As state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli presented North Hempstead town Councilwoman Lee Seeman and her husband Murray with a community service award during the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce’s 100th anniversary dinner on Thursday, he marveled at the wisdom with which the latter can still analyze the issues affecting his friends and neighbors.
Seeman, the former Village of Great Neck Estates mayor and president of Great Neck Estates Civic Association and Great Neck Lawyer’s Club, is 101, even older than the chamber of commerce that honored him.
“To be here, it brings a tear to my eye,” he said. “Not a tear of sorrow – a tear of joy.”
The chamber presented a series of awards Thursday at Leonard’s Palazzo, including the President’s Award to U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-Dix Hills).
Israel, who represents Great Neck as part of the 3rd Congressional District, addressed the crowd through a pre-recorded video — as he was in Washington — saying the reason Great Neck is special is because of its prosperity and the people who run its small businesses.
“It’s one of the great communities because of the people,” Israel said.
Across the decades, Great Neck’s demographics have changed from the group of English and Irish merchants that founded the chamber of commerce.
In his remarks Thursday, chamber President Hooshang Nematzadeh said he wondered if the founders could have conceived that an Iranian immigrant would someday lead the organization.
“It is a testament to how diverse the chamber is,” he said.
Lee Seeman said when she was named program director of the chamber in 1975 — a position she has held since — everyone told her “so what.” But Seeman has taken the position seriously, she said, bringing in speakers to the chamber, ranging from elected officials to foreign relations experts to scientists.
“Lee’s definition of community is boundless,” DiNapoli said.
The chamber also presented Great Neck Rotary Club member and Past President Roger Chizever with the Jesse Market Award, given to a chamber member who has presented excellence in community service.
Anthony Carbone, former chamber president and owner of the heating and air conditioning contractor Systematic Control Corp., said Chizever is always committed to community service. Chizever is a certified Accident Prevention Workshop Instructor at the Community Education Center at Cumberland, and has been the chairman of the rotary club’s Thanksgiving Turkey Drive, which last year gave 1,100 families complete Thanksgiving turkey dinners.
Carbone said during Hurricane Sandy, he walked to a gas station to get gas after an announcement was made the station was getting a delivery.
When he arrived, he said, he saw Chizever, who is an Allstate Insurance broker in Manhasset, standing outside.
“I asked him what he was doing amidst all the chaos, and he said ‘I’m coordinating lines.’ I thought ‘Oh I’m never going to get gas now,’” Carbone joked.
Vic and Val Santelli, of Santelli & Son Inc., a landscape design company, and Norman and Rachel Lee, of Tennis Junction/Sports Set, were all awarded the Robert E. Freedman Retailer Award Thursday.
Tennis Junction/Sports Set, Norman Lee said, has been in business for 41 years, and although it has been in movies such as the 2014 film “This Is Where I Leave You,” the fame is not what matters.
“Over the years we’ve had some very interesting and famous people come to our store,” Norman Lee said. “But the important thing is having our regular customers come in year after year, day after day.”
Chamber First Vice President and President and CEO of DMI Consulting Group Dennis Grossman was awarded the 2013 Businessperson of the Year Award as well.
“He’s a man of honor, integrity and principle,” Nematzadeh said of Grossman, also the Village of Great Neck Board of Zoning and Appeals chair. “He cares about local consumers and agonizes over vacant stores just as I do.”
Scott Zimmerman of Aura Salon & Style Lounge was awarded the 2014 Businessperson of the Year award by the chamber.
Corinne Doria of the Andrew Hotel presented Zimmerman, who is also the chamber’s third Vice President, with the award, saying he has a passion for local businesses, and takes an interest in wanting people to notice the businesses.
“We are here, we are Great Neck and we are Great Neck strong,” Zimmerman said.
