Northern RI Chamber Announces Winners for Annual Dinner 2013

Lincoln, Rhode Island: Northern RI Chamber of Commerce Announces Award Recipients to be Honored Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at Chamber Annual Dinner

The Northern RI Chamber of Commerce has announced the award recipients scheduled to receive the distinguished Barbara C. Burlingame Award and the Ben G. Mondor Award at this year’s Annual Dinner. The Chamber will honor Senator Roger Picard and at the event being held at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln on Tuesday, February 12, 2013.

Senator Roger Picard has been selected to receive the Barbara C. Burlingame award. The Burlingame award was established in 2003 to recognize a Rhode Island elected official who has made outstanding contributions to the business community. The award recognizes individuals who exhibit the highest standards of excellence, dedication, and accomplishment in the public service arena.

Senator Picard has honorably served the City of Woonsocket and the Town of Cumberland for more than 20 years. He was elected to the House of Representatives in November 1992 and served continuously until being elected to the RI Senate in a special election in 2008. His years of service have produced achievement in many areas, including: Leading the effort to preserve the operation of  Woonsocket’s Landmark Hospital and protecting the more than 1,100 jobs associated with the hospital by shepherding legislation through the Senate and the House that allowed for the potential easy purchase of the hospital;  Ensuring great opportunity for local small businesses to thrive -including support for tax policy to achieve that goal; His legislative and professional championing of the need to continuously improve the delivery of education and educational opportunities in Woonsocket schools and the providing of a well prepared future workforce.

Through direct sponsorship or co-sponsorship of legislation, Senator Picard has helped guarantee that the state’s small business loan program continues to be available for small businesses in Woonsocket, Cumberland and throughout the state. Senator Picard was a strong supporter both on the House side (when originally enacted) and the Senate side (in recent efforts to reinstitute) of legislation that helped directly revive Woonsocket’s and Northern Rhode Island’s commercial/industrial base through the state’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit program. The program produced $5.11 in economic development activity for every $1 of state investment.

Robert P. Andrade, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Pawtucket Credit Union has been selected to receive the Ben Mondor award. The Ben G. Mondor award was established in 2010 to honor the former owner of the Pawtucket Red Sox. This philanthropic award is given to an individual who goes above and beyond philanthropically, within the community.

Bob has been employed by Pawtucket Credit Union for forty years and he has established a legacy of philanthropic leadership for the organization. In the same spirit as Mondor, Bob has been an inspirational community leader, successful business person, mentor and role model for the organizations he has worked with over the years. Bob has received many awards and honors, most recently as a recipient of the 2012 Gateway Light of Hope Philanthropy Award which recognizes individuals for their outstanding philanthropic contributions. He also received the Bell Award in 2011 from the Mental Health Association of RI for his support for mental health issues.

Bob has held leadership positions on CULAC’s Executive Committee, Credit Union Association of RI and CUNA’s Credit Union Legislative Action Council, as well as being a member of the board of directors of the New England Credit Union Heritage Foundation and America’s Credit Union Museum.  Bob is also the secretary and past president of the Lions Club of Pawtucket and has served as a past chair for the board of directors at the Northern RI Chamber of Commerce.  He has also served on the board at the Boys and Girls Club of Pawtucket and is now a Trustee, as well as past chairman of the Board of Directors of Blackstone Health, Inc.  Bob is also the chairman of the board at the Memorial Hospital of RI as well.

The keynote speaker for the Annual Dinner will be the David C. Chavern, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the United States Chamber of Commerce.

Chavern serves as chair of the Chamber’s Management Committee and is responsible for day-to-day operations as well as long-term planning. This includes responsibility for a range of policy, financial, administrative, and legal operations. He also oversees several revenue operations, including corporate partnerships and small business outreach and membership. Further, he is deeply involved in the Chamber’s innovative push into social and new media.

Chavern is also founder and president of the Chamber’s Center for Women in Business. The center’s objective is to increase opportunities for women at all levels of business.

Previously, Chavern served as the Chamber’s chief of staff and vice president of its Capital Markets initiative, where he quickly became one of the nation’s leading voices on corporate governance and on the regulation of U.S. capital markets. Earlier, he served in several senior positions at the U.S. Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank. He is also on the President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy & Negotiations. Before his move to Washington, Chavern was in private legal practice in Philadelphia.

The Annual Dinner will also feature a presentation to the Chamber in recognition of one of its predecessor organizations the Pawtucket Businessmen’s Association as a founding member of the US Chamber 100 years ago. The 2012 Governor’s Cup will also be on display during the event. The Cup was won by the Pawtucket Red sox as the International League Baseball champions and it represents the first time the team has won the award in over 28 years.

There will also be The Annual Dinner reception will begin at 5:30 PM at the Twin River event center with dinner and speakers to present at 6:30 PM. Cost is $100 per person and sponsorship tables are available.

Contact the Northern RI Chamber at 401-334-1000 to register for the Annual Dinner or visit the website at www.NRIChamber.com for more information.

About the NRI Chamber:

The Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of businesses in the communities of Burrillville, Central Falls, Cumberland, Glocester, Lincoln, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Smithfield and Woonsocket. The NRI Chamber leads the Chamber of Commerce Coalition, representing 11 area chambers of commerce. The Coalition is the largest business advocate in the State of RI representing more than 6,500 businesses and 70,000 employees statewide.  For more information about the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, call (401)-334-1000 or visitwww.nrichamber.com.

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