Brooklyn chamber celebrates its centennial with an all-star gala

Who’s who of Brooklyn civic leaders attend celebration

February 12, 2018 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle

(L-R) Carlo Scissura, Denise Arbesu, Peter Meyer and Andrew Hoan. Eagle photos by Arthur De Gaeta

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The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce (BCC) held its centennial celebration on Saturday with a lavish gala at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge. The event brought together a veritable who’s who of Brooklyn movers and shakers to pay tribute to the venerable organization’s 100 years of service.

Founded on February 6, 1918, the Chamber of Commerce began as a civic group to help improve the living conditions of residents in the borough. Ultimately it would serve as a means to link business and community for the betterment of Brooklyn. By 1927 the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce was the second largest in the U.S.

In 1976 the BCC merged with the Downtown Brooklyn Development Association in an effort to continue helping to revitalize Brooklyn.

Throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century, the BCC has taken on the initiative of promoting emerging industries with a series of programs and initiatives. Today the organization has over 2000 members.

Under the direction of Chamber President and CEO Andrew Hoan, the BCC continues to advance the borough through its support and advocacy as Brooklyn’s leading economic development organization.

The evening’s celebration began with a video presentation featuring Pete Hamill, who called the BCC “an act created by men of amazing optimism who anticipated the future, to lead as a city, as a country and as a culture.”

The Brooklyn Century Awards, which recognize outstanding contributions of Brooklyn leaders, both individuals and organizations, were presented to Pamela Brier, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation represented by Colvin Grannum, Robert B. Catell, Alan H. Fishman, Joseph M. Mattone, Sr. and Bruce Ratner.

Among the elected officials attending the event were U.S. Representatives Dan Donovan and Nydia Velazquez, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, state Senators Marty Golden, Jesse Hamilton and Roxanne Persaud; Kings County Democratic Chairman Frank Seddio, Public Advocate Letitia James, Assemblymembers Peter Abbate, Nick Perry; City Councilmembers Justin Brannan, Mark Treyger and Brad Lander.

Amber Lasciak, co-founder of Redu NYC, welcomed guests before a performance by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus men’s ensemble. Also performing at the event were the BKSteppers band and the Coney Island Freak Show.

Centennial Committee Chair Peter M. Meyer explained that the BCC was begun when Woodrow Wilson was president of the United States as he highlighted moments from the chamber’s rich history. He called today’s Brooklyn Chamber a vibrant organization with the proof being the more than 1000 guests attending the gala.

BCC Chair Denise Arbesu thanked Hoan, the chamber board and all of the evening’s sponsors for helping make the evening a success. She added that she “was very proud of our diverse staff and our diverse membership,” before introducing Hoan.

Hoan thanked the chamber and his immediate predecessor Carlo Scissura, who served as BCC chair from Sept. 2012 to Dec. 2016 and is currently President and CEO of the New York Building Congress.

Hoan also thanked Borough President Eric L. Adams for all his support and pointed out that the three most recent borough presidents, Adams, Marty Markowitz and Howard Golden were all in attendance. He also recognized all the chairs of the other chambers of commerce throughout New York City who were in the audience.

He asked every member of government and all elected officials to stand up and be recognized for all that they’ve done for the business community.

“Brooklyn has come a long way since this property we are all sitting in was a place no one ever thought would be a hotel and a convention facility. We are sitting in the house that Muss built . . . We have come a long way. We continue to be on the path to become the third largest city in America, surpassing Chicago by 2020. Not bad. We’ve had eight consecutive years of private sector job growth outpacing the rest of New York City, creating over 100,000 jobs . . . We are a force to be reckoned with.”

Regarding the chamber’s successes Hoan added, “Last year along we put 400 people in jobs . . . we’re keeping our eyes on the prize for the future of Brooklyn.”