Gov. Hochul keynotes Brooklyn Chamber Winter Gala
Gov. Kathy Hochul delivered the keynote speech at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting and Winter Gala at El Caribe Country Club in Mill Basin on Tuesday, and cheered the borough’s efforts in coming out of the pandemic.
Addressing 2.6 million Brooklynites, 62,000 small business owners, some of NYC’s top economic development advocates, elected officials and voters, she discussed her administration’s efforts to support small businesses hit hard by the pandemic and revive New York’s economy.
“Small businesses are vital to our local economies, and supporting small businesses owners in Brooklyn who got hit hard by the pandemic is critical to our economic recovery efforts,” Hochul said after being introduced with a recording of the song “New York, New York.”
“That’s why I’ve taken steps to provide more pandemic relief to small businesses, make it easier for small business owners to access government resources, and continue to create opportunities for minority or women-owned businesses to ensure an equitable recovery,” Hochul said.
“New York is back, starting with Brooklyn. This business community was knocked down, but you never, ever gave up,” she added, to great applause. She talked about her mother starring a flower shop in Buffalo at the same time businesses there were closing. “That’s the type of family I come from,” she said.