Time to Reflect: It’s hard to believe it has been a year since our professional and personal lives were upended by the pandemic. Everyone has been impacted by the virus; some more seriously than others. I hope that your experience has been minimal and that you and your families are doing well.
It’s also been a year since we held our Annual Membership Dinner, always a great occasion to reward renewed and new members for their participation and loyalty to the chamber. Thank you to all those who have renewed this year, it is appreciated even more so during this challenging time. We look forward to celebrating you all in the near future.
Value and Consistency: Fortunately we have been able to continue to offer members excellent value and consistent benefits this past year. For example, in case you missed it, over 60 members and guests joined our virtual February Membership Meeting and were privy to Northwell Executive Michael Fener’s first-hand update on Covid-19 at our two local hospitals.
The meeting also gave us insight into the essential work that our current charity partner is doing. The Rudman Family Food Pantry has been more vital to our community than ever during the crisis. They continue to need our support and so starting on March 8th, we will run another exciting raffle to raise funds for them. Be sure to look out for emails and posts about how you can purchase raffle tickets and be eligible to win great prizes. All donations are matched by the UJA. We are grateful for all those who have generously donated these prizes. Look for their names to be published soon.
Also in February, the Syosset-Woodbury Chamber joined us for an engaging evening of networking. Twenty-six attendees enjoyed interacting and sharing during the 90-minute Zoom call. Break out groups were appreciated and the meeting was deemed a big success. We look forward to offering our members more of these opportunities in the months to come.
Looking Ahead: As we look ahead, there are three chances for you to engage with members in March. On the 2nd the Women’s Group will meet virtually and Janine Friedman of Choice Training & Coaching Solutions will present “The Imposter Syndrome: What Is It and How Might It Be Impacting Your Career.” Also in March, the monthly evening networking event will happen on March 9th and our monthly general membership meeting is on Wednesday March 17th. We will welcome New York State Senator James Gaughran as our featured speaker.
Come “a board”: Are you interested in joining our Chamber board? If you have been a member for at least one year, it is a great way to contribute to the chamber and have an impact in the business community. We will soon be accepting applications for three positions for our 2021 elections. As is customary, we will hold the elections during our May membership meeting. If you are interested, please email Gary Epstein: gary@zapkenandloeb.com.
Finally, I wish you and your families a Happy Passover and a Happy Easter. This year’s spring holidays hold special promise as we begin to recover from and move past the pandemic.
Andrew Lamkin
Chamber President