Brooklyn business leaders honored at gala

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce became the chamber of honors onDecember 8 at the agency’s annual Winter Gala held at El CaribeCountry Club in Mill Basin.

Honorees included Councilmember Domenic Recchia, AssemblymemberJoseph Lentol and State Senator Martin Golden. Retired BrooklynChamber Board Member Perry Shapiro received the lifetimeachievement award. Local businesses Bay Ridge Ford, the borough’snew NBA team, the Brooklyn Nets, and Coney Island renovationproject Luna Park were also recognized.

It gives us a sense of accomplishment, Brooklyn Chamber ofCommerce President Carl Hum said of the event, which drew anattendance of 350. It adds value to the community to know who yourleaders are and to thank them for their support.

Golden, recognized for his bipartisan effort with Lentol inco-sponsoring a bill to support the chamber’s Brooklyn Health Worksprogram, says cooperation in politics is easy when the program isone that is clearly essential. According to the chamber, BrooklynHealth Works helps over 700 small businesses with their healthinsurance costs.

If you deal in practicality and you deal in common sense, andit’s something that affects the people of the city, then the senateand the assembly will act in a responsible way, Golden said.

He points out that being recognized by the chamber is a specialdistinction.

This is not any chamber of commerce, Golden said. This is achamber of commerce that represents 2.5 million people. It’s anhonor.

And, as Hum is quick to note, just as important for Brooklynbusiness were the contributions of the three businesses that werealso recognized.

We were just looking back at our achievements in the last yearand we had three major contributors in Brooklyn’s businesslandscape, he said. And it was high time we recognized them.