Brooklyn Chamber To Celebrate Black History Month

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce will pay tribute to the work of outstanding business and community leaders at its Black History celebration on Tuesday, February 4th, 2020, at the Billie Holiday Theatre at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn. The evening celebration begins with a Cocktail Hour at 6:00 p.m. followed by the Awards Ceremony at 7:15 p.m.

Four distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to the borough will be honored: Roy Hastick, President and CEO of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Samuel Dunston, President of National Allotment Insurance Agency; Lillian Bowman, CEO of Lillian's Professional Services; and Bill Howell, President of Howell Industries. This year's celebration recognizes the co-founders of the Brooklyn Chamber's Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Committee, Mr. Dunston and Mr. Howell, and an annual award, the Business Excellence Award, will be given in Mr. Dunston's name.

"It is a great honor to acknowledge four remarkable individuals whose meaningful contributions serve as an inspiration to so many in our great borough," said Brooklyn Chamber President & CEO Randy Peers. "I also applaud our MWBE Committee for its efforts throughout the year and for its work on our Black History celebration."

"We are honored to support and participate in the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce's Black History Month Celebration," said Investors Bank Sr. Vice President and NY Retail Market Executive Ana Oliveira, who is also the Chamber's Chair. "Our bank is grateful to join with the Chamber and its members in recognizing the significant achievements of these business leaders and innovators, whose careers, civic contributions and service to the Brooklyn community have inspired all of us."

"Congratulations to the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce's Black History Month honorees," said Juliet Lewis, Manager of Regional Corporate Affairs at Con Edison. "Con Edison is very pleased to participate in supporting the MWBE committee and its initiatives."

"National Grid congratulates the honorees for their outstanding work and significant contributions to make a difference in Brooklyn," said Renee V. McClure, Manager of Community and Customer Management at National Grid. "We recognize the importance of partnering with organizations to build strong relationships in the communities we serve, and I'm pleased to serve as co-chair of the Brooklyn Chamber MWBE committee, which fosters supplier diversity initiatives to bring new insights and perspectives."

This year, the Brooklyn Chamber will also be managing event registration through its website and the newly launched Brooklyn App, which can be downloaded on iOS and Android today. Registrations through The Brooklyn App can 'Join the Conversation' through in-app messaging.

Roy Hastick, born in Grenada, migrated to the United States in 1972 and worked for several years as a social services administrator, community advocate, entrepreneur, and newspaper publisher. In 1985, Dr. Hastick founded the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (CACCI) with only ten members. Under his leadership as President and CEO, the organization has become a well-recognized business entity with a membership of over 1,700 in the tri-state area and in the Caribbean. Over the years, CACCI has sustained and developed its mission, which is to promote economic development on behalf of Caribbean American, African American, women, and other minority entrepreneurs. Dr. Hastick has been credited for his tireless efforts to put in place a structure that serves the small business community and fosters a climate of unity and harmony among diverse cultures.

Samuel Dunston is President and Founder of National Allotment Insurance Agency and is recognized as an innovative leader in the insurance and employee benefits field. Formed in the 1970's, National Allotment has been serving the needs of diverse organizations across the United States ever since. The agency successfully designs and administers Employer/Union sponsored benefit plans and with over 50 years of experience, has the expertise necessary to effectively communicate long-range insurance and benefit concepts to all level employees. Under Mr. Dunston's leadership, National Allotment has formed strong relationships with some of the nation's most prestigious insurance carriers and has earned Standard & Poor's and A.M. Best's highest ratings. Mr. Dunston has also received numerous awards for his activities within the insurance and minority-owned business community.

Lillian T. Bowman is CEO and Founder of Lillian's Professional Services, a premier Income Tax and Multi-Business Service Center which has been serving the Bedford-Stuyvesant community for over two decades. Ms. Bowman transformed a home-based business with a client base of family and friends into a thriving, full-service neighborhood business with commercial space on Fulton Street, enabling her to serve the community at large. Committed to excellence and to providing the highest quality of professionalism, Ms. Bowman's goal has always been to be a support mechanism in the community. Over the years she has developed a staff of other business-minded individuals and has recruited and trained individuals from her community as well as young people from the Summer Youth Employment Program, mentoring them to become successful entrepreneurs and stimulate the economy. Her active role on the Brooklyn Chamber's MWBE Committee embodies her generous spirit of collaboration and giving back to the community.

Bill Howell is President of Howell Industries. His firm, founded in 1985, started in the petroleum industry as a Texaco wholesale oil distributor. Today, his firm focuses on providing construction management services and mentorship to M/WBE contractors at the NYC School Construction Authority, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Dormitory Authority State of New York in partnership with TDX Construction Corporation. Howell serves on the Board of Directors and is co- Chair of the Economic Empowerment Committee at One Hundred Black Men and a member of the New York City Site Safety Training Task Force. In May 2019 Mr. Howell was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to the NYC M/WBE Advisory Board, a board of business owners and community advocates who have a long history advancing opportunities for minority and women entrepreneurs.

Information on purchasing tickets and sponsorship packages can be found at https://weblink.ibrooklyn.com/events/2020-Black-History-Month-Celebration-3032/details.