Business is about dollars and cents — the bottom line. Entrepreneurs and companies make a profit to support families, create jobs and pay tax dollars to support their communities.

But it’s people that make those businesses work, and each year the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce honors business people in the Peekskill-Cortlandt-Yorktown area who are shining examples of those efforts.

At this year’s “Stars Along the Hudson” brunch gala, six outstanding current people were recognized. And two other contributors to the area no longer with us were remembered for the vitality they brought to the region.

This year’s winners

Nearly 100 attendees at this year’s gala, held at Crotonville Conference Center, gathered on June 1 to honor the 2025 winners.

The awards were presented to…

“Business of the Year” – Go No Sen Karate, a community-driven martial arts school with over 30 years of service benefiting families across Westchester County. With two full-time locations in Peekskill and Yorktown and multiple satellite programs in local public and private schools, Go No Sen is a place “where young leaders are built.”

“Quality of Life” – Support Connection provides free support services for people with breast, ovarian or other gynecological cancers, offering women and their families a place to turn. The counselors – cancer survivors themselves – offer empathetic support and guidance. Support Connection makes a positive difference in the lives of people dealing with cancer.

“Volunteer of the Year” – Lynn Amos, a Chamber member since 2015 and served as co-chair of the Chamber’s marketing committee and served as a member on that committee and the nonprofit committee. She opened her own award-winning design studio on 2006. Her company Fyne Lyne Ventures, works with small and medium sized businesses on all types of marketing efforts.

“Young Professional of the Year” – Shannon Sullivan serves as director of camp and teen programs for the YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester. She oversees Camp Combe Summer Day Camp with serves 1,000 annually and leads a staff of over 150. Her commitment to mentorship, innovation and community impact helps shape the future of youth leadership in the Hudson Valley and beyond.

“Chairperson’s Award” – KinoSaito Arts Center in Verplanck is a nonprofit art center that extends the collaborative and experimental practices of the Japanese American abstract painter and avant-garde theater designer Kikup Saito. The center houses two large art galleries, a theater, dance and performance space, two studios for a rotating roster of resident artists and a classroom for arts education and public programs.

“Larry DeNoia Professional Development Grant” – Kerry Scardino, founder of Skinchanted CBD, opened her holistic day spa in Peekskill in 2012. Ten years later she launched Skinchanted CBD featuring a line of organically grown, non-GMO, THC-free products made in FDA registered, GMP-compliant facilities. She has been a proud member of the Chamber since 2012 and received the Young Professional of the Year Award in 2014.

Remembering those who made a difference

Carol Voisey, executive director of the Chamber, took a moment in her opening remarks to recall two people who left their mark on the local business community and everyone they touched – musician Ray Blue and Larry DiNoia.

Blue, who traditionally played each year at the Chamber Gala, passed away recently. ” Ray was very involved in the community,” Voisey said. “He was known for his music, he was known for his heart. Ray would have been here today with us playing the saxophone and walking around the tables.” The Jeff Barone Quartet, long-time friends of Ray, stepped in to entertain the guests in honor of Blue.

Voisey also spoke for many in the audience when she recalled the warmth and affection that many local people hold for DiNoia, a long-time Peekskill business leader who died in December 2019.

“I would sit at Rotary meetings between Larry and Joe Lippolis,” Voisey recalled. “If you know either one of them, it was the best seat in the house – it was hysterical – and that’s why I kept coming back, because they made me laugh and made me feel very, very welcome.” 

DeNoia’s adult children Michael and Jessica were in attendance for the presentation of the annual grant provided in his memory. “The Rotary Foundation has a professional development grant they give out each year, and one of the requirements is a person active in the Chamber,” Voisey said “Larry was active in the Chamber and active in the Rotary and he saw the connection, he saw the two groups working together.”