With great pride, Jack Friedman, executive director of the Queens Chamber of Commerce and Joshua Schneps, co-publisher of Schneps Communications, recently accepted 2011 Community Leadership Awards presented by the Community Business Partnership Council of the Samuel Field Y/Central Queens Y.
According to Steven Goodman, executive vice president and CEO of the Samuel Field Y, both Friedman and Schneps have a history of highlighting the shared value partnerships between for profit and not-for-profit businesses around the borough.
“I am hoping that Queens’ not-for-profits are not seen only as places that need money, but as places responsible for creating stable, thriving communities which spend money at the local businesses,” said Goodman to the well over 100 people in attendance for a catered breakfast at Flushing Town Hall. “The people that we are honoring today have lived that.”
Friedman, who has been and still is an active member in numerous organizations around the borough, has been the executive director of the Queens Chamber of Commerce since 2007. He has been a strong supporter and advocate for the Samuel Field Y for over 20 years and was instrumental in securing large City Council grants for their Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) programs.
“Steve called it ‘shared values.’ I call it corporate responsibility,” said Friedman, who had his wife and two children in attendance. “I’m so proud of our [chamber] members . . . They not only support the Y, they support Flushing Town Hall. They support the colleges and the hospitals and the other not-for-profits in the borough. Our members understand the value of doing the right thing, but they understand the value on the business end. We emphasize to our members to not only be good business people, but good corporate citizens and good community members.”
Friedman went on to call his co-recipient of the Leadership Award an “up and coming star of the borough.”
Growing up around the news business, Schneps – a graduate from Indiana University School of Business – developed an eye for entrepreneurialism and media at a young age. He is the co-publisher of Schneps Communications, the largest privately owned publisher of community newspapers, magazines and local websites serving both Queens and Brooklyn. Set to be married in May, Schneps was once a member at the Samuel Field Y as a Queens youth.
“I guess I turned out all right,” laughed Schneps. “It’s great to make an impact and let people know of all the good things that are happening in Queens. We try to stay as positive as we can with the paper and really get involved with the community.”
Schneps went on to thank the Samuel Field Y for the honor and praised the Queens Chamber of Commerce for their public work.
“If you’re not a [chamber] member, you should be,” said Schneps. “It’s a great opportunity to meet the leaders in the community.”
Friedman and Schneps also received City Council citations from the office of Councilmember Dan Halloran recognizing their outstanding citizenship.
