Open House Celebrates Flushing Chamber's Achievements

The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce elected new Board members during an Open House celebration at historic St. George’s Church in downtown Flushing, Queens. Joined by State Assemblywoman Nily Rozic and City Councilman Peter Koo, local entrepreneurs and civic leaders also previewed the Chamber’s 2018 agenda of upcoming programs, community service projects, and priority issues for the business community.

The new Board members elected to the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce include the Rev. Richard McEachern, Senior Pastor of Macedonia AME Church; Bianca Ng, Owner of COTS Travel and member of the Flushing Business Improvement District; Elizabeth Hendrey, Provost and Vice President of Queens College (CUNY); Austin Yeung, Managing Director of Capital Partners Accounting; Carlos Bustamante, Owner of EZ Tax, Live Apparel, and Minuteman Press of Bayside; and, Kevin Louie, Senior Associate at Cushman Wakefield.

The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce continues to provide our community with the resources, programming and expertise necessary to usher Flushing into a new era of economic development and community success,” stated Councilman Peter Koo. “These efforts are greatly appreciated by the many businesses, entrepreneurs and civic associations in our community, and I look forward to working together in the years to come.”

Assemblywoman Rozic swore in the new Board members, along with returning Board members Taehoon Kim of Regen Acupuncture; Don Capalbi of the Queensboro Hill Flushing Civic Association; Michael Wang of Politan Real Estate; Alfred Rankins of the Latimer House Museum and Concerned African-Americans of Flushing; Alice Lee of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield; and, Michael Cheng of Epos Global Management. The Chamber also sang “Happy Birthday” to Assemblywoman Rozic with a birthday cake lit in her honor.

"From advocacy to networking and educational opportunities, Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce's commitment to fostering economic empowerment has always been centered around the importance of community.” stated Assemblywoman Nily Rozic. “As new leadership is sworn in, I want to extend my congratulations to the Board of Directors and the entire team for their dedication and service to the Flushing community."

John Choe, executive director of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce presented a preview of upcoming events and activities led by the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce in 2018. Major initiatives and campaigns to address the challenges faced by our business community include the establishment of a Flushing “World’s Fair” community expo on June 15, partnering with Google to develop business acceleration workshops starting March 28, and organizing a host of community service projects like the Queens SOUP on April 15.

“There is no other neighborhood in the world as dynamic, diverse, enterprising, or captivating as Flushing. We are proud to provide leadership to ensure continued prosperity for all those who live and work here,” stated Taehoon Kim, president of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, who convened the meeting. “We invite anyone interested in supporting our effort to revitalize Flushing to join the Chamber and participate in our networking, education and advocacy programs.”

Members of the Chamber were also joined by advisory board members Phil Andrews, President of the African-American Chamber of Commerce; the Rev. Wilfredo Benitez, Rector of St. George’s Church; and Rosa Figueroa, Director of the Small Business Development Center, and, Michelle Schimel of the New York State Homes and Community Renewal Agency; as well as Pedro Rodriguez, Founder of La Jornada, which catered the event, and representatives from New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, State Assemblyman Ron Kim, the New York City Fire Department.

Chamber members were also treated to the premier screening of a special documentary film, the second episode in a new series called “First Stop on the 7 Train,” by local filmmakers Helena Kincaid and Daniel Nalladurai of Sixty First Productions, a member of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce.

The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership association that fosters the economic growth, inclusive diversity, and shared prosperity of the Flushing community through advocacy, networking, and education. For more information, go to flushingchamber.nyc.