YOUR NEWS

SRI CHAMBER’S NEWSLETTER SPRING l SUMMER 2017

MAY 5TH FIRST FRIDAY COFFEE

Hosted by Massage on Main 212 Main St, Wakefield, RI

8:00am - 9:00am $5 per person

MAY 11TH SOUTH COUNTY CHAMBERS

JOINT BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Hosted by North Beach Club House 79 Boston Neck Rd, Narragansett, RI

5:30pm - 7:30pm $5 per person

MAY 17TH BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

Hosted by GrandScapes 61 Tuckertown Rd, Wakefield, RI

5:00pm - 7:00pm $5 per person

MAY 23RD NETWORK AT NOON

Hosted by Mary Murphy’s 333 Main St, Wakefield, RI

11:45am - 1:30pm $15 per person

July 30, 2017 Matunuck Community Center

619 Matunuck Beach Road, South Kingstown, RI 02879

More info inside. Check www.srichamber.com for updates!

For more events and to register, visit www.srichamber.com

MAY EVENTS

Attend Business After Hours in May, June, AND July and be entered to win* a one night stay on Block Island from GrandScapes, Dennis Moffitt Painting, and DiStefano Brothers

Construction. *MUST ATTEND ALL 3 EVENTS TO BE ENTERED

Welcome to The SRI Chamber | New Member Profiles

Barnum Financial Group

Jake Darsch Warwick, RI

401-243-8823 www.jakedarsch.com

Brabo Payroll Inc. Diane Hollingworth

Wakefield, RI 401-524-0606

www.brabopayroll.com

Burst Learning Shannon Rebelo Charlestown, RI 401-419-9433

www.burstlearning.org

Citizens Bank Michael Rossi Wakefield, RI 401-256-0726

www.citizensbank.com

Charlie O's Christopher Simon Narragansett, RI 401-782-2002

www.charlieosri.com

Cityscope, Inc. William Lawrence

Wakefield, RI 401-230-4054

Flat Waves Food Shack William Burgess

Kingston, RI 401-792-4622

www.flat-waves.com

Amy Kristin Photography

Amy Short

Wakefield, RI

401-749-6934

www.amykristin.com

Amy Short is a Wakefield resident and longtime photographer who founded Amy Kristin Photography in

2013. AKP is a full-service boutique photography studio specializing in custom and stylized children’s

portraiture, families, and high school seniors. Amy's mission is to provide your family with a

photography experience like no other as well as heirloom-quality prints, wall art, and albums to preserve

your memories. She shoots both on location and in her Wakefield studio, incorporating a combination

of posed and candid shots to capture her subjects' personalities.

Photography from Sand Hill Cove

Donald Cameron

Narragansett, RI

401-783-0999

www.sandhillcovephoto.com

After a 37 year architectural career, Don retired to the seaside community of Sand Hill Cove in

Narragansett, Rhode Island. He walks most mornings from his home to the Port of Galilee and almost

always finds something of interest to photograph. He enjoys photographing shore birds, flowers,

sunrises, sunsets and coastal scenes. It's easy for him to sit for hours enjoying the great coastal

environment and waiting to capture that perfect shot. Over the last few years Don has expanded his

area of interest to all of South County and this is the photography that he presents at art festivals,

farmers markets, community events and as a founding member of the Narragansett Arts Guild. He looks

for images that will have special meaning for both residents of South County and visitors to our

communities.

Navigate Behaviors, LLC

Renee Randol

East Greenwich, RI

401-213-3302

www.navigatebehaviors.com

Navigate Behaviors, LLC was started in 2016 as a private Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) practice to

help individuals with autism and developmental disabilities reach their greatest potential using

evidence-based practices in southern Rhode Island and Aquidneck Island. Renee Randol is a Board

Certified Behavior Analyst and Licensed Behavior Analyst who has been working with children and

teenagers with Developmental Disabilities for over ten years. Her career began in college as a direct

support staff for children with autism and her passion for using science to help others grew from there.

Renee enjoys helping families and schools with a variety of areas ranging from toilet training, teaching

children how to tolerate losing at a round of their favorite game, to family outings to the grocery store.

Navigate Behaviors provides individualized ABA services in homes, schools, daycare centers, and other

community locations. Services begin with a functional behavior assessment individualized to your

needs, and a behavior plan is created based upon the results. Caregivers and support staff are trained

to implement the plan confidently. Navigate Behaviors also offers ABA training workshops at your

location specific to your team’s needs. Some areas Navigate Behaviors can help to change are

improving behaviors, communication skills, play skills, social skills, play dates, completing homework,

routines, toilet training, daily living skills, coping skills, community participation, tolerance training, and

caregiver training. Families and schools can self-refer for an assessment by calling (401) 213-3302.

Home Point Financial / Angelina Purvis & Home Point Financial / Kimberly Mann Angelina Purvis (401-536-9600) & Kimberly Mann (401-244-5483) Warwick, RI www.homepointfinancial.com Home Point Financial is an experienced residential mortgage lender in Warwick, Rhode Island. Whether it’s buying your first home, buying your forever home, or refinancing to lower your monthly mortgage payments, the Home Point team is there to help. Their team of Warwick mortgage professionals has extensive experience in helping homeowners secure conventional loans, FHA loans, VA loans, reverse mortgages and much more in Rhode Island. Home Point Financial is a licensed Warwick, RI mortgage lender who remains true to its mission of providing competitive Rhode Island loan options while maintaining the fastest closing rates in the industry. Contact Home Point Financial to learn more about new home loans and home refinancing options in RI. A & E Event Rentals Inc. Andrew Mcconnell South Kingstown, RI 802-356-9042 www.aeeventrentals.com

A&E Event Rentals Inc. is a family owned and operated business specializing in weddings, rehearsal dinners, backyard parties, corporate events and more. Their full service rental department has all of the items you need to make your special event truly remarkable from tents to chairs and everything in between. A&E Event Rentals Inc. believes in superb quality and exceptional service. They understand what great service is from the customer’s point of view. Great customer service is about creating a positive and memorable experience. Their client centered focus has always been to take care of their client’s needs and to create the type of wedding brides and grooms dream about. When you choose A&E Event Rentals you can rest assured knowing that you have selected the finest in event rentals. MJC Energy Consulting Group Miriam Cohen Narragansett, RI 401-487-4533 www.mjcenergy.com

MJC Energy Consulting Group is your local comprehensive energy source. With over 4 dozen international supply and alternative solution companies, they can offer the best options for each clients’ needs, whether here in Rhode island, or in any other state from coast to coast and in Canada. The expanse of their resources is unparalleled. Their energy team provides insight on current market conditions, utility intelligence and solutions that create both budget certainty and monetary savings. Whether through supply choice, efficiency practices, building automation, demand response, renewable solutions, or any applicable combinations, they help businesses achieve their individual and industry specific standards. THE ART OF FATE Jackelyn Dacanay Pawtucket, RI 401-419-0455 www.theartoffate.us THE ART OF FATE is a socially-conscious fashion house of handmade jewelry and accessories. They offer custom designs for women, men, and children. Their mission is to provide the fashion industry with an ethical and eco-conscious alternative to mainstream fashion jewelry. Their products are handmade in Rhode Island with eco-conscious and/or upcycled materials and their display cards are made from tree-free paper (discarded textile waste in Bangladesh). They use mobile business cards and their gift packaging is made from recycled material when necessary. They are now partnered ONE TREE PLANTED, a non-profit committed to reforestation that plants one tree in the Colorado for every product sold.

Welcome to The SRI Chamber | New Member Profiles

Health Source RI for Employers

Stephan Ward-Smith Rumford, RI

855-683-6757 http://healthyrhode.ri.com

Lennon Insurance Agency, LLC Joyce Lavimodiere

Wakefield, RI 401-783-1816

www.commercialinsurancerhodeisland.com

Northwestern Mutual Maryse Hathaway

Providence, RI 774-644-3853

www.maryseehathaway.nm.com

Oyster Farm Productions Ron Cowie & Alex Bouthillier

Wakefield, RI 401-648-7496

www.theoysterfarm.com

Paychex Inc. Davis Fitch

Riverside, RI 401-486-5438

www.paychex.com

Prime Lending Jeremy VonFlatern

Cranston, RI 401-418-2399

www.primelending.com

South County Party Rentals Dan Gamache Peace Dale, RI 401-782-8368

www.southcountypartyri.com

Photo (from left): Bryant Da Cruz, Jan Bertwell, Brian Fish, Dave Bilow (owner), Melissa Kroll (On-site dog trainer),

Rachel Bilow (owner), Jennifer Diggins (On-site groomer, The Pooch Parlor), Kathy Schmitt, Pete DiStefano, Joe Viele

On Monday, February 6th, the Southern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce held an official ribbon cutting ceremony for Benny and Jack’s new location at 577

Kingstown Road in Wakefield. With the larger space, the pet store plans to expand their

service offerings. They will now offer full service grooming as well as self-wash stations. Their retail offering will expand in

addition to offering a wider variety of obedience training classes.

They are currently open Monday-Saturday 10am – 6pm and Sundays 11am – 4pm.

BENNY & JACK MOVE TO NEW, LARGER SPACE

OVER $9,000 RAISED FOR ARRI FROM 2016 PAWS FOR A CAUSE RAFFLE CALENDAR

Photo (from left): Joe Viele, Nicole Mathers, Lexi Bouchard, Jeremy Walsh,

Karin Conopask, Jennifer Gebar, Elizabeth Berman, Richard Pike, Larry

McHugh, Brie Wetherell, Kathy Schmitt, Nina Luchka, Joshua Sroka. Also

pictured is Roxy, a Coonhound mix that has since been adopted from ARRI.

The Southern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that $9,011.59 was raised for Animal Rescue Rhode Island from the 2016 Paws for a Cause Raffle Calendar fundraiser. Each Wednesday in

2016, a calendar number was randomly pulled, giving each calendar 52 chances to win $1000. If a calendar number won, the number was

re-entered giving each number a chance to win another $1000. There was one two-time winner during the 2016 raffle.

The 2017 Paws for a Cause Raffle Calendar fundraiser is currently

underway. This year’s fundraiser will benefit Save One Soul Animal Rescue

League, Pet Refuge, North Kingstown Animal Shelter, South Kingstown Dog

Park Association, and the SRI Chamber of Commerce.

FLAT WAVES FOOD SHACK GRAND OPENING Photo (from left): Joe Viele, Nina Luchka, Michele Zabian, Victoria Maillous, Will

Burgess (owner), Henry Duran, Brad Niedzwiadek, Alexandra Shore, Alyssa Oliveira,

Sabrina Stensland, Scott Benjamin

On Friday, March 24th, the Southern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce held an

official ribbon cutting ceremony for Flat Waves Food Shack, located at 99 Fortin Road

in the Kingston Emporium at the University of Rhode Island.

Flat Waves Food Shack offers eat-in, take-out, and catering. Their catering menu

provides a unique solution for backyard bbqs, beach cookouts, graduation parties,

birthdays, and weddings. A variety of menu items are available, including the Kalua

Pulled Pork, their house smoked island style pulled pork, as well as house made sauces

(teriyaki, bbq, and sweet chili), fish tacos, and acai bowls.

A portion of every meal purchased at Flat Waves goes directly toward funding their “Beyond One Meal” program. The goal of their business is to have a

positive impact on everyone they come in contact with. They have a number of projects that they support both locally and around the world, including

funding a chicken farm in Kenya, Africa. The farm provides a sustainable food source for the community and income for a family in need.

During the school year, the Kingston location is open Monday – Thursday 11am – 11pm, Friday and Saturday 11am – 2am, and closed on Sundays. Their

summer hours will change, and will be posted on their website and Facebook page as soon as they are available.

For more information and online ordering, visit their website: http://www.flat-waves.com

Applications for the 2017 Southern RI Chamber of Commerce scholarship for high school seniors are due on May 1st at Midnight! Visit srichamber.com for details and to apply.

Member News

Want us to feature your news in one of our upcoming newsletters? Send it directly to Katie at communications@srichamber.com

SERVICEMASTER BY MASON’S SOLAR ENDEAVOR

Since ServiceMaster By Mason offers professional green products and

equipment for assisting customers with their restoration and cleaning needs, Phil & Ryan Mason were excited to continue their environmentally-friendly

efforts by making a green investment at the ServiceMaster By Mason facility. They utilized local company The Washington Trust Company to

secure partial financial funding, and Rhode Island based company Sol Power to have 38 solar panels installed, spanning over 500 square feet and generating 285 watts per panel. "This long term commitment for alternative energy is a sound business practice, while drastically reducing our carbon footprint! It will off-set 45% of our current electric use, saving substantial energy, and even be revenue producing selling kilowatt hours back to

National Grid," says owner Phil Mason. The solar panel system has a life expectancy of 40 years, and was installed by family members Tyler Mason

(Co-owner of Sol Power, a workers cooperative company) and Joshua Mason.

WESTERLY COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION WELCOMES

NEW VP OF LENDING

Westerly Community Credit Union is proud to announce that Robert J.

Boucher has joined the Westerly Community Credit Union as the Vice President of Lending. He is responsible for overseeing all mortgage,

business, indirect and retail lending. Robert comes to WCCU with over 31 years in the banking industry, most recently from Jax Federal Credit

Union as Chief Lending Officer.

Robert holds his Bachelor of Arts degree from Tulane University and has earned his Certified Chief Executive (CCE) designation after graduating

from CUES CEO Institute. He volunteers as President of the Eighth Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, Company A, Inc. where they strive to educate the public by reenacting the Civil War, and currently

resides in Groton, CT with his wife, Melissa.

The Staff and Board of Directors of the Westerly Community Credit Union congratulate Robert on his new position.

Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island is currently holding their annual raffle. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold and are available for $10 each or 3 for $25. Tickets can be purchased by contacting

Kevin Fisette or Jeff Machado at 401-861-2080. Drawing will be held on Friday, May 26th.

People's Credit Union recently donated $548 to Boys Town New England as a result of a monthly employee dress down day, Casual for a Cause. The funds were raised through a combination of

People's Credit Union employee donations as well as a painted glassware raffle held throughout the

month of January in the Credit Union's Portsmouth branch located at 2537 East Main Road.

This summer, the Atlantic Coast Wrestling

Festival will attract thousands of people to the University of RI and Southern New England for an intensive camp, NWCA coaches' convention,

and national caliber AAU Club duals and individual wrestling tournament. They are currently

looking for sponsors and vendors. More information is available by contacting Jay Jones at

401-419-8567 or coachjri13@gmail.com

The American Heart Association in partnership with The Children's Heart Foundation visited the Women & Newborn Care Unit at South County

Hospital as a part of their nationwide effort, Little Hats, Big Hearts. The campaign raises awareness

of heart disease, the number one killer of Americans, as well as congenital heart defects,

the most common type of birth defect in the country. Pier Cleaners in Wakefield and Westerly

donated laundry services led by heart survivor Larry Fish.

Work in the gardens at Earth Care Farm with

their seasoned horticulturist, Jayne Merner Senecal from Golden Root Gardening. These

monthly classes will be very hands on. Learn to make beds, prepare soil, plant seedlings, sow

seed, identify weeds, deal with pest, learn weeding techniques, trellising, staking, harvesting,

and storing. All organic methods are used. You can pick & choose the classes you are interested in. Maximum 12 participants. $28 per class. More

info available on their website www.earthcarefarm.com.

Roger Williams Park Zoo is seeking restaurants and caterers for their annual Zoobilee! Feast with

the Beasts Fundraiser on June 24th. Visit www.rwpzoo.org for more information.

The Washington Trust Company will be hosting

its first ever Statewide Beach Cleanup Day on

Saturday, May 6th from 10am-1pm at eight beaches across Rhode Island. More information

can be found on their website www.washtrust.com

Mary Murphy’s is now serving breakfast from 9am to 1pm on the weekends!

South County Health invites amateur

photographers to submit photographs for its 2018 wall calendar. The calendar will depict South

County (Washington County) in all 4 seasons and will be printed in full color. A total of 29

photographs will be selected to be featured in the calendar; two photos for each month, plus the calendar’s cover and back. The photographers

whose work is chosen will be named in the calendar, and each will receive a prize. More

information can be found on www.southcountyhealth.org

Charlestown Rathskeller will be hosting a CoEd

6 on 6 volleyball league on Wednesday nights from 6:30pm - 9:30pm. Players must be at least

21 years old. Free beer will be provided to players after the games. For more information or to sign

up, email rathskelleleagues@gmail.com. The volleyball league is sponsored by Whaler’s

Brewing Company.

Interested in hosting a networking event or ribbon cutting? Contact Elizabeth Berman, Executive Director

401-783-2801 eberman@srichamber.com

Networking Events

May 2017

5/2 - Annual Legislative Reception

5/3 - 4-Night Kentucky Derby Trip

5/5 - First Friday Coffee @ Massage on Main

5/5 - Cinco De Mayo Buffet Celebration

5/6 - South County Museum Opening

5/6 - Kentucky Derby Gala

5/9 - South County Day @ RI Statehouse

5/9 - Sun Media Group Social Media Seminar

5/11 - South County Chambers Joint BAH

5/14 - Mother’s Day Buffet

5/17 - BAH @ GrandScapes

5/19 - Lighthouse Real Estate Group Ribbon

Cutting

5/20 - Brandon’s Top Shelf

5/23 - Network at Noon @ Mary Murphy’s

5/31 - Beehive: The 60’s Musical

June 2017

6/2 - First Friday Coffee @ Scallop Shell Nursing &

Rehabilitation Center

6/6 - Disability Insurance for Businesses Seminar

6/8 - The Smart Set

6/10 - An Evening of Grapes & Grain

6/10 - RI Scottish Highland Festival

6/14 - SRIYP @ Chair 5

6/16 - Thundermist Presents: Moonlight at the

Dunes

6/17 - Hands on Gardening, Class 4

6/18 - Father’s Day Barbeque Buffet

6/21 - The Music Man

6/21 - BAH @ Dennis Moffitt Painting

6/23 - Taste of Summer Fundraiser

6/24 - Zoobilee! Feast with the Beasts

6/26 - Atlantic Coast Wrestling Festival

6/27 - Network at Noon @ TBA

July 2017

7/7 - FFC @ Clean Rite Cleaning & Restoration

7/12 - SRIYP @ TBA

7/19 - Beauty and the Beast

7/19 - BAH @ DiStefano Brothers Construction

7/25 - Network at Noon @ TBA

7/30 - 2017 SRI Chambah Games

For more information about listed events and additional events, please visit www.srichamber.com If you would like your event listed on our calendar of events, please add the event to the calendar on our website, or send the event information

directly to Katie at communications@srichamber.com

Upcoming Events

Four Events Each Month: First Friday Coffee, Southern RI Young Professionals, Business After Hours, & Network at Noon

Network at Noon hosted by Ocean Mist

First Friday Coffee hosted by Benny & Jack Business After Hours hosted by Chophouse Grille

First Friday Coffee hosted by Lighthouse Real Estate Group

First Friday Coffee hosted by Easterseals RI

SRIYP hosted by Rock Spot Climbing

Your Chamber Board & Staff

Executive Board 2017 Jeremy Walsh, Chair ……………………….……..…………The Right Click Nina Luchka, Chair Elect………………………….……..……Bank Newport Pete DiStefano, First Chair Elect……….DiStefano Brothers Construction Kim Stack, Second Chair Elect……...…….…..University of Rhode Island Kathy Schmitt, Secretary…………….…….………Experience Real Estate Joe Viele, Treasurer.………………….. …..…………….….Liberty Rentals Joshua Sroka, Past Chair…...….………....Law Office of Joshua A. Sroka Elizabeth Berman, Director…………………...SRI Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors David Tetreault……………….……………...…..…Citizens Bank Mortgage Brenda Owren……………………………….……………....Centreville Bank Michelle Bailey……….…….………………………...South County Hospital Brian Fish……………….………………………………….…...Pier Cleaners Matt Moeller…………….…………..…The Ryan Center & Boss Ice Arena Brie Wetherell………………..………...……….…Southern RI Newspapers Jan Bertwell……………….….Finishing Touches Custom Picture Framing George McAuliffe…………………..…………………….……..Mews Tavern Perry Raso.……………...……………………………..Matunuck Oyster Bar Roland Fiore…………………………………..South County Sand & Gravel Larry McHugh……………….………………………..….Westwind Financial Michelle Masse……………………………………………….…..Paul Masse Carla Crowshaw……….……………………………….....Schneider Electric

Chamber Staff Elizabeth Berman………………………………………....Executive Director Joanne Viele…………………………………………………..Office Manager Katie LaCroix…..……………………….…….Communications Coordinator

Take advantage of the Chamber’s unique new advertising opportunity: Your business message will

stand alone and your brand will attract the eyes of thousands of commuters, locals and visitors every day.

The one and only sign for miles, the billboard stands 12ft wide by 8ft high and is located on Route 1 South, just past the Hannah Robinson Tower in South Kingstown.

To reserve your billboard or for inquires, contact SRI Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Elizabeth

Berman at (401) 783-2801

Billboard Power! Attract the eyes of commuters, locals, and visitors every day!

Thank You to Our Corporate Sponsors

SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

230 Old Tower Hill Road, Wakefield, RI 02879

T (401) 783-2801 F (401) 789-3120

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