BY MAUREEN MULLARKEY
BACKGROUND: John Choe is the executive director of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce. Choe works to identify and address issues of, as well as advocate for, the Flushing business community. As executive director, he provides networking opportunities to the Flushing community, such as Flushing Night Out, to provide a multicultural space and encourage conversation. Choe also organizes educational opportunities for immigrant business owners to learn about city rules and regulations, different types of resources and marketing or financial assistance.
MOTIVATION: “I really believe that for a city like New York … we need to address all the needs of the people in different neighborhoods regardless of their background,” he said.
CAREER: After serving in the Coro Fellowship program, Choe’s past employment record includes the Red Guidelines Board, the Corporation of Supportive Housing, and the NY State Department of Finance. In 2001 he helped John Liu to New York City Council and worked under Liu as his chief of staff. In 2009 when Liu became New York City comptroller, Choe became his director of policy. Choe then returned to Flushing as the executive director of One Flushing, a Flushing-based organization that provides resources to small business owners and local residents. The organization discovered that a Flushing chamber of commerce was needed to improve Flushing businesses. In December 2014, Choe was appointed as executive director.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: One challenge Choe faces on a daily basis is encouraging residents to communicate in open dialogue.
ACHIEVEMENTS: Choe says that his biggest achievement so far was bringing the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) to Flushing when local businesses and employment agencies struggled to understand an issued subpoena. The DCA agreed to not only extend the subpoena, but also have it translated from English to Korean.
“We had them save thousands of dollars. It may not seem like a lot, but for a lot of businesses, it’s the difference between staying open or closing.”
PERSONAL LIFE: Born in Korea, Choe grew up in Australia and later moved with his family to Staten Island. Choe attended Binghamton University, where he was heavily involved in student government, and obtained his master’s degree at the University of Chicago. He has lived in Flushing for over a decade.
“I’ve traveled and lived in many countries,” he said, “but it’s my home and where I established my roots, and I feel really privileged to help my community.”
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