Zimmerman elected Great Neck Chamber of Commerce President

Joe Nikic

Scott Zimmerman says he wants to bring success back to the Great Neck business community.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, and I’m not expecting to move mountains, but I’m hoping to inspire people to do more for each other,” said Zimmerman, a Great Neck business owner who took over as Chamber of Commerce president at the start of the new year. “Try to be an inspiration.”

Zimmerman is succeeding Hooshang Nematzadeh, who stepped down as president at the end of the year after serving his second two-year term, the maximum terms allowed for a chamber president.

“First of all I congratulate him for the honor and I believe he will be a very effective president. He brings in a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” Nematzadeh said of Zimmerman. “He worked with me for the past two terms. He contributed so much to the chamber.”

Zimmerman, who is the owner of Aura Salon and Style Lounge located at 25 Cutter Mill Road, had served as third vice president of the chamber and continues to serve as a merchant director on the Great Neck Plaza Business Improvement District’s board of directors.

Nematzadeh said he believes Zimmerman’s work with the two boards gives him the experience needed to become a successful chamber president.

“That really qualifies him to be a very good chamber president,” he said. “I hope and I am certain he will continue the improvement that they have made to the chamber and make the chamber a rightful organization in the peninsula.”

Zimmerman, who opened the salon in 2010 and moved to Great Neck in August 2014, said his biggest goal as president is to recruit more businesses to fill store vacancies in Great Neck.

“I believe in the peninsula. I believe in the area. And there’s definitely a future here,” he said. “I think the economy was hit hard in Great Neck but I’ve seen it turning around in the five years I’ve been here.”

Zimmerman was recommended for the position by the chamber’s nominating committee, Nematzadeh said, and received all the votes from chamber’s members in an uncontested race.

Zimmerman said he wanted to expand the BID’s “shop local” marketing effort through social media and new signage throughout the different villages.

He added that he wanted to hold a “President’s Roundtable” twice a month where 15 business owners from the various villages would come to discuss issues they are facing in their respective village.

“Each village has its own issues that are different between villages,” Zimmerman said. “As the chamber, our biggest thing is to be here for the community and our ears are open to what people have to say.”

The chamber will also see a shift in its three vice president positions.

First Vice President Dennis Grossman is taking  Zimmerman’s third vice president position, Corinne Doria is moving from second vice president to first and Nematzadeh is taking over former Doria’s position as second vice president.

Zimmerman said although they have different positions, it is beneficial that the core group of people who have been working with improving businesses in Great Neck the past few years will remain together.

“There’s definitely a lot of opportunity here but I don’t think people realize there is opportunity here,” he said. “We’ve got to put it back in people that this area is going blossom. A lot of merchants and community members walk around with a chip on their shoulder and it’s time to make that chip go away.”

Share this Article