It was surely a celebration at the 2022 Annual President’s Gala on March 2 at The Inn At New Hyde Park where the president, officers and directors were installed to the New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce.
The event was well attended by members of the New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce, local dignitaries like North Hempstead Supervisor Jen DeSena and residents of the community. The event hall, lit up by chandeliers, was lined with raffle items donated by businesses. Proceeds from the raffles went right back into the community.
Officers beginning their terms of leadership for the New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce included President Cheryl Fajardo, sworn in by DeSena; First Vice President Donna Pagano, Second Vice President and Secretary Saveeta Barnes, Third Vice President Larry Armstrong and Treasurer Richard Guilfoyle, all installed by Nassau County Legislator and Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello; and board of director members Antonio Petraglia, Channi Singh, Dean Lykos, Meghav Parikh, Mark Laytin and Ron Shapiro, all sworn in by Village of New Hyde Park Mayor Christopher Devane.
Past New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce President Jeanette Frisina, standing in front of the crowd at a podium, remarked that Fajardo not only runs a business in town, but that she’s also lived in the community for the past 30-years, meaning she serves the town both personally and professionally.
“Cheryl has a really giving nature and is always volunteering and stepping up to the plate to do what needs to get done,” Frisina said. “In fact, some of you may recall on the Zoom meeting when I introduced her as the new incoming president, I said she has three words that she always repeats and it was ‘I’ll do it.’”
Her nickname, Frisina added, is Cheryl “I’ll do it” Fajardo.
After Frisina called Fajardo up to the podium to say a few words, Fajardo reminisced on all that was accomplished over the recent years, including providing Personal Protective Equipment and rapid tests to local businesses, donating more than 2,000 pounds of food to local food pantries and celebrating new businesses with ribbon cuttings.
“Working through the pandemic has been demanding, but all of us stepped up to the challenge,” Fajardo said. “We are always looking for ways to give back to our community.”
Also celebrated at the gala were past presidents Peter Caputo, Stewart Small, Mark Laytin, Ralph Ventura, Richard DeMartino, Christopher Vulpis and Friscina, all of whom were presented with citations by local officials and their representatives.
Visit www.nhpchamber.org for more information about the New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce.
