Chamber honors 2018 award winners

Local business owners, volunteers recognized for service

LOWER GWYNEDD >> Businesses across Montgomery County were recognized on Wednesday night for doing their part to ensure the county’s economy remains strong.

Nine honorees were recognized by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Montgomery County at its annual Black and White Gala and Awards celebration.

“This year, the chamber celebrates its 105th anniversary, and I have to believe that those who have come before us, would be proud of where we are today,” said Chamber CEO Pam Kelly.

The chamber and its members “rode through some tough economic times, both nationally and internally, but this evening is a testimonial to the continued strength and resilience of this business community,” she said.

Recognized with the Chamber’s Business of the Year award was the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board, and award presenter Gaetan Giannini of the Chamber’s Executive Committee said the board is a key part of driving over $1 billion in annual economic impact from tourism to the county each year.

“This is an organization of people who truly care about prosperity in this community, and an organization that is truly well managed,” Giannini said.

Mark Bowman, the Valley Forge board’s CEO, thanked his staff for helping promote dozens of hotels, thousands of restaurants, and other unique attractions around the county.

“We have 100 miles of trails, the best golf in the northeast, Legoland — who’s been to Legoland? and on and on, and of course that icon, which I think sometimes people take for granted, Valley Forge National Park,” he said.

Jim Brusilovsky, owner of Marks Jewelers in Montgomery Township, received the Business Person of the Year award from chamber board member Mary Alforano. She told how Brusilovsky expanded a family business from a 100-squarefoot kiosk in the Montgomery Mall to a 1,500-squarefoot store near Five Points in 1996, to a new 25,000-square-foot shop that opened in 2016 — and helped her when her grandmother was terminally ill in 2001 and wanted to pass on prized jewelry.

“Without hesitation, Jim said ‘I will be there today, probably in an hour.’ He was not only sensitive to a difficult situation, but he showed her compassion and respect,” she said.

Brusilovsky thanked his wife Dareen, who left what he called a “cushy corporate job” to take early morning gemological classes in New York City each day and joined his team.

“She woke up at 4:30 in the morning, and she didn’t get back home until eight o’clock at night. And she’ll tell you she had the best time of her life. And she graduated second in her class, and she never missed a day,” Brusilovsky said.

Dareen now buys or chooses all jewelry on display in the store, he said, and Jim held back tears as he described the sleepless night of December 17, 2008, when slow traffic on what is normally the busiest day of the year revealed that holiday shopping was down by 47 percent over the prior year.

“That night, both of us tossed and turned for hours and hours. We realized we weren’t going to be sleeping much that night, so she rolled over, asked if I was sleeping, and said ‘You know what will help us? If we just hold hands and pray.’ I can’t say enough about how much help and support she’s given me,” he said.

2018’s Community Organization of the Year is the Penn Foundation, whose President and CEO Wayne Mugrauer said the healthcare nonprofit has over 400 employees and 12 board members who have worked, some since the foundation was established more than six decades ago, to provide

needed health services to over 17,000 people each year.

“It’s their work that, every day, differentiates what we do, as we try to meet the responsibility of serving and caring for this community. It wouldn’t have happened in 1955 without you, and it wouldn’t happen in 2018 without you,” he said.

Kathryn McCarter, director of Community Health for Abington Jefferson Health, was recognized with the chamber’s Community Service of the Year award. Abington Jefferson President Meg McGoldrick said McCarter was the perfect choice, for overseeing countless clinics and programs meant to improve the health and lives of local residents.

“She harnesses the power of volunteerism by managing the almost 1,200 volunteers that we have at Abington Jefferson Health. Kathy’s a tireless advocate for our community, ensuring that we provide screen

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