Office Post COVID-19, June 10, 10 am. Webinar: Learn how to formulate strategies as small businesses reopen after COVID-19. It will be essential for business owners to understand how to retrofit their offices, so they ensure the safety and well-being of employees, customers, and suppliers. Speaker: Ámbar Margarida is a principal at Spacesmith, a New York-based architecture, planning, and interior design firm. She is an CONTINUED ON PAGE 21
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love WHERE YOU
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THIS IS QUEENSBOROUGH
CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS
AIGNER & ELMHURST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
people are so sad.” Three siblings of the Moore family - eleven-year-old Liam, eightyear-old Emma, and three-year-old Rian - from Lynbrook participated. “I want those people to know that they are doing so much for our world right now,” said Liam. Dr. Suzanne Bentley, an attending physician in Emergency Medicine and medical director of the Simulation Center at Elmhurst Hospital, accepted the rainbow drawings on behalf of the group Helping Healers Heal, which she co-leads. “The adorable sentiments and amazingly creative range of rainbows is inspiring and such a welcomed distraction,” said Bentley, whose six-year-old son Leo drew his own rainbow. “The fact that children around Queens all came together to support us and say thank you is really so special.” The Elmhurst team is already at work creating a giant “rainbow of rainbows” to display across a large central wall. “We also plan to wallpaper
areas such as our Helping Healers Heal support room, conference, and break rooms,” Bentley said. “Sometimes taking two minutes to sit down and sip hot coffee while looking at the adorable rainbows and kind words is all it takes to keep going during these hard times, but really these rainbows are a palpable reminder that Queens is supporting us, and that we aren’t alone.” Helping Healers Heal was established in 2017. “This was before the pandemic as more and more studies were revealing the toll that healthcare takes on its healers, coined ‘second victim syndrome,’” said Bentley. “This support system has never been as important as during COVID-19, and now as numbers are declining most are emerging with significant grief at what we all just lived through. “Living through this at the epicenter of the epicenter has been unlike anything I ever imagined,” she added. “We are grieving as a hospital, and these rainbows and their bright colors and kind words are so uplifting and inspiring.”
LETS BEAUTIFY JAMAICA TOGETHER ZARA'S PHILANTHROPY Involvement on community boards richmond hill hs computer lab Voices of Jamaica features community events Fundraising
Luxury Apartments in Jamaica, Queens 166-07 Hillside Avenue Jamaica, NY 11432 718.291.3331 • application@zararealty.com
An Elmhurst Hospital staffer with one of the rainbows. (Photo: Jen Curti)
June 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 6
QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES 82ND STREET PARTNERSHIP
37-06 82nd Street, Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Executive Director: Leslie Ramos 718.335.9421 82ndstreet.org QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $224,000 with
more than 200 businesses under its umbrella. The district is on 82nd Street from 37th Avenue to Baxter Avenue. The board meets quarterly with the annual meeting in June. There are free immigration services every Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 71-29 Roosevelt Avenue. All services are free, confidential and open to any member of the community. Some of the services include DACA, TPS and document replacement and renewal. Call (212) 652-2071 with any questions.
BAYSIDE VILLAGE BID
213-33 39th Avenue, Bayside, NY 11361 Executive Director: Christine Siletti 718.423.2434 info@baysidevillagebid.com QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $218,000 and
over 350 members. Founded in 2007, the BID includes commercial property owners and residents on Bell Boulevard between 35th Avenue and Northern Boulevard, as well as a block east and west on 41st Avenue.
BAYSIDE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION 41-16 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361 President: Ed Probst Vice President: Judith Limpert 718.229.2277 info@baysideba.com baysideba.com
Founded in 2007, the BID includes commercial property owners and residents on Bell Boulevard between 35th Avenue and Northern Boulevard, as well as a block east and west on 41st Avenue.
BUSINESS CENTER FOR NEW AMERICANS (BCNA)
78-27 37 Avenue, Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Business Development: Tshering Gurung 347.730.6468 tgurung@nycbcna.org QUICK GLANCE: Since 1997, BCNA has been
serving New York City entrepreneurs. BCNA is an approved Small Business Administration Intermediary Lender and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). BCNA’s Microloan program is the cornerstone of its services. They provide small business loans and microloans to business owners who are not able to obtain loans from traditional lenders.
FOREST HILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
PO Box 751123, Forest Hills, NY 11375 President: Leslie Brown 718.268.6565 FHChamber11375@gmail.com FHChamber@aol.com QUICK GLANCE: Re-formed in 1995, the group
has over 225 members. Chamber meetings are held on the last Wednesday of the month at 9 a.m. at the West Side Tennis Club, 1 Tennis Place, in Forest Hills.
GATEWAY JFK
Executive Director: Scott Grimm-Lyon 516.730.3400 info@GatewayJFK.org GatewayJFK.org QUICK GLANCE: Formerly the Greater JFK
Industrial BID and founded in 2016, the group seeks to provide support to the off-airport air cargo and services district through supplemental services and improvements, technical and professional services for its members, and advocacy and administration.
JAMAICA CENTER BID
161-10 Jamaica Avenue, Suite 419 Jamaica, NY 11432 Executive Director: Jennifer Furioli 718.526.2422 jamaica.nyc @JamCenterBID (Twitter) @jamcenterbid (Instagram) @Jamaica Center BID (Facebook) QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1979, the Jamaica
Center BID serves over 400 businesses on Jamaica Avenue between Sutphin Boulevard and 169th Street. With a budget of over $1 million, the BID’s goal is to promote and maintain Downtown Jamaica as a thriving business hub and an enjoyable destination to shop, work, live and visit.
GREATER FLUSHING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
39-01 Main Street, Suite 511, Flushing NY 11354 Executive Director: John Choe john@flushingchamber.nyc 646.783.8985 flushingchamber.nyc QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 2014 and repre-
senting over 200 businesses.
GREATER JAMAICA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
90-04 161st Street, Jamaica, NY 11432 President: Hope Knight 718.291.0282 gjdc.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1967, the group
has 75 members. GJDC’s work expands economic opportunity and improves quality of life for the ethnically and economically diverse residents of Jamaica and for the region at large, which benefits from rational, well-planned, and sustainable metropolitan growth.
GREATER WOODHAVEN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WOODHAVEN BID
84-01 Jamaica Avenue, Woodhaven NY 11421 718.805.0202 gwdcbid@hotmail.com woodhavenbid.com QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $257,000 with
more than 350 businesses under its umbrella on Jamaica Avenue from Dexter Court to 100th Street. They are providing free benches for store owners along Jamaica Avenue. They also provide 2.5 and 5 percent home improvement loans.
JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
P.O. Box 300687, Jamaica, NY 11430 Executive Director: Clorinda Antonucci President: Al DePhillips Vice President: Joseph Morra JFKCoCExec@gmail.com jfkairportchamberofcommerce.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1978, the group
has over 200 members. The chamber was chartered in 1978 by a group of business people in and around JFK Airport. It is the only airport in the nation to have its own Chamber of Commerce. The chamber seeks to create an environment in which members of the business community can work together to enhance the growth, well being and economic development of the airport community and its aviation industry.
LONG ISLAND CITY PARTNERSHIP President: Elizabeth Lusskin 718.786.5300 longislandcityqueens.com
Founded in 1979, the Long Island City Partnership advocates for economic development that benefits LIC’s industrial, commercial, cultural and residential sectors. The goal is to attract new businesses to the neighborhood, retain those already here, welcome new residents and visitors, and promote a vibrant and authentic mixed-use community. The LIC Partnership operates the LIC Business
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queenschamber.org
QUEENS CHAMBER PARTNERS & AFFILIATES Improvement District and the LIC Industrial Business Zone.
MASPETH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
P.O. Box 780265, Maspeth, NY 11378 President: David Daraio 718.335.1300 maspethchamberofcommerce.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1953, they have
120 members and a budget of $115,000.
MASPETH INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (MIBA)
BOC: 96-11 40th Road, Corona, NY 11368 Coordinator: Quincy Ely-Cate 718.205.3773 qelycate@bocnet.org mibanyc.org QUICK GLANCE: Covering roughly 600 busi-
nesses with 30 active members, the Maspeth Industrial Business Association provides a collective voice in advocating the needs and interests of industrial and manufacturing businesses in Maspeth. They help companies in the Maspeth Industrial District in developing workforce, accessing tax credits, obtaining financing, navigating government regulations and, in some cases, finding real estate.
MIDDLE VILLAGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
79-47 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village, NY 11379 President: Salvatore Crifasi 718.894.8700 Sal@Crifasi.com QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $8,000 with 35
businesses under its umbrella. Formed in 1929. MVCC meets annually and focuses on the Metropolitan Avenue shopping district between 69 and 80th streets. The mission is to improve the area and assist local businesses if they have any concerns or needs.
MYRTLE AVENUE BID
62-14 Myrtle Avenue, Ridgewood, NY 11385 Executive Director: Ted Renz 718.366.3806 QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $500,000 with
over 300 retail and service businesses under its purview. Board meetings are held four times a year with the annual meeting in June. The district includes Myrtle Avenue in Ridgewood between Fresh Pond Road and Wyckoff Avenue. Program support is provided by the Ridgewood LDC.
QUEENS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
12-55 Queens Boulevard, Room 309 Kew Gardens, NY 11424 Executive Director: Seth Bornstein 718.263.0546 queensny.org QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $1.5 million and a
resource for over 2,000 businesses in the borough of Queens. Register online for upcoming virtual events, including:
Rockaway Development & Revitalization Corporation (RDRC) was established to promote the revitalization of the Rockaway’s economic base and neighborhoods by creating long-standing partnerships with city and state agencies.
STEINWAY ASTORIA PARTNERSHIP BID
25-69 38th Street, Suite 1C, Astoria 11103 Executive Director: Marie Torniali 718.728.7820 info@steinwaystreet.nyc steinwaystreet.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1991, the BID
has over 300 members. The Steinway Street Business Improvement District encompasses all 300 business located on Steinway Street from 28th Avenue to 35th Avenue. National chain stores such as Victoria’s Secrets, The Gap, Benetton, and Express are side by side with local family-owned shops some of them fixtures on the street for some 50 years.
ROCKAWAY BUSINESS ALLIANCE
SUNNYSIDE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
resource for over 200 businesses. The Rockaway Business Alliance was founded in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy. RBA’s vision is to create business corridors that are clean, safe, and welcoming, with shopping, dining, attractions, and engagement for the local community and the visitors drawn to Rockaway’s beaches and open spaces.
$55,000, the chamber is an organization built around assisting and helping local business and professionals by providing resources to increase business, safety and historical preservation throughout the neighborhood.
info@rockawaybusinessalliance.org QUICK GLANCE: Budget of $40,000 and a
ROCKAWAY DEVELOPMENT & REVITALIZATION CORPORATION
1920 Mott Avenue, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 President: Kevin Alexander 718.327.5300 www.rdrc.org QUICK GLANCE: Founded in 1978, the
PO Box 4399, Sunnyside, NY 11104 President: Vanessa Ceballos 718.729.4688 sunnyside-chamber.org QUICK GLANCE: With an annual budget of
SUNNYSIDE SHINES
45-56 43rd Street, Sunnyside, NY 11104 Executive Director: Jaime-Faye Beam 718.606.1800 director@sunnysideshines.org sunnysideshines.org QUICK GLANCE: The BID has a budget of
approximately $480,000 with more than 250 businesses under its umbrella. The mission of Sunnyside Shines is to invigorate and enrich the economic life of the neighborhood by creating a safe, welcoming and dynamic commercial district in Sunnyside
SUTPHIN BOULEVARD BID
89-00 Sutphin Boulevard, Suite 204C Jamaica, NY 11435 Executive Director: Glen Greenridge 718.291.2110 sutphinblvdbid@verizon.net QUICK GLANCE: The BID was founded in
Elmhurst Hospital staff pose with rainbows created by children with the help of Aigner Chocolates. Details on Page 10 (Photo: Jen Curti)
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2004 and represents 134 businesses, 56 properties and 39 property owners along Sutphin Boulevard between Hillside Avenue and 94th Avenue.
June 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 6
SOME HOPE TEMPORARY REGS BECOME PERMANENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
alongside the curb for dine-in service, and there will be a simple process to register and self-certify online. Restaurants must ensure seating is accessible, bus stops or fire hydrants are not blocked, and seating is located away from intersections. Restaurants must provide their own vertical barricades, planters, tables, and chairs. Johnson emphasized the need to be creative and adaptive to the city’s unique streetscape, which varies between neighborhoods. He proposed the use of both public and private spaces, such as adjacent parking lots, as options for outdoor dining. “We know that a one-size-fits-all solution won’t work,” he explained, advocating for a collective approach that incorporates suggestions from local business owners and other community leaders. Manhattan architect David Rockwell is working pro-bono with the NYC Hospitality Alliance to provide an adaptable, scalable and affordable template for eateries to use as a model for utilizing outdoor space. His firm, the Rockwell Group, is making these designs available for restaurants with sidewalk permits through its website. Though the reopening of restaurants and bars would not occur until the city reaches
the criteria to initiate “Phase Three” of the governor’s reopening protocols, the City Council urged the De Blasio administration not to hesitate when it comes to reimagining street space, an initiative it says was not a priority in the past. “When it comes to open space and streets in general, I personally don’t have the confidence that the mayor is really an outsidethe-box thinker,” said Councilman Antonio Reynoso, a co-sponsor on the outdoor dining legislation. “It’s important for us to initiate this conversation and impose guidelines.” Timing is everything for so many struggling restaurants, and a long list of logistical details still needs to be addressed if the City Council’s bill is passed. According to Queens Together co-founders Jaime-Faye Bean and Jonathan Forgash, a number of food service establishments in Sunnyside and Astoria are eager to explore outdoor dining. Concerns remain, however, when it comes to division of responsibility for potentially shared seating areas and the risk for costly fines that may come with new safety regulations. “The new world we’re living in should not include piling on more fees to restaurants at a time when they need every penny most to maintain being in the neighborhood,” said Forgash, a former chef and organizer of the Queens Dinner Club.
QEDC ONLINE WORKSHOPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
expert in the design of spaces which contribute to employee safety, well-being, satisfaction, and proper ergonomics. • Reopening a Retail Store Post COVID-19, June 10, 2 pm. Webinar: Retailers will need to formulate strategies as they reopen after COVID-19. It will be essential for retailers to understand how to retrofit their offices to ensure the safety and well-being of employees, customers, and suppliers. Speaker: Ámbar Margarida is a principal at Spacesmith, a New York-based architecture, planning, and interior design firm. She is an expert in the design of spaces which contribute to employee safety, well-being, satisfaction, and proper ergonomics. • Think Like a Designer: How to Use Web Design to Tell Your Brand Story, June 11, 10 am. Webinar: This webinar is aimed at those who are thinking about giving their website an overhaul or building a new one. The instructor
will address the key elements in web design and provide actionable tips on photos, color, copywriting, and other topics. Speaker: Jason Lanza is multi-faceted designer with more than a decade of cross-platform experience in motion, web, and graphics. He works with large and small clients, ranging from Netflix, Disney, and Nike to local startups and nonprofits. • Reopening Your Restaurant/Bar/Cafe: A Post COVID-19 Survival Guide for Independent Food Service Operations, June 11, 2 pm. Webinar: Targeted for small, independent restaurant, bar, and café owners in Queens, this webinar will detail safety, sanitation and social distancing guidelines for reopening along with strategies for small food service operators returning after stay-at-home restrictions are lifted. Speaker: Jay Coldren has more than 25 years of experience in restaurant design, development, and operations. His experience ranges from executive positions with Dean & Deluca to leadership roles at The Public Hotel in NYC to co-owning and operating high-end restaurants.
Provisions enacted by the council’s proposed legislation would expire on October 31, or when social distancing guidelines are lifted. But Bean is hoping to see many of the recent measures taken to aid of local restaurants, including caps on third-party delivery charges and waiving sidewalk cafe fees through 202, will become permanent changes going forward. “I would like to see a lot of what has been discussed outside the frame of a state of emergency,” explained the Sunnyside Shines BID executive director, pointing out the deep holes in the city’s small business ecosystem that have been blatantly exposed amid the pandemic. “For me to correct course for a few months and then go back to the normal way,” Bean continued, “that’s not going to work.”
NEW MEMBERS CORPORATE
Nationwide Financial
89 Clinch Avenue Garden City, NY 11530 nationwide.com Over the past 90 years, focusing on customers and valuing people have helped Nationwide become one of the largest insurance and financial services companies in the world.
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86 Cargo Plaza Road Cargo Area C JFK International Airport Jamaica, NY 11430 msnairservice.com MSN Air Service is an established airline service provider based in JFK. The company was founded in January 2005 by its President and CEO, Mr. Roopnarine (Rudy) Singh and was created in order to provide superior, cost effective and efficient cargo handling services to our client airlines, meeting or exceeding all airline performance measurements and indicators.
INTRODUCTORY
American Diversity Forum, Inc. American Diversity Forum, Inc. 88 Hearth Lane Westbury, NY 11590
Asset Enhancement Solutions, LLC 405 RXR Plaza Uniondale, NY 11556 assetenhancement.com
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EXECUTIVE COMMMITEE Thomas Santucci
Richard Dzwlewicz
Thomas J. Grech
Brendan Leavy
Nash Roe
Fran Biderman-Gross
Joanne M. Persad
Jacqueline Donado
Chairperson
Associate Treasurer
Vice Chairperson
Associate Secretary
Treasurer
Immediate Past Chair
Patrick Yu
Susan Browning
Mayra DiRico
Secretary
SENIOR ADVISORY COUNCIL
EXECUTIVE STAFF President & CEO
Business Development Manager
Chief of Operations
Strategic Program Coordinator
Alejandra Espejo
Jef Gross
Financial Controller
Neil Wagner
Business Service Program Manager
Manager of Committee Development
William Blake Gerard Thornton Dominick Ciampa Vincent L. Petraro, Esq. Joseph Farber Jeff Levine Louis D. Laurino Joseph M. Mattone, Sr George Rozansky
QUEENSBOROUGH (ISSN0033-6068 is published 12 times a year for $12.50 annually by the Queens Chamber of Commerce of the borough of Queens. 75-20 Astoria Blvd, Suite 140, East Elmhurst NY 11370-1131. Periodicals postage paid at Flushing NY and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Queens Chamber of Commerce 75-20 Astoria Blvd., Suite 140, East Elmhurst NY 11370-1131.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Stephanie Baldwin Fran Biderman-Gross Joshua E. Bienstock Susan Browning Kenneth J. Buettner Charles E. Callahan KY Chow
Sal Crifasi Steven DeClara Mayra DiRico Richard Dzwlewicz Charles Everett, Jr. Joseph R. Ficalora Tamara Gavrielof
Howard Graf Raymond Irrera Anthony Kammas Kenneth Koenig Neil Levin Jeffery E. Levine Bert Lurch
Carl Mattone Patricia Mezeul Maria Odysseus Jeffrey Owens Stephen Preuss Nash Roe Jeffrey Rosenstock
Juan Santiago Thomas Santucci Mark Scheinberg Caryn Schwab Sher Sparano Michelle Stoddart Terri Thomson
Henry Wan Patrick Yu Daniel Zausner
CORPORATE MEMBERS A&E Real Estate A&L Cesspool Services Corp AARP Adria Hotel and Conference Center Aeroterm AFC Urgent Care - Howard Beach Amaracon Testing & Inspections, LLC American Lions LLC Amna Construction Corp AmTrust Title Andromeda Antun’s of Queens Village Apple Bank for Savings Apple-Metro, Inc. ARK Development LLC Ashnu International, Inc. Assured Environments Astoria Sports Complex Atco Properties Accounts Payable Aurora Contractors, Inc. Avison Young AYC Properties LLC Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP Balkan Sewer And Water Main Service Bank of America Merrill Lynch Bank of Hope Bellozino Bethpage Federal Credit Union Bijal Hospitality - Hyatt Place LIC & Fairfield Marriott LGA Blink Fitness Boyce Technologies Inc. Bridgehampton National Bank Broadway Stages Cactus Holdings Inc Capital One Bank Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens CBRE
Center for Automotive Education and Training Cerini and Associates, LLP. Ciampa Organization Cipico Construction, Inc. Citibank CityMD Clearcell Power Conference Associates, Inc Cord Meyer Development LLC Corporate Development Systems, Inc. Courtyard by Marriott Crescent Properties, Inc Crown Castle Crunch - Rochdale (Please correct spelling in magazine) Cushman & Wakefield Damian Family Care Centers, Inc. Daniels, Norelli, Scully & Cecere P.C. Daroga Power, LLC Dedline AV East Coast Energy Group Ecosave Inc. Emigrant Mortgage Company Enterprise Fleet Management eXp Realty: Andrew Wu Exquisite Construction F & T Group Farrell Fritz, P.C. First Central Savings Bank Flushing Council On Culture & The Arts Forest Hills Financial Group Inc. GF55 Partners Gil-Bar Industries, Inc. Glenwood Infinity LLC (Hello Panda Festival) Global Industrial Goodwill Industries of New York & North-
ern New Jersey, Inc. Graf & Lewent Architects Greater NY Automobiles Dealers Association Greenpoint Manufacturing & Design Center (GMDC) Gum Studios Hampton Inn by Hilton JFK Airport Healthy Corner Pharmacy Hilton Garden Inn Long Island City New York Hook & Reel LLC Hyatt Place Flushing IBIS Styles New York La Guardia Airport INDA, Association of Nonwoven Fabric Industry Innovo Property Group Instacart Intercontinental Capital Group iRCM, Inc. J.W. Hampton Jr. & Co., Inc. James F. Capalino & Assoc. Jaros, Baum & Bolles Jason Office Products JC Elite Construction JDP Mechanical JetBlue Airways Corporation JFA Insurance Brokerage & Associates Inc. JGM Construction Development, LLC Jones Lang LaSalle Kasirer Consulting Kaufman Astoria Studios, Inc. Kimco Realty Corporation Klein Weath Management/ Hightower Advisors Laffey Real Estate Laguardia Plaza Hotel Laser Bounce of Brooklyn Inc.
Levine Builders Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade Association, Inc. Luxury Office Suites LLC Lyons Mortgage Services, Inc. Madison Realty Capital Manpower McBride Consulting & Business MCT Fine Wine & Spirits, LLC Medisys Health Network Mega Contracting Group LLC MetroPlus Health Plan Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade MicroGrid Neworks, LLC Millennium Dae Dong, Inc. Molloy College Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens Mr. T Carting Corp. Muss Development LLC My Benefit Advisor, LLC NEOLEDGE Neuman’s Kitchen Newtown Creek New York + Atlantic Railway New York Health Plan Association New York Oil Heating Association Northwell Health NYC Ferry Operated by Hornblower Olympia Court Real Estate OneGroup Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates Patrizia’s Italian Restaurant Petro PGA Mechanical Contractors, Inc. Piermont Bank Premier Paint Roller Co LLC
COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Michelle Stoddart ResortsWorld Casino New York City michelle.stoddart@rwnewyork.com Jayson Simba Festival of Cinema NYC FestivalofCinemaNYC@gmail.com
BANKING & LAW
Margaret T. Ling, Esq. Big Apple Abstract Corp. mling@bigappleabstract.com Paul Harrison Chase paul.harrison@chase.com
COMMUNICATIONS Cody Fisher Blue Ox Marketing, LLC cody@blueoxmarketing.com
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ENERGY
Marshall Haimson E-Capital Development marshall@e-capitaldevelopment.com Jay Solly Sol Strategies jaypsolly@gmail.com
ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION Bill Staniford bill@staniford.com Michael Grella Grella Partnership Services mike@socialquityventures.com
HEALTHCARE & WELLNESS
Susan Browning Long Island Jewish Forest Hills sbrowning1@northwell.edu Bert Lurch E Central Medical Management bertl@ecmmgt.com
HOSPITALITY
REAL ESTATE
Lina DeLaCruz Control Electropolishing Corp. lina@controlpublishing.com
Martin Cottingham Avison Young martin.cottingham@avisonyoung.com Kevin Louie Cushman & Wakefield kevin.louie@cushwake.com Michael Wang Politan Real Estate mwang121@gmail.com
NONPROFIT
TECHNOLOGY
Jim Quent Statewide Public Affairs jquent@statewidepublicaffairs.com
MANUFACTURING
Larry Grubler Transitional Services of NY lgrubler@tsiny.org Maria Odysseus Investors Bank modysseus@myinvestorsbank.com
Bobby Giurintano TGI Office Automation bgiurintano@tgioa.com Fred Canone Telehouse mwang121@gmail.com
TRANSPORTATION Kris Amato TD Bank Kristin.amato@td.com William Harris Edge Auto Rental william@edgeautorental.com
Premier Payroll Solutions Prime Storage Priority 1 Security LLC ProHEALTH Care QSIDE Federal Credit Union Queens Center Mall Queens Public Communications Corp. Quontic Bank RCG Mortgage Receivable Collection Services, LLC Rego Park Seniors Club LLC Related Retail Corporation Rochdale Village Community Center Royal Waste Services, Inc. Safeguard Global Safety Facility Services Samaritan Daytop Village Santander Bank SBT Advantage Bank Seagis Property Group, LP Signature Bank Sive, Paget & Riesel P.C. Skyline Risk Management, Inc. SL Green Realty Corp. Solomon Agency Corp. Spring Hill Suites New York Jamaica/JFK Airport Squad Security Inc. St. Francis Preparatory School St. John’s Episcopal Hospital St. John’s University Sterling Risk Structural Engineering Technologies, P.C. Suffolk Sussman-Automatic Corporation Target TC Electric TGI Office Automation Thales The Andy Li Team at Compass The Botanist The Durst Organization The First National Bank of Long Island The Flying Locksmiths -Queens NY The Heskel Group The Liquidity Source The Lovett Group The Marcal Group T-Mobile TSC Traning Academy, LLC Ultrasound Solutions Corp. United Airlines United American Title Agency United Construction & Development Group Corp United Public Adjusters & Appraisers, Inc. USTA National Tennis Center, Inc. Valley National Bank Vanguard Building Solutions, LLC Vassilaros & Sons Coffee Vic Kessler Signs LTD Vishnick McGovern Milizio LLP Watch Guard 24/7 LLC White Coffee Corp Wisselman, Harounian & Associates, P.C. YMCA of Greater New York / Queens Branches York College - CUNY Young Nian Group, LLC Zara Realty
June 2020 • Volume 16 • Issue 6 MAJOR CORPORATE MEMBERS
We hope you are enjoying the newly designed, expanded Queensborough, the monthly publication of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. We, the Chamber, direct and approve all content deciding what stories are covered in each issue, editing all copy and forwarding information that is contained in the publication. BQE Media produces it for the Chamber. We look forward to continuing to highlight the outstanding business persons, services and activities that make our borough unique. We welcome all your letters, manuscripts, etc. Please send all materials to the Queens Chamber of Commerce at 75-20 Astoria Boulevard, Suite 140, Jackson Heights, NY 11370 or call 718.898.8500 for more information. We reserve the right to edit for space limitations. Your support of the magazine is critical to its success. We encourage you to include Queensborough in your advertising plans. To place your ad, please call BQE Media at 718.426.7200.
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