what’s insidePresident’s Message 2

Member News Briefs 2

Hitch a Ride 3

Upcoming Events 3

Director Spotlight 3

New Members 4

MRCC Events 5

Snapshots 6

Chamber Events 7

What Our MembersAre Saying 8

MRCC Directors 8

Register today!FeBRUaRY 9

Member Appreciation

BAH/Open House

Crowne Plaza HotelSponsored by Crowne Plaza andM&T BankThis FREE event offers greatfood, networking & cash bar.See page 8 for details

MaRCH 24Annual Luncheon

Sheraton MahwahSponsored by M&T Bank.Meet MRCC’s leadership andpick up your new Directory.

save the dateaPRil 25

Community Spirit Showcase

Sheraton Mahwah HotelSponsored by Sheraton MahwahHotel, Bergen Volunteer Center,Bergen Volunteer Medical Initia-tive, Family Promise of BergenCounty, and TD Bank.

Meet many important non-profit

members groups in the region.

Bergen County’s Premier Chamber of Commerce™

The Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce is

proud to announce that a donation in the amount of

$32,000 was presented to MRCC’s 2016 Humanitari-

an of the Year Rick Taylor, CEO, Konica Minolta

Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc., on behalf of his char-

ity choice, Tackle Kids Cancer. This donation was a di-

rect result of MRCC’s 2016 Golf Outing/Humanitarian

Dinner fundraising effort. Additionally, MRCC pre-

sented a $1,507 check and 200 pounds of perishable

food to Table to Table from our recent Taste of the Re-

gion, and $1,000 to Bergen Volunteer Med-

ical Initiative, MRCC’s 2016 Organization

of the Year. The Holiday Luncheon con-

cluded with members donating a total of

$1,120 to the Community Outreach Ser-

vices Holiday Toy Drive of Paterson, NJ.

The best Holiday Luncheon ever!

Right, clockwise from top: At the Holiday Lun-

cheon, the Chamber made donations to Tackle

Kids Cancer, Table to Table and the Bergen Volun-

teer Medical Initiative.

$30,000 awaRDeD aT MRCC’s HoliDaY lUnCHeonIf you ask any of the charities which the Eastwick

Foundation has helped, they would all agree that “Tom

Eastwick is Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the

Tooth Fairy all rolled into one.” Tom is most passion-

ate about fighting hunger and in the past three years,

the Eastwick Foundation has donated $85,000 to local

organizations that feed the hungry.

This year, at the sold out MRCC Holiday Luncheon,

$30,000 was divided equally among six non-profits: Center for Food

Action–Northwest, Community Outreach Services, Jewish Family Services, Meals

on Wheels of Rockland, Pascack Valley Meals on Wheels, and Table to Table.

These donations don’t happen by chance. “The staff and students at all three East-

wick College campuses and at the HoHoKus Trade School pitch in,” explained

Tom. “Our students hold fundraising lunches; our vendors send donations; and the

staff donates, too.” Then, Tom personally matches the amount. Whether you think

of him as Santa Claus,

the Easter Bunny, or the

Tooth Fairy, feeding the

hungry is what pleases

him most.

CHaMBeR Gives BaCK aT HoliDaY lUnCHeon

CHaMBeR HonoReesAbove:

The Chamber also introduced its annual

honorees at the Holiday Lunch. L to r:

Young Professional of the Year Ryan Ja-

grup of TD Bank, Citizen of the Year

Patty Langdale of Boiling Springs Bank;

MRCC president Shannon Lazare; Com-

pany of the Year Kinetic PT, represented

by Evan Chait and Edward Chair.

����������������

Bergen County's Premier Chamber of Commerce™

Your 2017 Membership Directoryis now in production.

Be visiBle!Call the MRCC office to place your ad.

More photos on page 5

• The McBride Agency has joined with TerrieO’Connor Realtors. Terrie O’Connor, Founderand President of Terrie O’Connor Realtors com-mented, “We are honored to have such a respect-ed and communityminded firm such as TheMcBride Agency affiliated with us: the family his-tory, traditions and their reputation for integrity ofservice through the years are qualities our twocompanies share. We are looking forward to pro-viding the top standard of service to our clientsand be an integral part of such a special and tight-knit community.

Peter McBride, President of The McBrideAgency stated, “Our agency has enjoyed years ofstrong business and client relationships that havemade this community a special place. Joiningforces with the highly respected, full-service andindependent company of Terrie O’Connor Realtorswas a natural decision and we are looking forwardto the growing business. We feel confident the ad-ditional services, technology and tools for cus-tomer support that her firm provides will enhancethe business of selling and buying homes inFranklin Lakes and the surrounding communities.”

Founded in 1991, Terrie O’Connor Realtors hasbecome a well known, full service real estate firm,with 9 offices and approximately 400 sales associ-ates serving northern New Jersey and southernNew York state. As a member of Leading Real Es-tate Companies of the World and Who’s Who inLuxury Real Estate, the company is part of thelargest global real estate network with over 3,500offices in over 50 countries.

• County Executive Ed Day presented World-wide Community First Responder (WCFR)with a Rockland County, New York Proclamationon September 24, 2016 commending their 5 yearsof service—and declared that day as “WorldwideCommunity First Responder Day”.

A vital public service founded in September2011, WCFR are members of healthcare profes-sion who offer their services not only in RocklandCounty, but worldwide to those in need. WCFR isa non-profit charitable organization with a mis-sion to prevent deaths worldwide through educa-tion and training by educating communitymembers worldwide of fatal health conditions andpreventative measures, as well as providingworldwide community-based first response andfirst aid training. They provide services world-wide to all communities regardless of gender, age,race, religion, sexual orientation, ability, econom-ic and social class. WCFR members are volun-teers who provide their services free of charge. “Iam proud to honor WCFR with this proclamation

as they celebrate 5 years of exceptional service tothe county.” Day said.

Although, WCFR is currently focused on theU.S. and Haiti, our long term goal is to cover theentire globe. This is only our beginning." saidJacqueline Cassagnol, MSN, RN, PMC, Founder& President of WCFR.

• The Body Image Boutique (BIB) is a one-stop shop offering integrated services, programs,and classes to support individuals on their person-al journey to overall health and wellness. Servicesinclude individual and group therapy, reiki, nutri-tional counseling and integrative medical evalua-tions. BIB also has a beautiful yoga studio and adiverse offering of adult yoga classes includingkundalini, yin yoga, meditation vinyasa, chairyoga, as well as classes for preschoolers throughteens. All classes are for “every body”.

Located in the former parish house adjacent tothe Zion Lutheran Church, the three-story spacehas been renovated from top to bottom to accom-modate offices for on-site specialists, treatmentrooms, a spacious yoga studio, a meditation room,and a social space for gatherings.

People can call 201-708-8448 to book appoint-ments with BIB’s experienced professionals, orsign up for adult, teen, or children’s classes via thewebsite (www.thebodyimageboutique.com). Spe-cial programs and workshops ranging from ado-lescent support groups and Reiki certificationtraining to fun events like Kirtans are also ongo-ing and can be found on the events page of thewebsite. These weekly events enhance the missionof celebrating self, and support all of the servicesBIB has to offer.

PResiDenT’s MessaGeI am very honored and proud to have been

re-elected as your Chamber President. I look

forward to helping the MRCC continue to

grow. We have a passionate and energetic

Board and staff, and we are very lucky to

have members who give so much of their

time and work effortlessly, through commit-

tees and volunteering, to make sure that our

members get the most out of their MRCC Ex-

perience.

Our focus this year remains to provide you

with the best MRCC Experience possible.

This means we are committed to working with

you to make introductions to key contacts,

provide you with over 40 events that are both

educational and informative and give you as

many networking opportunities as we can.

We will also provide you with opportunities to

give back to our nonprofit members and

showcase your businesses at our events. We

will be looking to form new committees and

host new events that will cater towards edu-

cation and helping you connect with fellow

business owners to share best practices and/

or challenges.

The Directory is a great way to advertise your

business to our local businesses. I know per-

sonally, whenever I need service or a client

needs a referral, I go to our Directory to find

a member who can provide the necessary

services. It’s a great way to invest in your

community and your Chamber.

This is truly an amazing and unique organiza-

tion. I hope that you get involved with com-

mittees, come to our events, and make the

most out of your MRCC Experience.

Shannon LazarreMRCC President

M&T Bank

MRCC CoRPoRaTe sPonsoRs

MeMBeR news BRieFs

— 2 —

DiReCToR sPoTliGHT

Judith Bachman, Esq. has been a member of the Board

of Directors of MRCC since 2016. Judith also serves

on the Chamber’s Events Committee and previously

served on MRCC’s Marketing Committee.

Judith has spoken at Chamber events on topics such as

Social Media and the Law and Protecting Your Busi-

ness.

She has been practicing law for more than 25 years.

Judith is the principal in her own firm and is licensed

in both New York and New Jersey. Her clients span a

broad range of real world businesses including sectors

such as construction and trades, manufacturing, retail, restaurant, real estate,

religious/not for profit, professional and health care.

Prior to launching the firm, Judith was a litigation associate at Shea &

Gould and then Dechert Price & Rhoads. During that tenure, she worked on

headline making matters including complex real estate disputes, securities

cases, contract claims, and anti-trust issues.

She received her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and her

B.A. from SUNY Binghamton.

Judith lives in Bergen County, with her husband and three children. Judith

is also the Co-Chair of the Rockland Business Association’s Construction,

Real Estate, and Development Council, and a director on the Board of Peo-

ple to People, Rockland County’s largest hunger relief organization. In her

free time, she enjoys softball, reading, and dining out.

254 S. Main Street, Suite 306, New City, New York 10956845-639-3210 Office, 845-300-1595 Celljudithbachman@yourlegaldepartment.net, www.yourlegaldepartment.net

FoRMeR CiTizen oF THe YeaR HonoReD

Matt Watters, the 2010 MRCC Citizen of the Year, has

been recognized on Forbes Lists of 30 Under 30 - Law

& Policy for 2017.

Watters, 28, is a Rhodes Scholar with an MBA from Ox-

ford University. He leads McKinsey and Co.'s service to

the Government of Sierra Leone, supporting $800 mil-

lion of investments for accelerating economic growth in

the wake of the Ebola health crisis. Additionally, he started a non-profit to

help reestablish a hospital that collapsed during the earthquake in Haiti.

PLEASE JOIN US AND INVITE OTHERS!

FeB 7 Free Member Benefits Overview, Chamber Office

9 Member Appreciation Open House; Sponsored by Crowne Plaza

Hotel & Conference Center and M&T Bank; Hosted by Crowne

Plaza Hotel & Conference Center

16* Luncheon; Restaurant L

MaR 8 Webinar “How to Leverage Blogging for More Leads, Sales and

Email List Growth” by Pattie Simone; Sponsored by R&D Legal

Bookkeeping, Ten Foot Digital and WomenCentric LLC

14 Business After Hours; Biggie’s

24* Annual Luncheon; Sponsored by M&T Bank; Sheraton Mahwah

Hotel

29 YPN Hike & Networking; Sponsored by TD Bank and Mahwah

Bar & Grill; New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (rain/snow

date – March 30th)

aPR 4 Webinar “Facebook” by Yasmin Bendror; Sponsored by R&D

Legal Bookkeeping, Ten Foot Digital and yMarketingMatters

5* Social Media Panel Luncheon; Sheraton Mahwah Hotel

19 RBWN Breakfast; Sponsored by MRCC; Hudson Valley Harley-

Davidson

25* Community Spirit Showcase; Hosted by Sheraton Mahwah Hotel;

Sponsored by Sheraton Mahwah Hotel, Bergen Volunteer Center,

Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative, Family Promise of Bergen

County, and TD Bank

MaY 3* Health Luncheon; Woodcliff Lake Hilton

9 FREE Member Benefits Overview; Chamber Office

16 Bergen Biz Expo; The Venetian. Sponsored by MRCC.

21* MRCC/Trail Conference 5K Race & 3K Walk; Sponsored by

Prestige Family of Fine Cars, Good Samaritan Hospital, Konica

Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. M&T Bank, and TD Bank;

Darlington Schoolhouse

23 Dinner & Networking Cruise with Hudson County CoC, Meadow-

lands Regional CoC, and Newark Regional Business Partnership;

Sponsored by Good Samaritan Hospital, Spirit of New Jersey

24 Webinar “Unleash the Marketing Power of LinkedIn” by Donna

Johns; Sponsored by R&D Legal Booking, Ten Foot Digital and

promarkdirect, inc

*Sponsorships still available. Please inquire at the office.

All dates and events are subject to change. Please visit mahwah.com for up-to-date information and to register for all events.

UPCoMinG evenTs

MRCC welcomes three new Board membersL to r: Brian F. Durkin of Durkin Agency, Ramsey; Beth Donalds of Business Doctor of

North Jersey, Ringwood; and Mark Fairman, LUTCF, CLTC of New York Life

Insurance Company, Saddle Brook.

Judoith Bachman

— 3 —

Come "HiTCH-a-RiDe"in MRCC’s quarterly mailer.

Reach your customersin a mailbox — not just an inbox.

We’ll send your promotional material to approximately

1,000 local businesses for only $250!

Flyer deadlines: April 18 • July 11 • October 17

JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

Bergen County’s Premier Chamber of Commerce™

welCoMes new MeMBeRs

— 4 —

new MeMBeRsEffective January 31, 2017

MRCC welcomes these new

members, and invites you to visit

them on the Chamber website.

Barrington Press, Paramus

Rws Homes llC, Nanuet

Taljh Gift Baskets for all occasions, Ridgefield

Tom’s Floor service, Pearl River

GeT in sHaPe FoR woMen, Waldwick

Hna Palisades Premier Conference Center, Palisades

Jean Terman Photography, Franklin Lakes

lynne Roe, Upper Saddle River

PCMaC Technology services, Ramsey

Rodan + Fields, New City

Tele-Dynamics, Secaucus

Campgaw Mountain, Mahwah

Clipper Magazine, River Vale

Mainly Monograms, West Nyack

skin & laser Center of nJ, Mahwah

McBride Corporate Real estate, Paramus

national lawn equipment, Mahwah

Prominent Properties, Saddle River

Re/MaX Properties, Saddle River

sKC and Co. CPas, l.l.C, Boonton Township

Left top: Mayor Bill Laforet of Township of Mah-

wah, Mahwah welcomes new member Michael

Contreras of Money Mailer of East Bergen Coun-

ty, Montvale; along with Wendy Cotes of MRCC.

Left bottom: Sponsor of our October Luncheon

and new member Anthony Petralia of Locomo-

tion Powersports, Inc, Mahwah, with Beth Don-

alds of MRCC Membership Committee.

Right: New members learn about member bene-

fits at our quarterly Member Benefits Orientation.

— 5 —

lesmrktng@outlook.com

MRCC’s 2016 Taste of the Region and Business Showcase was a

huge success. Don’t miss out on the great food and wine - mark your

calendars for our next Taste on November 6, 2017!

of

theTaste Region& Business sho wc a se

HoliDaY lUnCHAbove left: Our 2016 Holiday Luncheon was

sponsored by Good Samaritan Hospital.

Above right: Attendees enjoy shopping at

MRCC’s Holiday Boutique.

Right: Guests were entertained by Select

Strings of Mahwah High School under the direc-

tion of Wendy Campbell.

GRow YoUR BUsinesswith great new ideas!

Explore MRCC’s webinar library at

mahwah.com

CHaMBeR evenTs

speed networkingRight: MRCC’s annual Speed Networking was

sponsored by TD Bank. Mahwah Branch Manager,

Ryan Jagrup welcomes guests.

november luncheonTop left, l to r: November ‘Bergen Gives Back’

Luncheon included Event Spon-

sor Tom Eastwick of Eastwick

College; Shannon Lazare,

MRCC President; Mahwah

Mayor Bill Laforet; Donna Spoto,

Tammi Molinelli and Joanne

Cimiluca of Bergen County

Left: Sharon Rounds and Shan-

non Lazare welcome keynote

speaker James Tedesco III,

Bergen County Executive.

SNAPSHOTS from Chamber Events

— 6 —

YPnRight: MRCC Young Professionals

celebrate the holidays at Biggies

in Ramsey

Far right: MRCC YPN’s network at

Brady’s of Ramsey with New Jersey

Society of CPA’s (Bergen Chapter)

young professionals.

Business after Hours

Above left: Our October Business After

Hours was hosted by Mahwah Bar & Grill.

Above: Many businesses attended the

Business After Hours sponsored by All

Things Media in Mahwah.

4

3

54

— 7 —

new MeMBeRs aT THe HoliDaY lUnCHeonNew members are recognized at our December Luncheon: Raphael Avalo of

WebClient Reach, Ridgewood; Jan Estis of Estis Promotional Marketing, Bardonia;

Robert Pullman of Tele-Dynamics, Secaucus; Lauren Schiller of HNA Palisades

Premier Conference Center, Palisades; John Liguori of Tele-Dynamics, Secaucus;

Tara Shemonoski of HNA Palisades Premier Conference Center, Palisades; Melanie

Struble of The Body Image Boutique, Saddle River; Doug Bush of Nelson

Construction, Paramus; Lin Nelson of Nelson Construction, Paramus; Ken Bednarz

of Simpson Roofing, Paramus; Ed Nelson of Nelson Construction, Paramus; Jeremy

Simpson of Simpson Roofing, Paramus.

CHaMBeR evenTs

oCToBeR TailGaTe lUnCHeonAbove:

MRCC’s annual Tailgate Luncheon

and Car Show was sponsored by

Visions Federal Credit Union and

Locomotion Powersports.

XXX

YoUR 2017 MeMBeRsHiP CollaTeRal PoRTFolio

Marketing has created a membership collateral portfoliothat provides a clear and compelling resources for yourbusiness.This is a package of four brochures that can be utilized by members and shown to nonmembers. They are in theChamber office and are at all MRCC events.They are titled as follows:

aPPliCaTion: Member pricing for all size companieswith a list of business categories.

BeneFiTs: Details for all MRCC members describing nocost and affordable business enhancements.

evenTs: MRCC monthly calendar of events showingname, date, description and location of Chamber events

Ten Reasons To Join MRCC: Chamber statement describing; Who we are, where we are and what we dofor you our members!

We provide various MRCC options to help build yourbrand by using the MRCC website, direct mail, adver-tising choices, social media channels, and educationalprograms. Your business and your name are listed in ouryearly member Directory and can be highlighted in ourquarterly Newsletters.

Check out all the multiple benefits you have as a mem-ber of MRCC. Utilize them to help your business travelon a new path of success. Contact the MRCC office forfurther details at 201-529-5566.

“I joined the Mahwah Regional Chamber, likemany, to grow my businessvia networking opportunities.The networking is great, butwhat has surprised me is thecollaboration and partnership

opportunities I have found with other membersof the Chamber – an equally important network to have especially for the small business owner. I highly recommend theMRCC to anyone looking for a strong businessnetwork!”Donna Johns

promarkdirect Inc. 201 398 9000

Ramsey, NJ

“I was looking for a chamberor business association withthe right combination of net-work events and business opportunities. It was not easyto find, until I was introducedto the Mahwah Chamber of

Commerce. They offer regular, professionalnetworking events, plus education and businessfunctions, all for a very reasonable member-ship. There is a great mix of small, mediumand large businesses. Plus, the staff is readilyavailable to assist, always with a smile!Thanks to the Chamber, I've been introduced to more than one excellent businessopportunity.”Jan Imperia Estis

President, Estis Promotional Marketing

Bardonia, NY

“If you’re serious aboutgrowing your knowledgebase, reach and business, theMahwah Regional Chamberis the best investment in yoursuccess. They truly careabout providing value to all

their members - and offer stellar business-building options for Fortune 500 firms, entre-preneurs and mom and pop shops. I’ve madeterrific friends and expanded my business op-portunities because of this exceptional Cham-ber - and invite you to discover the #MRCCexperience at an upcoming event soon!”Pattie Simone, womencentric.net

brand & business strategist l @pattiesimone

Pomona, NY

— 8 —

MRCC

BoaRD oF DiReCToRs

PRESIDENT

Shannon LazareM&T Bank

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

Peter GalloEnvision Video Services

TREASURER

Ben MillsGoldstein Lieberman & Company LLC

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Sharon Rounds

VICE PRESIDENTS

5K

Paul ScarduffaTD Bank

Board Operations

Christopher Heyer, Esq.Scura, Wigfield, Heyer & Stevens, LLP

Directory

Rena RothmanPiano Teacher/Accompanist

Events

John FennellCrowne Plaza Hotel & Conference Center

Golf Outing

Deborah A. Richin, CFP®

UBS Financial Services, Inc.

Marketing

Lovina SchoenmakersLES Associates

Membership

Andy SulzerTri State Office Interiors

ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENTS

Board Operations

Judith Bachman, Esq.

Community Relations

Sandi JeanetteGood Samaritan Hospital

Events

Robin SheppardHampton Inn & Suites Hotel

Marketing

Pattie SimoneWomenCentric LLC

Membership

Aparna MulchandaniTwo by Two

DIRECTORS

Cathleen DaveyRamapo College of New Jersey Foundation

Beth DonaldsThe Business Doctor

Brian F. DurkinDurkin//GHP Agencies

Mark Fairman, LUTCF, CLTCNew York Life

Kristina MarchittoKonica Business Solutions, U.S.A., Inc.

Elena McCannPrestige Family of Fine Cars

James D. O’ConnorCheck-M-Out Security Service, Investigations, LLC

Miri UptonMommies & Money, LLC

wHaT oUR MeMBeRs aRe saYinG:

Mahwah Chamber BriefsPUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE

Mahwah Regional Chamber of CommerceOne International Blvd., Suite 211, Mahwah, NJ 07495 • 201-529-5566 • info@mahwah.com

EDITOR: Rena Rothman REPORTER: Sharon Rounds LAYOUT EDITOR: Maja Britton VP MARKETING: Lovina Schoenmakers

MRCC reserves the right to edit information as needed.

mahwah.com