Beachwood Buzz Magazine - June 2016 Page 22

22 Beachwood Buzz June 2016

BCC Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon

n Wednesday, April 20, the Beachwood Chamber of Commerce held its 2016 Volunteer
Appreciation Luncheon at which attendees heard about the importance of volunteering
and recognized those who do so much in leading and assisting the Beachwood Chamber

of Commerce. The event, sponsored by PNC Bank and underwritten by the Cleveland Clinic, took
place at Maggiano's Little Italy. Congratulations go to the following chamber members:

Volunteer of the Year Dr. Carmen Centanni

Dr. Centanni has been a chamber fixture for

quite some time. He volunteers at and attends
almost every chamber event. Whether he's
timing participants at the Fitness Challenge
or directing patrons at the B2B Show, Dr.
Centanni is always present with a positive
attitude. He said, "No matter what organization
you join, get involved! That is the only way to
receive any benefits from the group."

Board Member of the Year Ben Light

Since holding the role of board

vice president, Light's impact on
the chamber has spread to mem-
bers as well as the Beachwood
community as a whole. Light is
the chief operating officer at The
Gathering Place. He said, "In my
role at The Gathering Place, my job
is to enable others to succeed, to

provide our board and our staff with the tools they need to be successful
and then to stay out of their way. I hope that my contributions can have
a similar impact on the chamber. My goal as a board member is to chal-
lenge the organization to find ways to improve and help develop the
tools that our staff, our board and our members need to succeed."

Richard Adler Distinguished Service Award,

presented by Adler's wife, Adele Adler, to John Newburger

This award is presented to someone who has the same spirit as

Adler's. Adler, a founding member and past president of the chamber,
passed away in 2011, and his service to the community was unprece-
dented. He served as a Beachwood School Board member and was an
avid community volunteer. As a retail store owner, Adler understood
the importance of promoting and doing business in Beachwood. This
award was created by the Beachwood Chamber of Commerce to rec-
ognize board members who have given of themselves with the same
spirit as Adler during their tenure on the board.

Adele proudly presented the award to John Newburger, retired

from AT&T, saying, "In the roles
of family, work, friendship and
community, you always give
100%. Dick would have been so
thrilled, John. It is with honor that
I present this award to you."

Newburger expressed his

thanks to the chamber and Adele,
saying that he enjoys being an
active member of the chamber.

"It's a great way to meet new people. Trying out new ideas is my way
of doing things and I enjoy giving back to the community."

Next, the board of directors was introduced and presented with

certificates:

Leon Anderson Sports & Spine Physical Therapy
Eli Auerbach EPCO Energy Planners
Dr. Carmen Centanni Chiropractic Physician
Steve Dlott Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis
Tulio Garonzi Embassy Suites Beachwood
Lori Kaplan Eagle Strategies
Jeff Martin DDR
Marc Paige APG Office Furnishings
Andrew Somich Pease & Assoc.
John Newburger Retired from AT&T
Jim Doutt Economic Development Director, City of Beachwood
Robert Hardis Beachwood City Schools Superintendent
Ken Nicholas FirstMerit Bank (Treasurer)
Debby Zelman Rapoport Beachwood Buzz (Secretary)
Christin Barone Ohio Educational Credit Union (Vice President)
Ben Light The Gathering Place (Vice President)
Donnamarie Cook Cleveland Clinic (President)
Heathyr Ullmo Geauga Savings Bank (Immediate Past President)

In closing, Cook said, "Please take the coming weeks and months

to reflect and see the impact that you can have on those around you.
You will find it more rewarding than you think."

For more information about the Beachwood Chamber of Com-

merce, visit beachwood.org or contact executive director Cindy
Caldwell at 216.831.0003 or cindy@beachwood.org.

Pictured, sitting: Ben Light, Debby Zelman Rapoport, Donnamarie
Cook, Christin Barone and Ken Nichols. Standing: Marc Paige, Lori
Kaplan, Eli Auerbach, Dr. Carmen Centanni, John Newburger, Robert
Hardis, Jeff Martin and Heathyr Ullmo.