‘Top Women in Business’ to be recognized in May

Two local Brooklyn businesswomen will be among those honored at theprestigious ninth annual Top Women in Business Awards andNetworking Dinner on Thursday, May 19.

Renee Dorsa, president of the Brooklyn Real Estate Board and abroker associate at Coldwell Banker Reliable, and Elena Solitario,co-owner and vice president of Pilo Arts Day Spa and Salon, areamong this year’s recipients.

In addition, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly willreceive the Best Man of the Year award at the event, which ishosted by The Queens Courier and Queens Business, sisterpublications of The Home Reporter and Brooklyn Spectator.

This annual event recognizes women who, in addition to makingpositive impacts in the business world, are also active in givingback to their communities. However, in order to give back, Dorsaexplained, businesswomen must have faith in their ownpotential.

Each of us has the power to achieve whatever we set our minds to,Dorsa said. We are powerful beings and we can achieve greatnessbut we first need to believe we can do it.

Originally hailing from Avellino, Italy, Elena Solitario has runher upscale salon in Bay Ridge since 1978. A neighborhood fixture,Solitario’s business is the type of self-made success story thathas driven many foreign citizens to our shores, in search of abetter life.

I am the American Dream, she said. That’s the thing I hold closeto my heart. My father sacrificed his life to take me to a placewhere you can be someone.

Kelly first served as commissioner from 1992 to 1994 under MayorDavid Dinkins and was later appointed again by Mayor MichaelBloomberg in January of 2002. In addition to having been a memberof the New York Police Department for 43 years, past positions heldby Kelly include U.S. Customs Service commissioner, U.S. TreasuryDepartment undersecretary for enforcement, Americas of Interpolvice president, and he was a colonel in the Marine CorpsReserves.

Bombardier, TD Bank, PSCH Inc., Parker Jewish Institute for HealthCare & Rehabilitation, Flushing Bank, Community National Bank,The New York Daily News, Con Edison, NY1 News and Queens CountrySavings Bank will sponsor the event.

Top Women in Business will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. at Terrace onthe Park, located at 52-11 111th Street. It will include a tradeshow, networking and an awards ceremony.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visitwww.queenscourier.com/events.

Proceeds of this year’s raffles will be donated to the Queens BoyScouts of America.

For more information about this year’s Top Women in Business Awardsand Networking Dinner, including sponsorship opportunities, contactMaria Romero at 718-224-5863, Ext. 226.