THE QUEENS
DECEMBER 2019
Queens Chamber of Commerce holds
annual Business Person of the Year awards
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
In recognition of her six years at
Borough Hall, Queens Chamber of
Commerce president Th omas J. Grech
presented Queens Borough President
Melinda Katz with the “Q” Award in her
last Chamber event before she becomes
Queens district attorney next month.
More than 350 business, government
and community leaders from throughout
the borough gathered at Terrace on the
Park last week for the group’s 25th annual
Business Person of the Year Awards
Dinner. Port Authority of New York
& New Jersey Executive Director Rick
Cotton served as the evening’s Hall of
Fame Honoree and Keynote Speaker.
“Th is award recognizes the tangible
progress made by the Port Authority on
its multibillion-dollar airport redevelopment
project in Queens at LaGuardia and
JFK,” Cotton said. “Congressman Meeks,
Borough President Katz, and Queens
elected offi cials as well as the Queens
Chamber of Commerce and other local
organizations have been tireless partners
in our eff orts to transform LaGuardia
and JFK into 21st-century airports fi t
for the greatest city in the world. Th e
Port Authority is committed to rebuilding
these airports in close consultation with
the local communities and ensuring that
real benefi ts fl ow to Queens communities
impacted by the airports and by these
major construction projects.”
Th is year’s dinner also honored Tyquana
Henderson-Rivers, president and CEO
of Connective Strategies Inc., Chris
Xu, president of United Construction
and Development Group Corp., and
Alexandra Vassilaros, executive vice president
of Vassilaros & Sons Coff ee.
“Towards the end of each year, we like
to look back and acknowledge some of the
women and men who make Queens’ business
community so special,” Grech said.
“Th ese individuals are not only extraordinary
business people; they believe in
doing well by doing good, and giving
back. Th ey may come from diff erent
industries and diff erent walks of life, but
they represent the very best of Queens
and contribute greatly to creating opportunity
throughout the borough.”
Th e Queens Chamber of Commerce is
the oldest and largest business association
in Queens, representing more than
1,100 businesses and more that 100,000
Queens Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Thomas J. Grech presents Borough President Melinda Katz with the “Q” award.
Queens-based employees. Henderson-
Rivers started her Jamaica-based community
and government relations fi rm
in 2008.
“It is not every day that someone like
me, who came from the streets of southeast
Queens, stands up here among so
many other distinguished honorees,”
Henderson-Rivers said. “I am humbled
and I am honored by this award.”
Xu started his United Construction &
Development Group in Corona in 2000.
Th e company develops, builds and operates
residential buildings, condominiums,
daycare centers, hotels as well as offi ce and
rental buildings.
“I started to work here in Queens aft er
less than a year in high school, making
$40 a day,” Xu said. “Th anks to the opportunities
this borough had to off er, I’m here
before you today.”
Vassilaros & Sons is a family-owned
Photo Courtesy Queens Chamber of Commerce
coff ee company that has been operating in
the city since its founding by Greek immigrant
John Anthony Vassilaros more than
a hundred years ago. In 1962 the company
opened its permanent home in Flushing
now led by the family’s fourth generation.
“Queens is the best advertisement for
why diversity works,” Vassilaros said.
“Our borough is a shining example of how
diff erent groups of people can live together,
work together and thrive together.”
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