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Award Winners For Fall
2009
I
would like to offer my thanks to the Rising Above the Rest Nominating Committee,
which is comprised of past Chairs of the Board and members of the Events
Committee. They had the difficult task of choosing winners for each category
from the many very qualified candidates. This morning it gives us great pleasure
to honor the contributions made by all of these exceptional leaders. We extend
our sincerest congratulations to all!
In addition to their Rising Award,
each winner will be presented with Citations from Warwick’s Honorable Mayor
Scott Avedisian, Congressman James Langevin, Senator Jack Reed, and Governor
Carcieri.
-- Tom Celona, Thrifty Car Sales & Prestige Limousine
Al Andrews
Community Achievement Award
Steven Kitchin, New England
Institute of Technology
This award is
in honor of a gentleman who has been described as soft spoken yet dynamic in
his own way… Al Andrews. Al was the owner of AA Sign Company in Coventry, a
Warwick Resident, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Central
Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce.
He was a wonderful collaborative leader who deeply touched many lives and
was compassionate and dedicated to helping others. Al was an inspiration of
strength, goodness, and hope for a nice future.
Our award winner this morning possesses many of these same qualities. He is
being recognized for achieving that mark, an individual who has selflessly
made outstanding contributions to the community.
He has served in the Rhode Island Department of Economic Development’s
Division of Job Development and Training where he spent nearly 10 years
working with businesses and organizations developing on-the-job and
classroom training programs.
He has always been passionate about good government and has served on many
boards and committees aimed at uniting business and government. As Chairman
of the Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode Island he has furthered his
goal of providing workforce training skills to employees. Serving more than
10 years on the Swansea Finance and Advisory Board and Chairman of the
Swansea Police Building Committee he has shown his commitment to good
government.
He is a member of the Exeter, RI Job Corps Center Industry Council, Board
member of the RI Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, Chairman of the
Marine Industry Training and Education Council, and Past member of the RI
Human Resource Investment Council.
Having joined the staff of the New England Institute of Technology in May of
1986 he established the Center for Technology and Industry which now
provides customized training programs for more than 2,000 individuals. He
knew that the goal was to be a first-class technical training provider and
that could only be accomplished by a continual attention to detail and a
commitment to always providing a quality training experience for all of its
clients.
I would now like to ask the Honorable Mayor of the City of Warwick, Scott
Avedisian to join me to present the Al Andrews Community Achievement Award.
This individual has served on numerous boards volunteering his time and
resources including:
Junior Achievement of Rhode Island – empowering students with the skills
to create a better tomorrow for themselves and their communities!
Oil Heat Institute of Rhode Island and their Charitable Foundation
He has served as Past Chairman and current Board member of the Central Rhode
Island Chamber of Commerce and supported many of the community’s local
non-profit and community based organizations.
Today he is being honored for his outstanding dedication and compassion to
helping others…It is with great pleasure I present this year’s Al Andrews
Community Achievement Award to Steven H. Kitchin
Business of the Year
(company with 1-49 employees)
Mattos &
Associates - SERVPRO of Metro Rhode Island
So what do you
do when you are suddenly faced with a mess? When fire, water, and mold
damage invade your home or business, how do you get fast response and
expertise that is essential in returning your life back as quickly as
possible?... You call our next award winner.
With over 25 years of business experience, which includes management in a
family owned furniture business, a real estate development and management
company, and ownership in several service businesses he turned his passion
for business management into one of the most successful franchises in his
company’s system. He started his franchise in 1989, and applied his “best
practices” principles to build his company in Weymouth and Boston.
Consistently providing the best product and service with competitive pricing
has always been the company’s management and business philosophy. Mattos &
Associates has strived to gain market share and financial stability by
maintaining an aggressive marketing plan accompanied by a prudent approach
to operations’ costs.
The company’s
key focus is to be continually viewed as “Best in Class” within its industry
through consistency in service, competitive pricing, value, and customer
satisfaction.
His secret to success resonates in his attitude to be the best you can be,
no matter your position in the company, and to “love what you do everyday.”
He believes, “to be successful, a person only needs to be passionate about
whatever he or she wants to be successful at.” He always is looking to make
systems better and more efficient. Two examples of his commitment to
improvement involve the implementation of key management positions and the
delivery of new technology in the workplace. His three general managers are
tasked with responsibility to operate their respective offices
independently, which has brought an entrepreneurial spirit to operating the
business. The addition of Panasonic Toughbook terminals for Team Mattos
estimators has resulted in better customer service and a higher closing
ratio by turning a 3 to 4 day process into a 4 to 6 hour procedure. Through
the application of old school values and an approach of not forgetting that
the customer is the primary purpose of the business, this award recipient
has been able to build a successful company with 48 employees.
His strong sense of dedication to excellence is demonstrated by his active
involvement in the community through his sponsorship of local charities. In
addition, he and his employees have supported charitable causes providing
blankets for the homeless, book drives for veterans, and through direct
financial support to numerous charitable endeavors in which his employees
and customers are active. He also provides paid time-off to his employees to
take part in community service. The company has been committed to becoming a
corporate citizen and community partner by promoting a company wide
initiative that enables its employees to be more active in causes that are
dear to their personal lives.
Accepting is the President Frank Mattos.
Business of the Year
(company
with 50+ employees)
BankRI
In October 1995
a group of investors reached an agreement to purchase the Rhode Island based
Shawmut branches, being divested as part of the Fleet/Shawmut merger. The
group believed that a mid-sized, service-oriented bank with a commercial
lending focus could thrive and thus moved forward under the direction of
President & CEO Merrill W. Sherman. In March 1996 they opened their doors
with 12 branches and as the nations’ second largest de novo bank and the
fifth largest bank in the state.
Two years later they began trading on the NASDAQ, and in September 2001
converted to a holding company structure, BanCorp Rhode Island. The change
in structure gave the bank greater financial flexibility.
As of December 31, 2008 with more than $1.5 billion in assets, $1.0 billion
in deposits and 16 branches located in Providence, Kent and Washington
Counties they are proud of their accomplishments and their high-touch retail
presence.
Their level of commercial expertise is not often found in a bank of their
size. Their commercial lending team can arrange financing from under
$250,000 to $10 million and they are an active Small Business Administration
Lender, one of the top 3 in the State of Rhode Island for 3 consecutive
years. With more than 65 ATMs across Rhode Island and a member of the SUM™
Program their customers can use ATMs throughout New England surcharge free.
This winner provides a broad range of competitive financial products to
their business and retail customers. With their team of experienced and
knowledgeable employees they have grown to become a civic leader through
direct involvement in local organizations and activities. All of these
endeavors have resulted in a strong performance for their shareholders, a
rewarding work environment for their employees and a valuable resource for
their customers and community.
Accepting is Senior Vice President of Lending Services, Steve Russell.
Media
Person of the Year
Mark Foley, Blackrock Media Group
“Media: the
means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines
that reach or influence people widely”
For the business community information is a critical component to being
successful. From business basics to the highly complex financial
forecasting, information allows us to make better decisions and increase our
chances of success.
But how and where we get that information can greatly vary. As an
independent video production and media consulting company that focuses on
corporate communications our next winner offers a fresh perspective to the
business community.
His business was founded in his garage with one video camera, 2 VCR’s and
one computer – and 20+ years of experience. He specializes in providing
media services in training, sales, marketing and more. Over time, the
business has continued to grow at a good rate because he is willing to go
the extra mile to make sure his clients get the kind of results that keep
them coming back again and again. From the video production of ChamberWorks
and DreamJobs, two public access television programs, he continues to
provide the information that business needs. The programs have expanded and
are now viewed 5 times per week.
Heavily involved in community organizations with his family he has served as
a Coach and a Board Member for Little League and Pop Warner; Coach of Youth
Basketball and has served as a volunteer for local food and clothing drives.
His mantra is to treat every individual he meets with the utmost respect for
the jobs they do. The media world can be a daunting place for client and
crew. He believes his role is to walk his clients through the process to a
successful outcome.
Not-For-Profit Business of the Year
(company
with 50+ employees)
Bishop Hendricken High School
Steeped in
traditions of service and excellence our next winner is celebrating its 50th
Anniversary during the 2009-2010 school year.
Their mission of strengthening the relationship of all members of the
community with our God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit is accomplished through
the development of the total human person: hear, mind, soul and body.
Opening its doors in 1959 with 350 students and guided by the teachings of
the Congregation of Christian Brothers and the Diocese of Providence they
are located on 34 acres of land in Warwick.
Struggling through the adversity in 1970 of the Brothers of the Holy Cross
planning to leave the school, enrollment plummeting it appeared the school’s
door would close. Loyal teachers, parents, students and alumni came together
and spearheaded a campaign to save the school. Through the intercession of
Bishop McVinney the Congregation of Christian Brothers agreed to bring their
considerable talent to staff the school. Enrollment turned and thanks to the
efforts of the group and the efforts of the Brothers they are positioned for
strength and growth.
They have been named a “Blue Ribbon School of Excellence” by the U.S.
Department of Education have been blessed with a 16,000 foot gymnasium, and
outdoor street hockey/basketball area, a 6,000 sq ft West Wing of
classrooms, a 350-seat theater, a new science laboratory, new band and
choral facilities, renovations to the cafeteria, artificial turf for the
football field, resurfacing the track, remodeling the main McNally
Gymnasium, SMART boards in 18 classrooms and a chapel and prayer garden, a
sacred space whose focal point is a 12’ crucifix with a corpus of Jesus
Christ.
Constantly improving their technology and staying abreast with current times
the list is impressive of what they bring to their students and the
opportunities presented as a result.
The entire school community is dedicated to providing service to those in
need. Each student is required to complete a minimum of 25 hours of
Christian service each year by volunteering at any non-profit institution or
participating in one of the school sponsored events to help the community.
Tradition — Vision — Faith — Unique educational experiences — This all male,
college preparatory high school steeped in traditions of service and
excellence is this year’s Rising Above the Rest Not-For-Profit Business of
the Year (company with 50+ employees) Bishop Hendricken High School.
Accepting is the President Brother Thomas Leto.
Business & Education
Advocate of the Year
Every Company Counts
The importance
of ongoing education is echoed in the day-to-day operations of our next
award winner.
Created as an initiative of the Rhode Island Economic Development
Corporation this company seeks to exceed expectations with their philosophy
of “A customer service focus.”
Breaking the “business as usual” expectation from state government they have
been able to build a brand and reputation with the cooperation of over 170
partner organizations including chambers of commerce, local, state and
federal agencies and non-profit business organizations. Their informal
advisory group of small business owners in Rhode Island helps them focus on
the immediate needs of Rhode Island’s small business community and be
proactive rather than reactive to the changes in the economic climate in
Rhode Island.
Since their inception in 2004 they have counseled well over 4000 businesses
in site selection, financing, marketing, business planning, employee
recruitment and training, networking, government contracting, business
start-up and licensing and regulatory assistance through their network of
service providers.
With a training calendar of over 135 workshops they help companies cut
through the red tape of state government and connect business owners to the
agencies they need to operate a business in Rhode Island.
The secret to their success lays in teamwork and their partnerships based on
the shared beliefs that each company deserves: Respect, Timeliness, Good
Information, Clear Expectations, Value, Excellence, Fairness, and Access.
Accepting is the Manager of Small Business Services, Sherri Lynn Carrera
Humanitarian of the
Year
Mayor Scott Avedisian
(City of Warwick)
Having
graduated from Providence College, completed a number of programs at
Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and having been awarded an Honorary
Doctorate in Humane Letters from the New England Institute of Technology he
served five terms as Warwick’s Ward One City Councilman before being elected
Mayor in a five-way race in a special election in February 2000.
He credits his career in public service, in some measure, to the influence
of two people he considered mentors and friends: the late Senator John
Chafee and former Rhode Island Senate Minority Leader Lila Sapinsley. They
deeply believed in Rhode Island and its citizens and were passionate
advocates for those they served. Senator Chafee conducted himself nobly in
the public eye, and taught him respect for the environment, concern for the
needy and the fact that we are only in political life for a short time so we
had better make it count. Lila taught him to never leave a place knowing
that there was something that he should have said or something that he
should have done.
He has carried those lessons with him throughout his career, first as a City
Councilman and then during his tenure as Mayor. They have inspired him to
always try to work cooperatively with people of differing points of view to
reach consensus for the betterment of our citizens; to seek innovative ways
to solve problems; to embrace new ideas and experiences; and to remember,
always, that each of is are on a collective journey, but that each of us
have our own tale – sometimes good, sometimes bad – to tell, and that each
of those stories merits respect and compassion.
John and Lila showed him the importance of surrounding oneself with good
people who have good hearts and noble intentions. That too has been a key
component to helping him lead the City of Warwick and to help it become a
community that others emulate.
He has championed human services reform and environmental protection during
his tenure as Mayor of Rhode Island’s second largest city. He has also
served as trustee, member or board member for more than two dozen other
local and statewide government, civic and non-profit agencies and
organizations.
Business Mentor of the
Year
Raymond S. McNeill,
SCORE
This gentleman
owned Dynell, Inc., and its subsidiary corporation Columbia Labeling
Machinery, manufacturing and selling automatic labeling machinery, and bar
code label printers and consumable supplies.
His prior experiences include Group Vice President of Universal Container
Corporation directing four “consumer goods” manufacturing subsidiaries, and
as corporate executive for Litton Industries where he conducted management
audits, evaluated acquisitions and mergers, and implemented management
initiatives.
He has served on the Board of Directors for 10 Corporations — Is a Navy Air
Corps veteran — holds a BS Degree in Business Management— Is an alumni of
Hofstra, Fordam and Duke Universities, — and was a Coadjutant Lecturer at
Rutgers University.
A resident of
Warwick, he is married, and has three children, and seven grandchildren.
He is currently Chairman of SCORE’s Joseph E Knight Chapter 13 in Providence
where he coordinates mentors for entrepreneurs and mentors businesses
himself. “SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business”, is America's
premier source of free and confidential small business advice for
entrepreneurs. It is a non-profit organization in partnership with the
United States Small Business Administration.
Nationwide there are over 10,500 volunteers in 389 chapters. The Rhode
Island chapter has 40, mostly retired, volunteer counselors, including MBAs,
CPAs, college professors, attorneys, business owners and executives that
provide advice and counsel at no cost to Rhode Island’s business owners and
“wanabe” owners. Our winner is available to meet with you in the Central
Rhode Island Chamber Business Information Center. As a SCORE volunteer he is
dedicated to giving something back to his community.
Young Entrepreneur
of the Year
Michael Nula,
Elite Physical Therapy
Shortly after
working for a large healthcare organization he realized that there was a
better way of delivering physical therapy care to patients.
He is a graduate of URI, with a Master of Science Degree in Physical Therapy
and is currently completing his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Temple
University. With a mission of providing a high quality Physical Therapy
service in a fun, positive and professional environment he established the
only Physical Therapy firm in Rhode Island that provides one-on-one Physical
Therapy by board certified, licensed Physical Therapists, all with either a
Masters or Doctorate degree from some of the best schools around the
country.
But as many of us know owning your business is not easy and there are many
challenges to overcome as a company grows. He feels the secret to his
success is by simply being highly selective in who he hires to join the team
– both administratively and clinically. He doesn’t just hire anyone.
Individuals must have a genuinely caring and compassionate personality, with
a desire to help people. He believes that the true value of a great team is
the players who come together and work towards a common great purpose. – To
deliver an outstanding, valuable and unparalleled healthcare service to
Rhode Islanders – at the highest possible standards.
Continuing their professional development is an important component of the
team and to further help others he guest lectures to students and other
private practice owners across the country. His company is also affiliated
with a few nationally recognized and prestigious institutes that deliver
highly specialized courses in advance treatment techniques in their main
office in Warwick.
For him complacency is not an option. He holds his staff accountable and
tries to motivate them to be their best every day so that patients feel
special and very satisfied in achieving their goals. Together they work
continuously to try and improve who they are and how they do what they do to
ensure they are providing their patients with the best attention that the
profession has to offer.
What started as a small single office 7 years ago has grown into 3 locations
employing 25 employees.
All the while they are giving back to the community through their support of
over 20 different charitable organizations.
Volunteer of the
Year
Charlotte Ferris
She was born in
Boumont Texas, one of five girls. As the second oldest she quickly learned
at a young age the importance of responsibility and the tenderness and care
needed in helping others. After high school she went to Lamar University,
leaving after two years to move to Washington D.C.
She began her
career working for the National Association of Realtors, and moved on to the
American Optometric Assoc. At the AOA she was the Secretary to the Board of
Trustees and Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director of the
Washington Office of the American Optometric Association for 20 years. After
her marriage to David she moved to Rhode Island where, after a couple of
temporary jobs (including working for Dr. Ferris for a very short time!!)
she began a career at Brown University as an office manager for the Dean of
the Faculty.
As a devout
Christian, she joined Faith Baptist Church in Warwick and immediately began
her volunteer work in the food ministry at the church, organizing food
baskets at Thanksgiving and Christmas for the needy in the community. She
was instrumental in setting up a city wide collaborative food pantry for the
less fortunate working thru her Church and city personnel. Illness required
her to retire and move to Florida for the warmer weather, but after just a
couple of years both she and her husband missed friends and the community
here in Rhode Island and made the transition back.
Our award
recipient immediately began to look for an area where she could make a
contribution, and thru The Westbay Community Action she was referred to the
Central Rhode Island Chamber to volunteer in the office. Since joining the
Chamber almost a year ago she has been instrumental in assisting wherever
she is needed, from answering the phone, to preparing materials for events,
to greeting guests as they enter. She always has a smile on her face and her
kind words and demeanor are reassuring to the members of the Chamber. While
she started volunteering for 4 hours per week she has given so much more,
some weeks volunteering almost full-time. She is a great asset to the staff
and the members. The staff appreciates all that she does and looks forward
to the days she’s at the Chamber. She’s a joy to have in the office and the
staff feels fortunate to have such a talented lady.
Chamber Advocate
Dan Scanlon, Sr.,
Scanlon Enterprises, Inc.
An
advocate is someone who supports or recommends– or one that pleads the cause
of another. This advocate is someone who does all of that and more in
support of the Central Rhode Island Chamber.
He is an accomplished pilot, an active member and Board member of the Rhode
Island Pilots Association, a Past-President of the Rotary Club of Warwick, a
Paul Harris Fellow, the 2006 Rotarian of the Year and has had perfect
attendance at Rotary for 16 years.
Having served numerous organizations and having volunteered endless hours
throughout his career this individual has won the hearts of many.
He is a quiet man with a gentle smile, a kind heart and a skilled hand; you
know that whenever a need arises you can always count on him to be there to
help.
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