KINGSTON- Ten Broeck Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing, a senior living facility in Lake Katrine that employs 300 workers, has been named Business of the Year by the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce. The company, along with eight others, will be feted at the annual Ulster County Business Recognition Awards Dinner at Diamond Mills Hotel in Saugerties on October 26, 2023, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
“The Chamber Board of Directors and staff want to congratulate all the honorees for their extraordinary accomplishments,” said Chamber President Ward Todd. “These awards are peer-driven and a great way for the business community to recognize outstanding efforts.”
“We are so excited and honored,” said Tara Hogan, the Administrator at the Ten Broeck Center, on being named the Ulster County Business of the Year. “We do so much for our residents and staff every day and it’s very nice to be appreciated. Everybody is here because we love what we do. We’re here for the residents, and that’s what makes Ten Broeck so special.”
Other honorees at this year’s Business Recognition Awards Dinner will include:
Small Business of the Year: Catskill Art & Office Supply
Paul Solis-Cohen first opened the niche store known for its retail art supplies and custom picture framing services in Woodstock 45 years ago. The success of that store prompted him in 1986 to open a second location at 328 Wall Street in Kingston, which he occupied for 33 years, and later, a third store in Poughkeepsie. In recent years, he relocated his Wall Street shop to an even larger space in the Kingston Plaza. Catskill Art Supply has earned sterling reviews and countless awards for its quality products and exceptional customer service and has been a fulcrum for creativity and community networking in the Hudson Valley for more than four decades.
Entrepreneur of the Year: Jeremy Robinson-Leon, founder of Moonburger
The former public relations executive introduced his meatless fast-food drive-thru in Kingston in October 2021 and it was an immediate success. The restaurant features plant-based burgers, secret-recipe fries and oat milkshakes — all made for everyone, especially people who love meat. It’s been such a sensation that Robinson-Leon opened a second location at 87 Main Street in New Paltz in April and is in discussions to open additional locations in other parts of the Hudson Valley. Prior to debuting Moonburger, Robinson-Leon was President at Gordon Group, a communications firm in New York City. He relocated full time to Ulster County from Brooklyn during the pandemic.
The Heritage Award: Fair-Rite Products
In 1952, Richard Parker, a pioneer in the ferrite industry, founded the business in the hamlet of Wallkill in southern Ulster County. By 1955, the company was supplying products used in the entertainment electronics industry. It quickly expanded into the rapidly growing EMI suppression market, manufacturing ferrite shield beads, and later into the medical, lighting, automotive, communications, aero defense, smart energy and industrial markets. In 1996, Parker’s wife, Carole was named President, and in 2014, the couple’s daughter, Rachael, became Fair-Rite’s Vice President. Eight years later, she was named President, continuing the family business by expanding the company’s product lines across a broad spectrum of new markets.
Tourism Business of the Year: Catskill Mountain Railroad
The popular heritage attraction, with themed rides from spring through the holiday, just hit its 40-year anniversary and another impressive milestone—close to 50,000 passengers in 2022. Eighty-seven percent of riders came from outside the area, spending their money not only on train tickets, but at local restaurants, hotels, shops and other attractions. The economic impact to small businesses, according to railroad officials, was about $4.7 million in 2022. Each year, CMRR features themed events like the Easter Bunny Express in the spring; Catskill Flyer Summertime Rides; Pumpkin Express in the fall; and Polar Express, which drew almost 30,000 passengers during the 2022 holiday season.
Commitment to the Community Award: YWCA Ulster County
This nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace and justice has been going strong in Ulster County for 100 years. Led by Executive Director Athena Fliakos, the YWCA at 209 Clinton Avenue in Kingston prioritizes early childhood education programs, along with childcare at three sites in Kingston, parenting classes, healthcare, employment and lifelong family services. Much of the work being done centers on advocacy and providing programs for women who have historically been marginalized. This summer, the YWCA held a block party to mark its centennial and its work over the decades to build a more inclusive society.
Emerging Young Leader: Alejandro Duran Sanchez of Volna Unalign
Sanchez founded the digital marketing company in 2022, offering an array of services that includes digital marketing, business strategies, photography and videography. His clients range from Home Plate Deli and O’Connor & Partners to Wiltwyck Golf Club, the Benedictine Health Foundation and SUNY Ulster in Stone Ridge. Sanchez is a first-generation college graduate. He was raised in Kingston and graduated from Kingston High School in 2017. He attended SUNY Ulster, earning a degree in marketing and later attended the University at Albany, graduating in 2021. He is building his business from the ground up and recently hired a team to help him take Volna Unalign to the next level.
Chamber Champion: Cheryl Bowers of Rondout Savings Bank
Bowers made local history when she became Rondout Savings Bank’s 14th and first female President and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding James Davenport in 2018. The Kingston native holds a leadership certificate from the Wharton Business School and is a high-honors graduate from the American Bankers Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Pennsylvania. She also is a founding member and co-chair of the New York Bankers Association Women’s Leadership Conference. Bowers has served as past Board Chair of the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce and continues to support it through sponsorships and as a corporate partner. Bowers has served on the boards of the Kingston Boys and Girls Club, Kingston Lions Club, SUNY Ulster Foundation and Vassar Brothers Medical Center. She was named the Chamber’s Honorary Irish Person of the Year in 2016 and has received many other notable awards for her civic participation and volunteerism.
Len Cane Heart of Ulster County Award: Rev. Charles Stickley
The beloved Hurley clergyman is set to mark his 60th year as an ordained minister in the Reformed Church of America next year. After graduating from Western Theological Seminary and earning his master’s degree in theology, he was ordained in 1964. Stickley began his ministry in Michigan, and then, 50 years ago, in 1973, he arrived at the Hurley Reformed Church where he served for 33 years. Since then he has preached in Woodstock, Stone Ridge, Bloomington and even in Hurley, England. Over the years, Stickley has given of his time and talents to several area organizations, including the former Kingston Hospital, American Cancer Society, YMCA and the Office for the Aging. Additionally, he has held leadership positions within the Reformed Church of America. Stickley has also been a staple on Radio Kingston WKNY, where he has hosted “Morning Meditations,” a show focused on Bible readings, prayer and music, for nearly 50 years.
Those wishing to sponsor the event can contact Chamber President Ward Todd at 845-338-5100 ext. 2 or email Ward@UlsterChamber.org.
For more information about this year’s celebration, call 845-338-5100 or visit the Chamber website at www.UlsterChamber.org.
