CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE JFK
AIRPORT BUSINESS COMMUNITY

The first message from the first president of the JFK Chamber of Commerce.
March 1978:

Note: Wilfred Greenway is still an active Director of the JFK Chamber of Commerce

The JFK Chamber of Commerce salutes its founding members and their companies that are still active members and/or Officers and Directors:

Freight Brokers International (Founding Member - John T. Colligan)
Present member and Director - Joel Ditkowski

Jamaica Hospital - (Founding Member - Mell Abbott)
Present Member and Director - Mark Marino

In Flight Newspapers - (Founding Member)
Present Member - Remy Lehner

FINNAIR - (Founding Member -(Founding Member Ekki Gronholm - Station Manager)
Present Member, Director and fdormer President- Mauri Leppala - Airports Manager - The Americas

Aviation Development Council - (Founding Member and former President -Jack Shelly)
Present Member - William L. Huisman

Mersant International - (Founding Member -Joseph Santerelli)
Present Member - Charles Merendino and Honorary V.P of the JFK Chamber of Commerce

International Shoppes - Herman Greenbaum
Present Member - Stephen R. Greenbaum

Johnson Electric Corp - (Founding Member - Thomas Carmody)
Now known as PEM Electric - Present Member & Director - Thomas Carmody

Abbott Installations - (Founding Member - Robert Kuzma)
Present Member - Robert Kuzma

Anthony's Flowers (Founding Member - Anthony Oro)
Present Member & Director - Anthony Oro

Airport Press - (Founding Member & Former Executive Secretary - Alice Borodkin - Editor)
Present member, Director and fdormer President- William R. Puckhaber - Publisher

Brooklyn Union Gas Co (Founding member Louis E. Pfeifer)
Now known as KeySpan Energy - Present Member & Treasurer - Chris Klein

Baisley Park Carting - (Founding Member & Former Director - Anthony Gesuale)
Now known as City Waste Service of NY - Present Member - Joseph Tesi

Lansdell Protective Agency -(Founding Member & Director- Donald Carey)
Present Member - William F. O'Donnell

CitiBank - (Founding Member - Gerald A. Falkowitz)
Present Member - Hank Auffarth

Chef's Orchid - Founding Member & Director - Gregory Poulos
Present Member Otis (Bobby) Stone

Common Sense Systems (founding Member and Director - Wilfred Greenway
Now known as Airport Consulting Group - Present member and Director - Wilfred Greenway

Roster of Presidents 1978-2004
1978/80 - Peter Herren
1980/82 - Peg Swezey**
1982/84 - Jack Shelly
1984/85 - Dr. Leon Star**
1985/87 - Wilfred Greenway
1987/88 - Charles Ponsford
1988/90 - Michael Shifrel
1990/92 - Charles Levine
1992/94 - Carmine Gesuele
1994/96 - William Puckhaber
1996/99 - Rudy Auslander
1999/00 - Phil Jensen
2000/01- Donald Wright
2001/02- Mauri Leppala
2002/03- Henk Guitjens
2003/04 - James Groark (incoming)
**Deceased

Editorial from the Airport Press October 1978: