Newly elected Great Neck Chamber of Commerce President Patricia Schneider stressed the importance of making local business owners and peninsula residents aware of what the organization can do to promote retail and support downtown life during an interview with Blank Slate Media.
Schneider, who was elected to serve as president for two years Feb. 6, lauded the chamber’s membership and said the organization will take advantage of whatever opportunities are presented to bolster Great Neck’s business district.
“We have people in the chamber who are now stepping up and getting out there talking about who we are and what we can do for our businesses,” Schneider said. “And that’s my primary goal starting right out of the gate.”
Improvements will also be made to the chamber’s website and social media presence. A Great Neck resident for roughly 50 years and chamber member for around 25, Schneider said she knows what it takes to have a successful business.
“I really believe that the business community is important and it’s our social responsibility to keep it healthy,” she said. “I’ve lived through the transitions in Great Neck and so have seen the changes and I’m still trying to figure out how to bring the interest to the community.”
Schneider runs Patricia Schneider Design Consultants with her husband, Charles, and has previously served as the corporate vice president of design for Estee Lauder Inc. Holding a myriad of local positions, including as a board member of the Gold Coast Arts Center and a member of the Holocaust Memorial Tolerance Center of Nassau County’s Event Committee, provided her with the necessary expertise to lead others, she said.
“Being a small business owner, I certainly had to figure out with my partner how to delegate and to find resources,” Schneider said. “And that’s what my plan is with my new presidency so that everyone gets a chance to participate in the chamber and be part of the new chamber.”
The coronavirus pandemic, she said, has impacted business owners and the average consumer. With easily accessible shopping resources online, she said, it is important for local business owners to promote their goods and services to the public and encourage them to take a trip into the heart of Great Neck for whatever they may need.
Communities such as ours should be selling to our people so that they know that they’re being taken care of,” she said. “That it’s not the FedEx or Prime delivery guy showing up. I think service and trust are the most important things we might have given up during the age of COVID and we must resurrect them today.”
Schneider encouraged local business owners not involved with the chamber to do so and have their voices heard so that they can achieve the larger-scale goal of making Great Neck a true destination for residents and outsiders. She also said the board members and other elected officials in the chamber will aid in growing Great Neck’s business district.
Other board members include Executive Vice President Dennis Grossman, First Vice President Hooshang Nematzadeh, 2nd Vice President Marnie Ives, 3rd Vice President Corinne Sodano, Secretary Elliot S. Rosenblatt and Treasurer Steven Kocoris.