The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Celebrates Black History on February 4th

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce pays tribute to outstanding business and community leaders on Tuesday, February 4th, 2020 at the Billie Holiday Theatre, 1368 Fulton St. Cocktails at 6:00 p.m., Awards Ceremony at 7:15. Four distinguished individuals 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 also recognizes Brooklyn Chamber’s Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) Committee, co-founders, Mr. Dunston and Mr. Howell. 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.”
“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 for making 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.”
Register through the website and new Brooklyn App, downloadable on iOS and Android. Registrants can “Join the Conversation” through in-app messaging. Contact Samara Karasyk, Chief Policy Officer skarasyk@brooklynchamber.com 718-875-1000, Ext. 137

Honorees:
Roy Hastick migrated to the U.S. from Grenada in 1972 and worked 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, it has a membership of over 1,700 in the tri-state area and Caribbean. Dr. Hastick has been credited with putting in place a structure to serve small business and foster unity among diverse cultures.

Samuel Dunston, President and Founder of National Allotment Insurance Agency is 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.

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 into a thriving, full-service neighborhood business with commercial space on Fulton Street, serving the community at-large. Committed to excellence and the highest quality of professionalism, Ms. Bowman’s goal has always been to be a support mechanism in the community

Bill Howell is President of Howell Industries, founded in 1985 as a Texaco wholesale oil distributor. Today, his firm provides construction management services and mentorship to M/WBE contractors at the NYC School Construction Authority, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Dormitory Authority of the 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. In May 2019, he was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to the NYC M/WBE Advisory Board