L-R Board Members: Czarinna Andres, Christian Murray, Nick Murphy, CM Jimmy Van Bramer, Diana Voicu-Marinesu, Melissa Orlando, Brandon Mosley and Manny Gomez
April 11, 2018 Staff Report
The Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce elected a new president Tuesday at its annual meeting.
Melissa Orlando, the founder of Access Queens and an instructor at Sunnyside Ballet Studio, has taken over the post from Manny Gomez who stepped down. Orlando was the secretary of the chamber prior to the vote.
Gomez, who was chamber president in 2016 and 2017, is now the board’s chairperson. He said he decided to not run for the top spot in order to make way for change and new ideas.
“Even if you are doing great things, you have to let others bring forward their skills, knowledge and ideas,” Gomez said.
Czarinna Andres, who owned Bing’s Gifts on Greenpoint Avenue and is now a director at Sunnyside Community Services, was elected vice president.
Andres joins Orlando and Gomez—as well as Anthony Lodati, owner of Lowery Liquors, Juan Arache, owner of Sugar Room, Rigo Cardoso, owner of Pronto, Leslie Singh, of Dime Bank, and Hayes Peter Mauro, of CUNY–on the executive board.
The board has yet to appoint a new executive director. Pat Dorfman, the current executive director, announced that she is stepping down.
Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer was at the meeting, held at the Copper Kettle, to swear in the board.
5 Comments
Seems Jimmy Van Bramer got sunburn from the picture. All JVB Stooges!! Was JVB away in the Caribbean again?
Withheld – Eat your heart out. You’re so jealous.
I love that they elected a person that does not Owen a business and has no business experience to be head of the chamber of commerce.
Most of the biz from this list seem to be hanging on by a thread. Either way, best of luck to all in Sunnyside.
the proper word should be “Own” and not “Owen” —