JANUARY 2016

MONTHLY
UPDATE

www.sibiztrends.com

BITS & BYTES

Best biz/tech gift for less than $30.

Casandra Properties
certified WOBE

PAGE 6

ON THE JOB

Casandra Properties Inc., a

commercial real estate firm
based in Staten Island, recently
announced its certification as a
New York State Women-Owned
Business Enterprise.
I began Casandra Properties
in the late 1970s when a woman
selling commercial real estate
was an exception instead of the
norm, said Casandra Zappala,
broker/owner of Casandra Properties. It wasnt easy for me to
break into the field at that time. I
had to be persistent and to prove
that I could do the job well. Thirty
years later, Casandra Properties
is the leading commercial real estate brokerage firm on Staten Island, representing more than $1
billion in real estate transactions.
Casandra Properties Inc. specializes in consulting, real estate
sales, real estate leasing and real
estate portfolio optimization.

Richmond Business
Connections blood drive
Foundation Financial Advisors, in conjunction with FranSight and the Richmond Business
Connections, will sponsor an annual blood drive for Staten Island.
Chairperson of the event Ronald
P. Cutrone of Foundation Financial Advisors and Co-Chairperson
Ed Brochin of FranSight, both
members of the RBC, will be running the event. You will be able to
donate blood on Jan. 20, from
noon to 7 p.m. For more information, please contact Cutrone at
(347) 258-8131.
please see BRIEFS, page 2

See this months movers and shakers.

PAGE 8

WEEKLY MEETINGS
Check out this months happenings.
PAGE 4

A Night of Networking at the Hilton

STEVE WHITE/Business Trends

The Staten Island Bucks Business Network hosted "A Night of Networking" at the Hilton Garden Inn. Pictured,
from left, are Kathy Meola, John Tardy, Marc Ribler, Eryn Shewell, Mark Rivera, Donna Grado, Kasim Sulton,
Jeanine Tardy, Gerry Amerosa, Jon Cobert, Rocky Bryant and Richard Grado.

City workers to get paid family leave

By TIM RONALDSON
Business Trends
A proposed workers benefit that has been
a controversial topic among the private sector in New York is now available for city government workers.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced he will

Building Awards
Chamber celebrates construction,
design at annual awards
PAGE 3

sign an executive order so the city can provide approximately 20,000 employees with
paid parental leave. The policy provides six
weeks of paid time off for maternity, paternity, adoption and foster care, at 100 percent of
salary, or up to 12 weeks when combined
with existing leave. de Blasio said the city is
also hopeful to enter into talks with its mu-

nicipal unions about extending the policy to

their covered employees.
Too many new parents face an impossible
choice: taking care of their child or getting
their paycheck, de Blasio said. New York
City is leading by example, putting us at the
please see CITY, page 14

2 BUSINESS TRENDS JANUARY 2016

Monthly Update
BRIEFS
Continued from page 1

The event will be held at the

New York Blood Center located at

2791 Richmond Ave. in Staten Island. The center is located above

the Verizon Store. RBC is not only
looking for donors, but is looking
to expand its group and welcome
new members for 2016. If you are
interested in expanding your
business and generating more
revenue, come meet some of the
group members at the blood
drive.

Chamber, NYC SBS seek

input on Bay Street
There is much development
happening in downtown Staten
Island, including the New York
Wheel and Empire Outlets projects in St. George and the imminent opening of a large new residential complex in Stapleton.
To prepare, the Staten Island
Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the NYC Department
of Small Business Services to
evaluate the needs of the business community on the areas
major commercial artery, Bay
Street. They are seeking input
from consumers, merchants and
property owners. Comments will
be used to support the development of projects that will help improve the business and shopping
experience on Bay Street.
This is the only project focused
solely on the needs of the Bay
Street
business
community.
Those wishing to have their voices heard can fill out the consumer
survey
(http://goo.gl/forms/5FxOMd1m
rV), the merchant survey
(http://goo.gl/forms/VTjop13qe6
) or both.
For more information, call
(917) 865-0877 or email janetdugo@msn.com.

Wells Fargo selects

leader of new office
Wells Fargo & Company has selected Josephine Savastano to
lead its first Regional Commercial Banking Office in New Yorks
outer boroughs. The group plans
to open its doors at 47-40 21st St.,
Hunters Point Plaza, in Long Island City in March.
With more than 28 years of
commercial banking experience,
Savastano will build a team in a
region with significant business
opportunity. The outer boroughs
are home to hundreds of middle
market companies in industries
such as warehousing, transportation, real estate, manufacturing,
distribution, apparel and health
care. Savastano joined Wells
Fargo in 2013 as a regional vice
president for the New York City
RCBO, an office that has seen
double-digit growth over the past
two years.
Savastano started her banking
career at National Westminster
Bank USA and held commercial
banking roles with Citibank and
Sovereign Bank before joining
Wells Fargo. She holds a bachelors degree from St. Francis College and serves on the boards of
the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation and Long
Island City Partnership. Savastano was recently named as one
of the New York Business Journals Women of Influence, class of
2016.
Sixteen-year Wells Fargo veteran Keith Endersen has been
named as Savastanos successor
in Manhattan taking the reins of
the expanding New York City
RCBO.

Parisi Rampulla & Lenza, P.C.

78 Martin Avenue | Staten Island, NY, 10314

(718) 761-3333
Short Sales, Mortgage Modification,
Foreclosure Defense

JANUARY 2016 BUSINESS TRENDS 3

Chamber celebrates
construction, design
at Building Awards
By LUIS FONESCA JR.
Special to Business Trends

The complete list

New York City is home to some

of the most glorious architecture
in the modern world. From the
skyscrapers of Manhattan to the
beautiful homes and businesses
of Staten Island, many tourists
come to New York just to admire
the breath taking scenery.
While the buildings are admired and glorified by some, most
people do not know who is responsible for these works of beautiful architecture. The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
holds an annual award show that
gives recognition to just these
people for construction and design for properties on Staten Is-

For the full list of honorees,

please see page 10.

land.
That annual event is called the
Building Awards and this year
was the 54th time awards were
given out..
For the past 54 years, the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
Building Awards program has
recognized the efforts of local residents and members of the building industry who want to make
Staten Island a more beautiful
please see CHAMBER, page 12

4 BUSINESS TRENDS JANUARY 2016

WEEKLY MEETINGS
MONDAY
Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC
Small Bus. Counseling
MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705
Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment
only. For info, call 718-816-4775.
Kiwanis Club of Richmond Co.:
LaFontana Restaurant, 2879 Amboy

Rd. 7 p.m. Call 718-420-1966.

College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.
Business Counseling: CSI, 2800
Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No
charge. For info, call the SBDC at
718-982-2560.

Commerce, 130 Bay St. 9 a.m. No

charge. Call 718-982-2560.
College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.
Business Counseling: CSI, 2800
Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No
charge. Call the SBDC at 982-2560.

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Greater New Dorp Networking

Group: 8 a.m. Perkins, 1409 Hylan
Blvd. For information, call Steve
Lombardo at 718-702-8623.
SI Business Friends: 7:30 - 8:45
a.m. Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 South
Ave. For information, call Dr. Richard
Bove at 718-938-5978 or visit
www.sibfnetwork.com.
Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC
Small Bus. Counseling
MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705
Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment
only. For info, call 718-816-4775.
Direct120.com, Ultimate Think
Tank: Lorenzos, 1100 South Ave. For
info, visit www.direct120.com.
Kiwanis Club of South Shore:
LaFontana, 2879 Amboy Rd. 7:30
p.m. For info, call 718-370-2770.
SCORE Business Counseling: S.I.
Bank & Trust, 1550 Richmond Rd. 9
a.m. to noon. No appointment necessary. No charge. For info, call 718727-1221.
Business Guild I of the S.I. Chamber of Commerce: Hilton Garden
Inn, 1100 South Ave. 7:45 a.m. Members and invited guests only. Call
Michael Anicito at 646-606-2111.
Business Network Intl. (BNI) Network Alliance Chapter: Z-One
Lounge, 1821 Richmond Ave. 7 to
8:30 a.m. For info, call Timothy
Houston at 718-981-8600.
Rotary Club Staten Island: LiGrecis Staten, 697 Forest Ave. 12:30 to
1:30 p.m. Members and guests welcome. For info, call 718-370-3140.
College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.
Business Counseling: Chamber of

Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC

Small Bus. Counseling
MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705
Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment
only. For info, call 718-816-4775.
Richmond County Referral Source:
Comfort Inn. 7:00 to 8:15 a.m. For
info, email jcmexp@aol.com
Staten Island Business Council:
Andrews Diner, 4160 Hylan Blvd. 7
a.m. Members and invited guests
only. For info, call 347-855-4488 or
send an e-mail to info@sibizcouncil.com.
Bucks Business Network: Hampton Inn, 1120 South Ave. 7:45 a.m.
For info, call 718-351-2557 or visit
www.sibucks.com.
Kiwanis Club of Brighton: Jodys
Club Forest, 372 Forest Ave. 7:30
p.m. For info, call 718-348-0505.
Kiwanis Club of North Central:
LiGrecis Staten, 697 Forest Ave.
7:30 p.m. Call Len Bosso at 718-4427804.
Gateway Rotary Club: LaStrada,
139 New Dorp Ln. 7:15 p.m. For info,
call 718-447-1509.
SCORE Business Counseling:
Chamber of Commerce, 130 Bay St.
9 to 11:30 a.m. Appointment necessary. No charge. Call 718-727-1221.
E.L.I.T.E. (Executive, Leadership,
Interactive, Team, Effort) Networking Group: 1110 South Ave. 8
a.m. New members welcome. For
info, call 347-273-1375.
College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.
Business Counseling: CSI, 2800

Weddings
Sweet 16s
Anniversaries
Birthday Parties
Much much more!
..................................

Steve White
6 Genesee Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10308
Phone: 718.317.5025
Cell: 917.446.4029
Email: statenarts@aol.com

please see MEETINGS, page 13

statenarts
Staten Arts Photography
www.statenartsphotography.com

JANUARY 2016 BUSINESS TRENDS 5

$! ' %!
%(!#

Matteo presented with award

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STEVE WHITE/Business Trends

City Councilman Steven Matteo was presented with the Richard M.

Silberstein Award for his service and support for Staten Island children and families. Pictured with him is Fern Zagor, Staten Island
Mental Health Society president and CEO.

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Michael Gaffney, Esq. 718-815-6400 mgaffney@thegaffney.lawfirmcom

6 BUSINESS TRENDS JANUARY 2016

in our opinion

Lets resolve to give back in 2016

66 Willow Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10305
718-775-3154
JOE EISELE
Publisher
TIM RONALDSON
Executive Editor

For the New Year, we could all give some of our time to lend a helping hand
ost of us are lucky enough to
spend the holidays with our
loved ones. Most of us are
lucky enough to be able to give and receive presents, to put a home-cooked
meal on the table and to sit back, relax
and enjoy whats important in life.
There are many, though, living right
here in our state of New York, who are
not as lucky as we are. And these are
the people who need our help the most.
So as we put 2015 behind us and
enter a New Year, lets all resolve to
give back more in 2016.
We like to think of ourselves as giving people, but compared to the rest of
the country, thats just not the case.
A study released recently by the Corporation for National and Community

Share your thoughts

Do you volunteer, or do you plan to
volunteer in the New Year? Share your
thoughts on this, and other topics,
through a letter to the editor.

Service and the National Conference

on Citizenship found that 19.2 percent
of New York residents volunteered
their time in 2014.
That ranked us near the bottom, 50th
out of 51, for all states plus Washington, D.C., in the nation. Utah topped
the list at 46 percent.
The study found that 3.03 million
residents volunteered a total of more
than 645.9 million hours of service.

The stats counted only non-paid work

as volunteering.
The good news is it doesnt take
much to change this trend. Volunteering doesnt have to take up all of ones
free time, and it doesnt have to include
big monetary donations.
Volunteering can be as simple as
pitching in at a soup kitchen, coaching
a Little League team or collecting trash
at a public park. Doing a little can go a
long way. What may seem as not much
to most of us can have a huge impact
to someone else.
So while youre compiling your list
of To Dos for 2016, add giving back to
the community by volunteering. Youll
be surprised at the impact you can
have.

STEVE COPPOLA
Director
RICHARD GRADO
Director
ROBERT CUTRONA
Director
LAWRENCE RAMPULLA
Director
JANET WARREN DUGO
Publisher Emeritus
DAN McDONOUGH, JR.
Chairman
Business Trends is mailed each month to the
business and community leaders of Staten
Island. To be added to the mailing list, email joe@sibiztrends.com. To submit a
news release, email news@sibiztrends.com.
For advertising info, call 718-775-3154 or
email joe@sibiztrends.com.

BITS & BYTES

The best business/tech gift for less than $30

By BILL DUBOVSKY

Situation
Getting that special gift for a
business person, tech person or
tech-business person can be a
challenge, especially when your
budget is less than $30! Many
business/tech people (myself included) consider coffee a necessary daily food group, and everyone likes it made their own special way.

What is it?
The Aeropress Coffee and Expresso Maker is a very low-tech
device for making your coffee exactly the way you like it. You
dont need to purchase expensive

special coffee pods (you can use

as much or as little of your favorite blend) and it can be prepared in less than two minutes.

How it works
First, place a filter at the bottom of the Aeropress tube and
then put one tablespoon or more
of finely ground coffee into the
tube. Place the tube over your coffee cup. Next, heat about a cup of
water. You can boil water on the
stove or heat a cup in the microwave for about one to one-anda-half minutes. Hotter water may
bring out more taste. When the
water is hot enough, just pour it
into the top of the tube, use the
stirrer to thoroughly mix the cof-

fee-water mixture, then place the

plunger in the top of the tube and
slowly and firmly press down.
Lift the tube off the coffee cup
and youre ready for some great
coffee or expresso. Pull the
plunger out of the tube, rinse, discard the filter, rinse the tube and
you are ready for another cup.

What you need

Everything, including filters, is
included in the product box.

Where to get it
Amazon and most home appliance retailers sell the Aeropress.
The current price for Aeropress
on Amazon is $29.95. Accessories
you may want to order include

extra paper filters, a reusable

metal filter or a carrying pouch.

How hard is it to use?

Just read the directions that
come with the unit. Youll be
making great coffee in a few minutes.

Pros
Makes great custom-brewed
coffee just the way you like it! Is
quick, inexpensive and easy-touse.

Cons/Caveats
Read the instructions before
you use it. The pressing of the
plunger takes a bit of effort, and
the Aeropress only makes one

cup at a time.

Bottom-line
If you are a picky coffee lover,
this device gives you the opportunity to make it the way you like it
anywhere you go. And for less
than $30, it is a very affordable
and welcomed gift for any coffeelover.
Bill Dubovsky is an entrepreneur,
educator, and technology reviewer.
He teaches at the CSI, School of
Business, CUNY, and at Wagner College, and is a telecom/network consultant with Comtel Information
Services.
Contact
him
at
billdubovsky@gmail.com or on
Linkedin.

Doreen M. Inserra, CPA, PC

Certified Government Financial Manager
Certified Public Accountant
Individual & Business Tax Consultant
A Professional Corporation

E-File / E-Pay / Direct Deposit

Member
QuickBooks Professional Advisor Program
Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
Honorary Member of SCORE, Counselors to Americas Small Business

By Appointment

718-979-5163

8 BUSINESS TRENDS JANUARY 2016

on the job
JOSEPH J. DEPAOLO
Signature Bank
Signature Bank announced
that President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph J. DePaolo
was named the recipient of the
Alfred B. DelBello Visionary
Award by the Westchester County
Association, the leading business

Bill Bergman, Vice President, Leasing

(718) 263-3800 x 307
bbergman@muss.com
118-35 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, NY 11375
www.muss.com

membership organization in
Westchester County, focused on
economic vitality and development in Westchester and the surrounding region.
The Alfred B. DelBello Visionary Award applauds visionaries
and honors the late DelBello,
chairman emeritus of
the
Westchester County Association
and an outstanding public official, attorney, environmentalist,
businessman, mentor, humanitarian, animal welfare advocate
and family man.
DePaolo was chosen to receive
this honor based on his vision for
creating Signature Bank as well
as his passion and drive for subsequently growing the client-centric institution to $32 billion in assets, as of Sept. 30.
DelBello served on Signature
Banks board since January 2003.
He was a partner in the White
Plains, N.Y.-based law firm of DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise
& Wiederkehr, LLP and had held
several public service roles including lieutenant governor of
the State of New York from 1983
to 1985, Westchester County executive from 1974 to 1983 and mayor
of Yonkers from 1970 to 1974.
While serving on Signature
Banks board, DelBello made significant contributions not only as
a member but also through various committee chair responsibilities, including leading the Audit,
Enterprise Risk and Nominating
Committees at various points in
time. In his honor, Signature
Bank officially dedicated the
boardroom at its midtown Manhattan headquarters recently, designating it The Alfred B. DelBello Board Room. A plaque depicting this resides at the entryway to
serve as a constant reminder of
DelBellos commitment and contributions to Signature Bank.
DePaolo resides in New
Rochelle, where he has lived with
his family for nearly 30 years. He
is a graduate of Iona College in
Westchester, which he attended
on a full academic scholarship.
He graduated Summa Cum
Laude, earning a bachelors degree in business administration
in accounting. DePaolo is a member of the New York State Society
of Certified Public Accountants.
During the course of his career,

he has earned numerous awards

for his business achievements
and local community involvement.
FRANCES KINGSTON
Seton Hall University
Budding entrepreneurs from
around the nation gathered recently at Seton Hall University to
present their business ideas to a
judging panel of corporate executives. What made this gathering
so fascinating was that the 10 finalists, from a pool of more than
250 from 20 states as well as Italy
and Zimbabwe, were teenagers
participating in the inaugural
High School Pirates Pitch competition.
Frances Kingston, a Staten Island senior whose Theresa
Bakes is a pan-and related baking equipment system that makes
baking, decorating and serving a
cake easier and more professional, was among the finalists.
The tremendous response
confirmed that todays young people are truly the entrepreneurial
generation. The high school students who participated in our
competition dream big and have
the passion to pursue their
dreams, said Susan Scherreik,
founding director of the Center
for Entrepreneurial Studies at the
Stillman School of Business.
Based on the centers highly
successful College Pirate Pitch
Competition, the event was
geared to teaching high school
students entrepreneurship basics
and idea generation as well as
recognizing and rewarding students with outstanding entrepreneurial know-how. All finalists received a $4,000 scholarship to attend Seton Hall University. Finalists and their families were invited to a special business networking and advice reception with corporate executives and successful
entrepreneurs.
With this explosion of interest in entrepreneurship, we developed such a great college program, and we wanted to bring it
to high school students and give
them a taste of college competition, Scherreik said. Bringing
these entrepreneurs to college
also exposes them to the No. 1
business leadership program in
the country.

JANUARY 2016 BUSINESS TRENDS 9

DePaolo receives visionary award

"

"

Generate More
Revenue For
Your Business
BUSINESS WIRE/Special to Business Trends

Pictured, from left, are Joseph J. DePaolo, president and CEO, Signature Bank; William M. Mooney, Jr., president and CEO, Westchester
County Association; Dee DelBello, publisher, Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journals and WAG Magazine; and, Damon DelBello, M.D.

Contact
Ronald P. Cutrone

718.727.5100

10 BUSINESS TRENDS JANUARY 2016

Building Award honorees and their projects

Lee H. Skolnick Architecture &
Design Partnership: National
Lighthouse Center and Museum
Gluckman Tang Architects:
Staten Island Museum at Snug
Harbor
Eden II Programs: Hon. James P.
Molinaro Center for Autism
Robert T. Sutter, AIA, NCARB:
Hon. James P. Molinaro Center
for Autism
DeSantis, Kieter, Shall & Sancone
LLP
Calvanico Associates
Architectural & Engineering:
Cromwell Circle

P.C.: Residence of Giegerich

Place
Annmarie Ruta of Elegant
Interior Designs: Residence of
Giegerich Place
Rock Solid Landscape and
Masonry Design Inc.: Residence
of Jeffrey Place
Standard Burger
Mammoth Inc. Construction:
Sonic Restaurant
Nicholas Tamborra: Sonic
Restaurant
Gail Castellano, Senior V.P.:
Tottenville Branch of Richmond
County Savings

Marcia Caruselle: Cromwell Circle

Woof & Tails Lodge
Peter Salerno: Cromwell Circle
Joseph J. Noce: Todt Hill

Troost Bros. Inc. : North Mada

Avenue

Basso Landscaping: Cromwell

Circle

Firebird Contractors: DL Design

Concepts

P&M Carpentry: Cromwell Circle

Arthur McCarthy: Alphabet

Academy

Anselmo Genovese, Architect:

Sandy Restoration
Ronald A. Victorio: Third County
Courthouse Lobby Renovation
Historic Richmond Town: Third
County Courthouse Lobby
Renovation

Glen V. Cutrona, AIA: Alphabet

Academy
Glen V. Cutrona, AIA: Golkin
Building
Annadale Residence homeowner
Gerald Amerosi: Gerald Peters

Ronald A. Victorio: Kruser-Finely

House Restoration

Glen V. Cutrona, AIA: Gerald

Peters

Historic Richmond Town: KruserFinely House Restoration

John Tardy: Gerald Peters

Vincent Aiello: Nugent Street

The Brielle

Rock Solid Landscape and

Masonry Design Inc.: Residence
of Giegerich Place

Troost Bros. Inc.: Residence at

Benedict Avenue

Sanna & Loccisano Architects,

Vincent Aiello: Residence at

Sturges Street

When the news is sweet, We Tweet!

When the news is bitter, We Still Twitter!

Follow us at twitter.com/sibiztrends

12 BUSINESS TRENDS JANUARY 2016

Chamber hosts Building Awards

CHAMBER
Continued from page 3

place to live and work, said

Linda Baran, the Chambers president and CEO. While some may
think that Staten Island does not
have much to offer in terms of
sight-seeing, the truth is in these
awards; for 54 years buildings and
houses have been adding to the already beautiful residency that is
Staten Island.
It may seem as though the
Awards have only one purpose; to
acknowledge beautiful buildings
and though that is somewhat true
there is much more meaning behind these awards. When asked,
Baran said, The Building
Awards program also lets us
showcase positive changes in
Staten Island. We added a Sandy
Restoration category to bring attention to the many changes in
construction methods that can
help protect homes during future
storms. The TD Bank Best in
Green Award recognizes a growing interest in creating buildings
that use alternative energy
sources and materials, and have
design features that contribute to

natural sustainability.
With all that in mind, it is easy
to see why the Building Awards
has been such a success. Its willingness to adapt to the world
around it and the different categories that every building is recognized make it a very unique
event.
If further proof is needed of
how prestigious this event is,
then look no further at the class
of judges that rule on each nominee. According to this years
press release, judges for this
years awards included Ronit
Lapid of aRKAY Designs, Joe
Covello of United Hoisting and
Scaffolding, Bob Bernabe of
Bernabe Home Improvement,
Mike Veneziale of Statwood
Home Improvements, Debra
Monte of The Green Inspector,
Linda Carroll of AAA Thrifty Exterminating, Murray Berman of
Heritage Hill Homes, and Jeff
Geary of Avid Designs Inc., along
with other members of the Chambers Building Awards Committee.
These awards arent about
specific tastes in design or personal preferences, Baran said.
Our judges are professionals
who can recognize quality materials, expert craftsmanship and

exquisite design. This is really

about the excellent work our
building and design industries do
here on Staten Island.
While there are many awards
and many recipients, there is one
award that stands above the rest
The Chairmans Award.
The winners of the Chairmans Awards, in particular, are
the best of the best from among
the many entries we receive,
Baran said.
One of this years winners was
the Honorary James P. Molinaro
Center for Autism. Winning this
award meant so much to the recipients they actually have a
thank you quote from the Executive Director of The Eden II Programs on the first page of their
website. The building itself went
under a total rebuild, and that is
why it was submitted for an
award. Winning The Chairmans
Award means the building scored
the highest in every category,
which is why it is considered to
be a cut above the rest.
Staten Island may not be the
tourist attraction that Manhattan
is, or the most popular borough
New York City has to offer, but to
many residents it is beautiful and
deserves to be recognized. If
asked, the people of The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce believe it is recognized, and its been
recognized for 54 years now.

Visit us on the Web at

www.sibiztrends.com

JANUARY 2016 BUSINESS TRENDS 13

Weekly meetings
MEETINGS
Continued from page 4
Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For
info, call 718-982-2560.

THURSDAY
Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC
Small Bus. Counseling
MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705
Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment
only. For info, call 718-816-4775.
Richmond Business Connections:
Z One, 1821 Richmond Ave. 8 a.m.
For information, call Ronald P.
Cutrone at (347) 258-8131.
Kiwanis Club of Staten Island:
LiGrecis Staten, 697 Forest Ave.
7:30 p.m. For info, call 718-967-4345
or kiwanisclubofstatenisland.com.
Rotary Club of South Shore: Mansion Grand, 141 Mansion Ave. 12:15
p.m. For info, call 718-987-2061 or
visit southshorerotary.org.

Rotary Club Mid-Island: New Dakota Diner, 921 Richmond Ave. 7:30 to
9:00 a.m. Call 718-981-0700.
SCORE Business Counseling: SI
Bank & Trust, 1550 Richmond Rd. 9
a.m. to noon. No appointment necessary. No charge. Call 718-727-1221.
Rotary Club of North Shore: LiGrecis Staten, 697 Forest Ave. 7 p.m.
For info, call Christine DeHart at
718-448-4725.
Business Network Intl. (BNI) High
Achievers Chapter: PKs Restaurant,1281 Arthur Kill Rd. 7 to 8:30
a.m. For info, call Timothy Houston
at 718-981-8600.
Business Guild II of the S.I. Chamber of Commerce: Hilton Garden
Inn, 1100 South Ave. 7:45 to 8:45
a.m. Members and invited guests
only. For info, call Lou Rizzo at 718490-0057.
Business Guild III of the SI Chamber of Commerce: Hilton Garden
Inn, 1100 South Ave. 8 a.m. New
members welcome. Call Nick Testa
at 646-823-4494.
College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.

Business Counseling: CSI, 2800

Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For
info, call 718-982-2560.
Community Emergency Response
Team (CERT): 7 p.m. For info. and
locations, call John Tidona at 4487160 or portrichcert@yahoo.com.

FRIDAY
Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDC
Small Bus. Counseling
MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705
Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointment
only. For info, call 718-816-4775.

SATURDAY
SCORE Business Counseling: St.
George Library, 5 Central Ave. 10
a.m. to noon. Appointment necessary. No charge. Call 718-442-8560.
SCORE Business Counseling: Richmondtown Library, 200 Clarke Ave.
10 to 11:30 a.m. Appointment necessary. For info, call 718-668-0413.

14 BUSINESS TRENDS JANUARY 2016

City workers get paid family leave

CITY
Continued from page 1

forefront of paid parental leave

policies around the country. This
is a common sense policy that
will make for healthier and more
financially stable working families making it good for employees and employers.
Paid family leave has been at
the forefront of the minds of
politicians, employers, employees, business organizations and
workers advocacy groups for
some time now. The state Assembly passed a family leave bill early
in 2015, but the bill did not pass
through the state Senate. That bill
would have given workers six to
12 weeks of salaried leave to care
for a newborn child or a seriously
ill relative. Similar laws are already on the books in New Jersey,
Rhode Island and California.

Private-sector employees in
New York can utilize the federal
Family and Medical Leave Act,
which provides 12 weeks of leave
for such situations, but unpaid.
Opponents of the proposed bill
say giving employees that much
paid time off will negatively affect the bottom line and productivity of businesses, specifically
in the small business sector,
which accounts for a majority of
businesses in New York City.
According to the mayors office, though, studies have shown
the opposite that paid parental
leave has a positive impact on not
just employees but also on employers, helping to reduce
turnover while ensuring employees are able to return to work
when ready.
When making the announcement of the citys new bill, the
mayors office cited a 2014 report
from the Presidents Council of
Economic Advisers that found
that more than 90 percent of em-

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ployers affected by Californias

paid leave initiative reported either positive or no noticeable impact on profitability, turnover and
morale. Other studies cited by the
mayors office found families that
benefit from paid leave are less
likely to receive public assistance,
and that the program can substantially reduce infant mortality rates and improve a childs
overall health.
Paid parental leave is an essential support for working families and communities, said Teresa C. Younger, the president and
CEO of the Ms. Foundation for
Women, a nonprofit foundation
that looks to build womens collective power for social, economic
and reproductive justice. When
new parents women and men
are able to take time to care for
their children without losing
their jobs or their pay, it benefits
families, communities and businesses by ensuring that everyone
has the opportunity to contribute
and compete regardless of
parental status.
The citys program will be
funded by repurposing the existing managerial raise of 0.47 percent scheduled for July 2017 and
two days of vacation leave policy
to provide the six weeks of paid
parental leave to all managerial
and original jurisdiction employees. It will not cost taxpayers any
money, officials said.
The six weeks of paid leave
will be at full salary and can be
combined with existing accrued
sick and/or vacation leave, so employees can have a maximum of
12 weeks of maternity, paternity,
adoption or foster care leave without losing pay.
New York City joins Austin,
Texas, and Pittsburg, Pa., as cities
offering paid leave policies.
This new policy is another
clear sign that cities across the
country are realizing the value of
family-friendly workplace policies, state Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said. We need a national
paid-leave program that covers all
working Americans. I am thrilled
that Mayor de Blasio is taking a
lead in this important fight by
giving thousands of New York
City workers extended paid
parental leave.