Cool, calm and collected, Salvatore Gambino may not have the “Energizer Bunny” persona of the Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce”™s former president and CEO, Peter Bardunias, but he”™s just as ardent in his desire to see businesses blossom in Mahopac, Carmel and all across Putnam County.
Mahopac-Carmel is one of several chambers of commerce spanning the Putnam County landscape, all of which joined together under the banner of Putnam County Chambers of Commerce in 2010. Now, Gambino will lead the Mahopac-Carmel chamber”™s 530-plus members into 2011 while working to grow the strength of the new-formed county coalition representing additional chambers in Cold Spring-Garrison, Brewster, Carmel-Kent, Cold Spring and Patterson; and the Putnam County and Putnam Valley business associations.
Gambino worked with Bardunias for several years, growing from acquaintances to friends that worked together to  resurrect the “Shop Local” expo eight years ago, an event with which Gambino is currently knee-deep, preparing for the hoped-for crowds as he gets ready to open for the all day event April 27 at Villa Barone in Mahopac.
“We start planning in September,” said Gambino, “and we”™re expecting a great turnout. We have over 100 vendors signed on and, of course, we get a lot of last-minute requests, which can send us back to the drawing board to lay out booths. It will open with a breakfast with the Putnam County Economic Development Corp., a great way to get into the mindset of building business in the county.”
A Norwalk, Conn., native, Gambino has been a Carmel resident for 12 years. “My wife and I fell in love with it as soon as we visited looking for a new home,” he said. He has been member of the chamber of commerce for a decade.
Gambino was active in finance and banking since his graduation from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. From auditor to comptroller to chief financial officer in various banks and credit unions, he retired from his position as president and CEO of Putnam Federal Credit Union shortly after it was merged into Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union in July 2010.
The retirement, obviously, has been short-lived. “I retired in September 2010, then I learned Pete (Bardunias) was leaving to take a position in Saratoga and his job was opening up,” said Gambino. “I thought I”™d apply, because I have been involved with the chamber and am treasurer of several boards, including the new Putnam County Chambers of Commerce. It seemed like a good fit, and I guess it was, because here I am.”
Now, in addition to making sure numbers add up correctly, Gambino will be meeting and greeting local businesses and encouraging them to join the chamber to reap its benefits and promote better business communities. “It is always a benefit to belong to a business group,” said Gambino. “In addition to networking with other community businesses and exchanging services, you have the opportunity to attend functions where you can develop relationships with others that can help grow your own business, have your business profiled in the chamber newsletter and have programs available to help grow your business acumen.”
Gambino is a proponent of the newly formed Putnam Chambers of Commerce and serves as its treasurer. “Because of Putnam”™s geography, when people began moving up here, they clustered in different areas of the county and formed their own chamber or business alliance to promote their community. For all of us to come together under one banner is going to help us gain political clout we cannot achieve as stand-alone  associations. There is strength in numbers.
“We recently hosted our local officials at a meeting where all seven chambers, under the PCCofC banner, made our concerns and needs known to our politicians,” he said. “I don”™t know if we could have made that happen if we were all to try to do that as separate entities.”
Does Gambino envision a day when the Putnam County Chambers of Commerce eventually becomes the only chamber, with all seven merging together? “It”™s a distinct possibility,” he said. “But it will be driven by economics. In this financial climate, particularly if it continues indefinitely, it would make the most sense for all of us to get together and consolidate our forces, but we”™ll see what”™s up the road. For right now, this is working for all of us. We have two members of each chamber sitting on the board of directors, and we have had two big events where we”™ve all gotten together, as well as the recent meeting with our local politicians. One day at a time.”
The new state budget brought out the banker in Gambino. “So far, from what I”™ve seen of Gov. Cuomo, he”™s got the charisma and strength of character to get the state under control. It”™s irksome to repeat that New York is a business-unfriendly state, but it”™s a fact, with all the fees, regulations and other burdens placed on business, it”™s no surprise companies  look elsewhere.
“Hopefully, all the programs he (Cuomo) wants to institute to streamline government and improve economic programs are going to help all of us across the state,” he said. “Just getting the budget in on time and under the proposed amount was a great accomplishment, one he promised to do and Cuomo fulfilled that promise. So I have great hopes, as I know many do.”
Gambino, who sits on the board of directors for Putnam”™s Cornell Cooperative Extension, Putnam Family and Community Services and the Putnam Hospital Foundation, among many other service groups, says he knows the new budget will be painful, but necessary, particularly for non-profits and social service groups.  “I have faith they will persevere. They may have to consolidate some services, but I think the people who run these groups  are dedicated to what they do and will do their best to stay on course ”“ it”™s just going to be a lot tougher.”
Then, it was back to the chamber”™s headquarters on rainy Route 6, which functions as both a visitor center and meeting place, so Gambino could continue preparing for the Shop Local expo ”“ a new chamber president who seems to have hit the ground running and is eager to succeed in his new career.
