Chamber’s Annual Meeting & Dinner a Success
By Chris Seymour | Correspondent at December 11, 2023 | 6:00 pm | Print
The 101st Annual Meeting & Dinner of the Greater New Britain Chamber of Commerce honored several outstanding citizens in the local business community last month.
Those honored at the Annual Meeting & Dinner—a sold out gathering of 350 that took place Nov. 20 at the CCSU Student Center Ballroom—included Vic and Betty Fumiatti, who received the Distinguished Community Service Award; Okay Industries (Jason Howey), which received the Beehive Business & Industry Award; Maria & Mark Bernacki of Sir Speedy were honored with the Winged Victory Downtown Award;
The Non Profit Organization of the Year Award went to the New Britain Lions Club (Ken Kollmeyer); the Family Business Award was given to New Britain Transportation (Peter Agostini); and the Friend of the Chamber Award went to
Sharon Rodrigue-Baretta.
“To be honored with the Friend of the Chamber Award was unexpected but to have the recognition bestowed upon me by the Greater New Britain Chamber was a distinct honor, a privilege, and very much appreciated,” Rodrigue-Baretta told The City Journal last week.
Rodrigue-Baretta was heavily involved with a number of Chamber initiatives this year, including working with Chamber President Tim Stewart and Taylor Adametz at the Klingberg Vintage Motorcar Festival promoting the Chamber.
She even pitched the Taste of Greater New Britain to Stewart this year.
“He [along] with Chamber support, a committee, and myself mobilized restaurants and people to hold in mid-July Greater New Britain’s first annual Taste of Greater New Britain,” she detailed. In all, 13 restaurants took part in man event that featured $20.14 menus.
The Annual Meeting & Dinner “was an event that truly highlighted the growth of this Chamber under its President Tim Stewart,” furthered Rodrigue-Baretta. “It has become an exceptional vehicle for marketing, networking, and promoting the businesses and the cities and towns in which they reside. I am confident that the future of this Chamber is bright and I look forward to continuing my work with them as well as with those I currently serve.”
Chamber President Stewart also agreed that the night was a success. “This was my first Annual Dinner as president of the Chamber and it certainly turned out successful!” he exclaimed. “We selected some of the most successful and community minded people to receive the chambers various awards this year, which made the planning of our 101st Annual Dinner that much easier.”
Maria Bernacki said she and her husband Mark were “humbled and elated” to be honored with the Winged Victory Downtown Award. “It’s quite gratifying to be honored by our peers,” she said.
Sir Speedy Printing and Marketing Center has been in downtown New Britain for 26 years, she noted. “Mark and I invested heavily in New Britain,” added Bernacki. “We were born and raised here, built our home here, raised our children here. We work here and volunteer here. Also, our children are still here living and volunteering in New Britain.”
Many of the Bernackis’ Sir Speedy customers either live or work in New Britain or in the surrounding areas, she added. “We believe we provide a valuable service to our customers in print, signs, posters, banners and marketing services,” continued Bernacki.
All in all, Bernacki called the Annual Meeting & Dinner “a huge success.” She elaborated, “CCSU did a great job accommodating such a large group. There were other excellent fellow recipients, too. With many of our family members in attendance as well as friends, colleagues and customers, the Bernacki group had a wonderful evening!”
